SPH Consulting: Mergers and Acquisitions in Higher Education

In this 7th and final podcast episode, Dr. Ricardo Azziz addresses this set of questions regarding leading existential change in higher education. 1.      We have talked about the 7 competencies for higher education leaders from the book.  What are some other common challenges, BSC (Big Scary Change) leaders can expect.?   2.      You note on page 293 that there is no perfect BSC leader.  You go o...

Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed: mergers, closures and other major institutional restructuring. This is the 6th in a series of 7 podcasts reviweing this book.  In this podcast, Dr. Ricardo Azziz discusses the topic of: Achieving BSC leadership: • Facing resistance and opposition • Athletics Here are the questions he answers. 1. Northeastern and Mills College are the merger case study colle...

In this 5th of 7 podcast episodes, Dr. Ricardo Azziz reviews aspects of leadership courage. The basis of the podcast series is his new book:  Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed:  mergers, closures, and other major institutional restructuring. Here are the questions Dr. Azziz answers in this podcast. 1. The 2017 closure of St. Josephs in Rensselaer IN is the case study for this chapter.  First...

This episode reviews two more competencies from the 2025 book:  "Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed:  Mergers, Closures, and other Major Institutional Restructuring" Authors:  Ricardo Azziz, Lloyd A. Jacobs, Bonita C. Jacobs, and Richard Katzman. Podcast 4 Chapter(s): 8, 9  Competency 5: Building change-oriented teams Competency 6:  Leading from the front and engaging directly Below are the q...

Here are the questions, Dr. Azziz addressed during this podcast episode. 1.      The case you used for this competency ( Sensing and driving the pace of change)  was the merger of Kendall College and Louis National University.  Share with our listeners the need for speed in merger in higher education. 2.      Talk about incrementalism and how it is not necessarily a good approach for colleges cons...

Karla Leeper is the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communication and Marketing and Chief of Staff to the Chancellor at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center She has provided communications guidance and other consulting support on college mergers throughout the United States Here are the questions Karla addressed during the podcast. What are the primary drivers or 'tipping points' that l...

Here are the questions Dr. Ricardo Azziz addressed during this podcast episode. 1.      You list 7 critical competencies for BSC.  Where did they come from? 2.      We talked about how you used case studies throughout the book in our first podcast.  Let’s talk about the one you use here:  Connecticut State Colleges and Universities.  I remember reading a lot about this and it was a contentious pro...

Here are the questions asked in this first review of Dr. Azziz' book:  Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed, Mergers, Closures and other Major Restructuring 1. Early in the book you discuss how the type of leadership that brought us here generally can’t get us there.  That is going to be a challenge for many college leaders.  What is your thought process behind that belief? 2. You effectively u...