As colleges and universities are getting ready to open for late summer or fall classes, three essential steps to take to ensure both employees and students are as comfortable and confident of resuming their roles: 1. Emphasize your Higher Purpose consistently. The higher purpose needs to be emphasized as you reinvigorate your institution to […]
Now is the time to redefine your university culture. When schools are given the go ahead to open again, for many it will be like starting over. If you weren’t happy with the culture you had, it will be a perfect time to create the culture you want. Delivering a student experience that wows and […]
We all know that a higher education institution is not a theme park, it is not a vacation, it does not have rides, and it doesn’t have characters, so it is not Walt Disney World. But in their industry of theme parks, Disney is one of the most successful at keeping guests coming back. Are […]
All levels of schools from Pre-K to College began classes last week. Both students and parents were either wowed and delighted by the organized systems in place and the treatment they received from the staff or they became frustrated, disappointed, and maybe even angry. The first few days of a new schoolyear is an […]
Hire nice people. It is in the top three reasons why guests say they keep going back to Disney: because the cast members are friendly and courteous. If you truly want a culture of service excellence, it must start with the people you hire today. Look for the job candidate that is naturally service-oriented. […]
According to a recently released Moody’s Investor Service report, closure rates for small colleges and universities are expected to triple in the coming years. In addition, they predict increases in mergers and alliances for publicly funded institutions. All related to declining enrollment and revenue. This is attributed to “an iron triangle of doom”: 1) Fewer […]
For a long time we have known that the student experience is a key factor in graduation and retention rates and for a long time this fact has been ignored by most institutions. Be it Tinto’s study that showed while SAT and high school grades were good indicators of academic success, they were […]
Every college or university I have visited complains of the silos between departments. These silos are like invisible walls that prevent co-workers from working together and building relationships. These walls create a competition between departments and people that makes it so much more difficult to deliver a wonderful experience to the student. The student […]
I read a recent article in Inside Higher Ed on Kenneth Starr being unanimously voted to be chancellor of Baylor University. Yes, the same Ken Starr of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky fame. Yes, the same University that has had a revolving door at president with more votes of […]
A recent article in Slate on Southern New Hampshire University tells a tale of two cities. SNHU was on death watch. SNHU was a struggling private school with declining enrollment, weak finances, and no name recognition. This is not such an uncommon position as over 1/3 of finance officers from America’s colleges and Universities report […]