IngenioUs

Faculty often talk about how busy, overwhelmed, and stressed they are. Unfortunately, these qualities are often seen as badges of honor in a capitalist culture that values productivity above all else. But for many college faculty, and women in particular, exhaustion and stress go far deeper than end-of-the-semester malaise. According to this week's guest, burnout , a mental health syndrome caused...

When Helen G. Drinan assumed the presidency at Simmons University in 2008, the school was on a downward spiral.  During her 12-year tenure, Simmons was transformed on just about every level resulting in a significant strengthening of the school's financial condition.  Recently, Drinan came out of retirement to lead a similar turnaround effort at Cabrini University (PA) where she serves a...

Chances are, you’ve faced a campus crisis. In fact, it’s possible that some of you are dealing with one right now or have one brewing and just don’t know it. Whether classified as minor, major, or catastrophic, crises of all magnitudes are unavoidable for the higher ed leader.  In case of crisis, do you know who to call, and what steps to take on your campus?  In her latest IngenioUs Thr...

To achieve your goals—to make your higher education institution sustainable even through calamities—you need to offer relevance to build relationships with people who will generate revenue for you. Your livelihood as an institution depends on your meaningful exchanges with a wide array of audiences—and individual constituents—every day. These exchanges are your tools to build relationships that, i...

In his latest IngenioUs blog article,   David J. Staley   asks whether the pursuit of happiness might be considered "higher learning?"  Citing the work of economist, author, and academic Paul Anand , Staley wonders what might happen if we were to place human flourishing as the mission and purpose of a college education.  Citing the rise in the number of college students ex...

Twelve years after being accepted into the Kaplan Educational Foundation (KEF)’s highly selective Kaplan Leadership Program, first-generation college student Nolvia Delgado assumed the helm of the Foundation in May 2022 as its next leader: a living testament to the program’s mission of providing high-potential community college students with the opportunity to attend top four-year universities, an...

The end of federal COVID relief funding is accelerating an already challenging operating reality for many colleges and universities.  Our  IngenioUs  conversations over the past three years with more than 100+ college and university leaders make clear that the challenges are real and that good leadership matters.  In her latest IngenioUs blog article,  IngenioUs host,&nbsp...

In his recently released book, Start, Stop, or Grow?: A Data-informed Approach To Academic Program Evaluation And Management , author, seasoned executive, and higher ed business consultant and innovator B ob Atkins offers a much-needed roadmap to help college leaders better manage their academic programs.  According to Atkins and the many professionals who reviewed his book, there is a lot wr...

In their recent book, 'The Real World of College,' co-authors Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner , both recognized authorities on education and learning, argue that higher education in the United States has lost sight of its primary purpose.  Drawing from in-depth interviews with more than 2,000 students, alumni, faculty, administrators, parents, trustees, and others representing ten widely va...

In her latest ingenious blog post, Columbia College (SC) Provost Kristine Barnett reminds us about the importance of really getting to know the institution's culture, especially when we are in a new role on a new campus.  As the renowned management consultant Peter Drucker was fond of saying, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast."   Even the most skilled leaders can get tripped up b...

There is a reason that transformative change is so rare. It’s hard, it’s risky, and most people prefer what they know. And most institutions exert considerable effort in preserving the status quo. Yet, transformative change is exactly the kind of change most needed in today's dynamic environment.  In our December Leading Edge Thinking in Higher Education webinar, you will be introduced to real-wor...

In his latest IngenioUs blog article, historian, futurist, and CHELIP Faculty Fellow for Innovation, David J. Staley prompts us to consider the value of a liberal arts education.  Staley draws from two recent seminal studies, one by Richard A. Detweiler that analyzed the liberal arts-related educational experienced and the adult behaviors of 1,000 graduates and the other, by Wendy Fischman an...

As higher education struggles to recenter teaching and learning in the face of ongoing disruption and uncertainty, we could think of no one better to check in with than Edward Maloney and   Joshua Kim .  Often cited for their unique perspectives about online higher education, Maloney and Kim are the go-to experts for higher education learning and digital innovation. The co-authors of “Le...

In this inspiring conversation with president emerita of Spelman College, author and thought leader, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, we are challenged to remain hopeful, even in the face of great disruption, and actively look for signs of progress and positive change.  Currently serving as interim president of Mount Holyoke College, Dr. Tatum is a clinical psychologist widely known for both her expertis...

Kristine Barnett, Ed. D is a career-long educator and academic administrator who often has a unique perspective on all aspects of academic leadership. Dr. Barnett has cobbled together a career at a variety of institutions that have afforded her several different scenic vistas. For the most part, her leadership has been focused on small, private, liberal arts women’s (or former women’s) colleges. B...

In this episode of an IngenioUs Mini, Bay Path University Professor of Higher Education, Dr. Lauren Way, speaks with two highly seasoned enrollment professionals about their upcoming Leading Edge Thinking in Higher Education Webinar .  Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) Executive Vice President of Client Success, Andrea Gilbert and Vice President and Senior Consultant, Enrollment, Ken Huus share a sne...

The current volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) external operating environment for nearly all colleges and universities combined with incredibly complicated organizational and human capital realities, demand a far different set of leadership skills, traits, and abilities than in the past.  In this episode, we speak with two seasoned higher ed leaders who have experienced the ch...

In his most recent IngenioUs blog post, historian, futurist, and CHELIP Faculty Fellow for Innovation, David J. Staley reviews two important books that shed light on the promise and peril of entrepreneurial activity within the academy.  His closing question is compelling:  "Does the university have the capacity—either deliberately or surreptitiously—to redesign itself as the generator of...

Bold. Fearless. Truth Teller. Visionary. Compassionate. These are just a few of the words used to describe Trinity Washington University’s president Patricia McGuire. As president since 1989, Pat McGuire is largely credited with successfully transitioning the institution from one that primarily served elites and was on the verge of collapse to one that today primarily caters to a predominantly Bla...

Hello everyone and welcome to Season 4 of IngenioUs, the podcast where we speak with higher ed’s most creative thinkers and doers. Over the course of our first three seasons, we have had conversations with more than 100 campus and thought leaders, individuals who are at the center of the change that is currently underway. And through these conversations we have come to understand just how much the...

In response to a frightening array of challenges facing public higher education nationally and acutely concentrated in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) undertook an innovative and bold redesign to fundamentally transform education and business models.  Launched in 2017, the multi-phase, System redesign focused on 3 goals: 1) advance student success; 2)...

Of all the problems facing the higher education sector today, the lack of differentiation may be the root cause of many of them. Too many colleges and universities look like every other college and university, offering similar degrees, similar student services, similar athletic opportunities, their faculty publishing in the same journals and attending the same conferences. As the size of the under...

It’s an easy assumption to make: improving access must necessarily degrade quality. Enhancing quality always costs more money, increasing the cost of education. These beliefs have been called the Iron Triangle of Higher Education.    However, a number of institutions have been demonstrating over recent years that institutional outcomes of quality, access, and even affordability can...

In this mini episode of IngenioUs, we speak with Bay Path University EdD Higher Education Leadership and Organizational Studies faculty, Dr. Kristine Barnett.  Listen in to hear Dr. Barnett's perspective about what makes the HELOS unique and what students can expect to experience in her classroom.

At the conclusion of every IngenioUs conversation, we ask our guests what’s on their radar right now?  What is top of mind?  What keeps them up at night?  As seasoned higher ed professionals and thought leaders, the responses suggest that higher education is indeed undergoing a sea wave of change.  Depending upon where one’s institution is situated, the impact clearly...