John Nelson, director of the higher education practice for Moody’s Investor Service, recently gave a powerful speech where he talked about leadership, managing scarcity, and productive efficiency.  According to Nelson, the evidence indicates that colleges with strong leadership find new

The art of a presidency is a complex blend of authenticity, determination, accuracy and vision.  There are many paths to a viable mix.  In the course of three presidencies at two colleges in the United States and at an American university overseas, I found my executive voice by identifying and

As someone who has recently returned to the U.S. after leading an educational institution overseas, I find it strangely sad that the liberal arts gets bad press here at home.  What is it about critical thinking and writing across a range of subjects that turns people off?  Do they seem

Presidents, Admission Officers, Marketing Directors, and Chief Academic Officers are trying to come to grips with new news sources and social networks that can have a dramatic impact on the strategies and plans of their institutions.  The impacts may include improved marketing for the college,

With state and federal governments cutting direct support and grants-in-aid, the amount of funds to support a private or public college will decline over the next several years until tax revenues improve at the state and federal level.  In addition, the federal government and parents are

By October 29th of this year, colleges that receive Title IV student aid must post a net price calculator (NPC) on their website.  The requirement is one of the transparency provisions of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.  The Act was passed in response to national criticism about

When times are tough, what should proactive leaders be looking at on a regular basis to make sure they have the relevant information to manage their institution effectively? The president and senior administrators need daily reports that show the state of the institution so that they can take

With financial markets reporting strong returns recently, many colleges that received the dreaded Department of Education letter will breathe easier because their scores will rise above the warning level. However, this does not necessarily mean that all is well if the underlying financial

“The cost of a college education is rising faster than the cost of medical care and as much as three times as fast as consumer prices in general. But that’s just the beginning of the price of admission. Americans now owe more on their student loans than they do on their credit cards

A key principle on which the financial health of an institution rests is the stability of its revenue streams. Managing revenue streams may be seen as corresponding to management of an investment portfolio. Investment management attempts to minimize the risk (variance from the mean) that