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Resource | Fiscal Resiliency

Collaborative Leadership for Higher Education Business Model Vitality

Strategic conversations for small college and university governing boards and administrative leaders

Feb 07, 2023·Authored by David Capitano, Christine M. Smith

Chart a course to institutional sustainability and student success

As higher education faces disruption and uncertainty, the efforts of college and university governing boards and senior leadership may not be enough to sustain long-term institutional business model vitality. Economic and competitive pressures continue to mount post-COVID-19, leaving less selective small private institutions with limited financial resources particularly vulnerable, and with little time to react to fiscal challenges.

Colleges and universities that embark on revitalizing or strengthening their business model will be better positioned for sustainability and success. This report includes examples of business model transformation from candid and constructive leadership conversations to help secure institutions’ futures. The guide also outlines business model risk mitigation steps as a series of collaborative leadership discussions.

Get ready to define expectations, clarify business goals and objectives and prioritize the steps necessary to position your institution to weather today’s economic headwinds.

Start my journey

Boards, presidents and CFOs have to collectively master the fundamentals of a sustainable business model before they reach a crisis. When times are good, it can be easy to overlook the basics, or ignore gaps in understanding. Not so when institutions are facing dramatic upheaval. These questions ensure that everyone is on the same page and ready to make the tough calls.

Christine Smith, Baker Tilly

Driving change through collaboration

Download the report

This report is a joint project of Baker Tilly, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC).