News

In a recent editorial entitled “The Imminent Crisis in College Leadership,” Richard Ekman, the president of the Council of Independent Colleges, suggested a growing risk is that more institutions may soon be led by presidents who have less of an understanding of the academic mission, and he called for greater investments in professional development and succession planning for academic leaders at all levels (from the department chair to the provost). While Ekman’s editorial was primarily focused on how academic leaders perceive the presidency (in the wake of recent research indicating how few provosts aspire to be presidents), his editorial also hints at several key practices that are needed, more broadly, for fostering in an institution’s academic leaders not only the inclination but also the skills to become effective leaders. Among his suggestions: “Faculty members with the potential to serve effectively as department chairs or assistant deans need encouragement to view such roles as opportunities for professional growth and support.” “Presidents should take seriously their role as mentors of talented young administrators and faculty members.” We turned to Pat Sanaghan, president of the Sanaghan Group, for suggestions about specific steps institutional leaders can take toward those objectives. The President as Mentor Sanaghan […]

Recent news has highlighted how the economy is making aging faculty more reluctant to retire and slowing colleges’ ability to hire new faculty. And this week saw a New York Times feature interviewing diverse faculty about the issue. Mary Coussons-Read, a professor of psychology at the University of Colorado Denver, summarizes some forward-thinking approaches institutions have tried to offering faculty retirement incentives. When Buyouts Cost Too Much There are institutions that have tried faculty buyouts — for instance, offering a financial lump sum for faculty who retire at the end of the year — but this can prove quite expensive. Offering an array of options for phased retirement allows you to both manage the expense and negotiate a plan that better fits the needs of your individual faculty. “You want to offer an arrangement that allows your faculty to plan for retirement,” Coussons-Read notes, “and that helps your institution plan ahead for reallocating anticipated salary savings toward new hiring or other investment.” If your faculty are signing three- or five-year retirement agreements, then retirement becomes predictable. “Many faculty face both financial and psychological barriers to retirement, and you need to determine what barriers a particular individual faces and use that knowledge as […]

In recent news, development officers at Claremont McKenna College are expanding their alumni engagement strategy by asking alumni volunteers to interview their peers about interest and affinity. The college’s commitment to investing in engaging young alumni has already seen returns: the institution’s 10-year average giving rate has increased 6% since 2008, despite a difficult economy. Now, more than ever, institutions need to ensure the long-term health of the annual fund by moving donors into the pipeline early, and young alumni are often an insufficiently tapped resource. Yet this year sees not only a continuing trend of volunteerism but also growing numbers of recent graduates seeking to reconnect with their alma mater for assistance with networking and career advancement opportunities in this economy. It is critical that alumni relations and annual fund professionals take advantage of a surge in interest from young alumni, through proactive and deliberate outreach. We asked Elise M. Betz, executive director of alumni relations at the University of Pennsylvania; Linda Williams Favero,  assistant director of the University of Oregon Career Center; and Elizabeth Allen, executive director of communications for THINK Global School, for tips on cultivating young alumni engagement. Focus on Services for Young Alumni First, Linda […]