Page 29 - index
P. 29
CONFERENCE FEATURE
Higher education leaders that devote all their energies to
treading water, preserving the status quo, or merely keeping
their institutions afoat, risk losing sight of the horizon entirely,
and losing momentum to explore new strategic opportunities.
Charting Your Course 2. Hoist a Distinct Flag: Academic culture tends toward
conformity, and true diferentiation of institutions is quite rare.
Done well, however, a distinctive position can attract students
Higher education leaders that devote all their energies to nationally or internationally for decades. Te University of
treading water, preserving the status quo, or merely keeping Waterloo is known worldwide for its 60-year commitment
their institutions afoat, risk losing sight of the horizon entirely, to cooperative education and entrepreneurship. Colorado
and losing momentum to explore new strategic opportunities. College has ofered its programs on the “block plan” since 1970,
Despite ever-tightening budgets and declining local attracting students who appreciate the ability to fully immerse
demographics, visionary leaders have at least fve alternatives themselves in one course at a time, and get that “school’s out
to merely treading water in piloting their institutions to a for summer” feeling eight times a year. Brown University’s
promising future. “new curriculum” is almost 50 years old now, but still attracts
1. Outspend Your Rivals: Many institutions have found students who want to be the architects of their own syllabus,
that investing in enhanced campus facilities can be a powerful with the freedom to take credit courses outside their comfort
way to retain more share of the local market, and make a zone without academic risk. Tese competitive advantages
college more attractive to students at a distance. Te campus have proven sustainable over time, as the diferentiations have
facilities “arms race” in terms of plush residences, athletics permeated the campus cultures and attracted successive waves
facilities, modern laboratories, and climbing walls has been of faculty and students committed to the vision.
well documented in the US for years. Sault College, in Sault Ste. 3. Launch Innovative New Programs: Two-year colleges
Marie, Ontario, underwent a massive campus modernization in particular tend to be much more nimble at refning and
in 2012 that added 75,000 square feet of academic space, bright launching new academic programs in response to changing
learning commons, and fexible classrooms – and contributed labor market needs, and innovative new programs can be
to a 30% boost in enrollment over just three years. signifcant draws for out-of-region students. Many Canadian
It may also be possible to outspend your rivals on brand colleges have developed a new market ofering graduate
advertising and recruitment marketing, depending upon their certifcate and diploma programs to university graduates,
budgets. Rufalo Noel-Levitz (2016) reports that the average half of whom now go on to pursue further education
cost of recruiting among two-year public colleges in the US afer graduating from a four-year program (Butlin, 2001).
is just $118, while four-year publics spend $578, and four- An increasing number of innovative new programs are
year privates $2,232. Colleges in remote, colder climates may interdisciplinary in nature, like McMaster University’s new
fnd it extraordinarily difcult to spend enough, however: fve-year honors BHSc in Health, Engineering Sciences, and
a consortium of six colleges in northern Ontario invested Entrepreneurship. In Ontario, a growing number of universities
$4 million to recruit just 67 students from the populous are developing new programs in partnership with community
south – working out to about $60,000 (Canadian) per student colleges, such as Queen’s University’s partnerships with St.
(Rutherford & Stranges, 2016). Lawrence College and Northern College on new degrees
ranging from Music and Digital Media to Biotechnology
LEADERSHIP Vol. 23.1 Spring/Summer 2017 27
Client: The Chair Academy Job: Leadership_Journal_23.1 Spring/Summer 2017 Final size: 8.5” x 11” Colors: CMYK Bleeds: Yes
Created by: Goldfsh Creative - Laura Dvir • 602.349.2220 • LAURA@GOLDFISHCREATIVE.NET
Higher education leaders that devote all their energies to
treading water, preserving the status quo, or merely keeping
their institutions afoat, risk losing sight of the horizon entirely,
and losing momentum to explore new strategic opportunities.
Charting Your Course 2. Hoist a Distinct Flag: Academic culture tends toward
conformity, and true diferentiation of institutions is quite rare.
Done well, however, a distinctive position can attract students
Higher education leaders that devote all their energies to nationally or internationally for decades. Te University of
treading water, preserving the status quo, or merely keeping Waterloo is known worldwide for its 60-year commitment
their institutions afoat, risk losing sight of the horizon entirely, to cooperative education and entrepreneurship. Colorado
and losing momentum to explore new strategic opportunities. College has ofered its programs on the “block plan” since 1970,
Despite ever-tightening budgets and declining local attracting students who appreciate the ability to fully immerse
demographics, visionary leaders have at least fve alternatives themselves in one course at a time, and get that “school’s out
to merely treading water in piloting their institutions to a for summer” feeling eight times a year. Brown University’s
promising future. “new curriculum” is almost 50 years old now, but still attracts
1. Outspend Your Rivals: Many institutions have found students who want to be the architects of their own syllabus,
that investing in enhanced campus facilities can be a powerful with the freedom to take credit courses outside their comfort
way to retain more share of the local market, and make a zone without academic risk. Tese competitive advantages
college more attractive to students at a distance. Te campus have proven sustainable over time, as the diferentiations have
facilities “arms race” in terms of plush residences, athletics permeated the campus cultures and attracted successive waves
facilities, modern laboratories, and climbing walls has been of faculty and students committed to the vision.
well documented in the US for years. Sault College, in Sault Ste. 3. Launch Innovative New Programs: Two-year colleges
Marie, Ontario, underwent a massive campus modernization in particular tend to be much more nimble at refning and
in 2012 that added 75,000 square feet of academic space, bright launching new academic programs in response to changing
learning commons, and fexible classrooms – and contributed labor market needs, and innovative new programs can be
to a 30% boost in enrollment over just three years. signifcant draws for out-of-region students. Many Canadian
It may also be possible to outspend your rivals on brand colleges have developed a new market ofering graduate
advertising and recruitment marketing, depending upon their certifcate and diploma programs to university graduates,
budgets. Rufalo Noel-Levitz (2016) reports that the average half of whom now go on to pursue further education
cost of recruiting among two-year public colleges in the US afer graduating from a four-year program (Butlin, 2001).
is just $118, while four-year publics spend $578, and four- An increasing number of innovative new programs are
year privates $2,232. Colleges in remote, colder climates may interdisciplinary in nature, like McMaster University’s new
fnd it extraordinarily difcult to spend enough, however: fve-year honors BHSc in Health, Engineering Sciences, and
a consortium of six colleges in northern Ontario invested Entrepreneurship. In Ontario, a growing number of universities
$4 million to recruit just 67 students from the populous are developing new programs in partnership with community
south – working out to about $60,000 (Canadian) per student colleges, such as Queen’s University’s partnerships with St.
(Rutherford & Stranges, 2016). Lawrence College and Northern College on new degrees
ranging from Music and Digital Media to Biotechnology
LEADERSHIP Vol. 23.1 Spring/Summer 2017 27
Client: The Chair Academy Job: Leadership_Journal_23.1 Spring/Summer 2017 Final size: 8.5” x 11” Colors: CMYK Bleeds: Yes
Created by: Goldfsh Creative - Laura Dvir • 602.349.2220 • LAURA@GOLDFISHCREATIVE.NET
