What steps can college administrators take to prepare for these changes?
The first step is to understand who governs the university. In a system of shared governance, it is simplistic to believe that a president and senior staff “manage” and, therefore, “run” a university. That’s not the way it works. And, happily, American colleges and universities are often more thoughtful, conciliatory, and consensus-oriented when establishing policy than their corporate counterparts. The trick is to figure out a way also to make them as nimble and entrepreneurial as the best in global business.
There are three central players: trustees, faculty and senior administration.
As I have argued repeatedly, the trustees are the least prepared to govern well. They are part-time volunteers dropped episodically into board meetings. Trustees must take great care to learn their job, especially at a time when American colleges and universities are becoming more complex and nuanced in their policies, governance, and assessment practices.
Beware of the trustee armed with the latest case study. Rather than impose the latest human resources or financial modeling tactical approach, the best trustees look at how innovative business practices might have applicability to higher education institutions. Success is in the translation of the practice. While higher education must relate at many levels as a business, it is a nonprofit operating under shared governance. Higher education is not a widget factory.
Presidents should also take care to prepare board members well. The senior staff should be particularly careful on how they use and convey data. The purpose of data is not to make the president’s case; indeed, the numbers must speak for themselves. Good data informs policy but policy comes from the vision found in strategy. That’s why it’s critical to follow and assess a strategic plan.
