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Resource | Higher Education

Path to Sustainability

A higher education toolkit

Higher education is truly at an inflection point.

Institutions are attempting to respond to diminishing resources, shifting demographics, declining enrollment and the pandemic’s impact while remaining true to their missions and providing accessible and affordable educational opportunities. College closures that once seemed limited to small, private institutions have become part of the landscape of regional public comprehensive universities. Despite warning signs and decreasing state funding for public higher education, many institutions have been unable to adapt to change and adjust to today’s “enrollment cliff” that significantly threatens the financial sustainability of those institutions.

With these challenges top of mind, Baker Tilly partnered with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) to develop a framework to help institutional leaders create and sustain a stable and thriving operating model. This comprehensive toolkit, the Path to Sustainability, provides colleges and universities regardless of their current fiscal position with actionable insights and best practices to navigate the industry’s complexities and make strategic, informed and intentional decisions to overcome financial hurdles and achieve institutional sustainability and student success. Institutional leaders and boards can use this toolkit as a road map to maneuver through uncertainty by addressing critical fiscal sustainability questions, together, now, for tomorrow.  

Download the Path to Sustainability guide for universally applied data-driven approaches to facilitate the critical conversations you need to make strategic decisions on campus that drive successful student and institutional outcomes.

What you will get from this complimentary deliverable:

  • Easily applied tools and data to help understand your institution’s current state and measure progress to achieve the desired operating environment
  • Practical assessments of current fiscal health and student success indicators
  • Steps to help transform your institution’s business model for a sustainable future
As trusted advisors to the higher education sector, Baker Tilly is committed to empowering institutions with the tools and knowledge needed to overcome financial hurdles and achieve sustainability and student success. This deliverable is a culmination of our collaboration with NACUBO and a project team of seasoned higher education thought leaders, pooling our collective expertise to address the unique challenges educational institutions are facing.
Dave Capitano, CPA, Higher Education Practice Leader

Partners in driving change

National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)

The Path to Sustainability toolkit is the result of a dynamic collaboration between Baker Tilly, NACUBO and a group of senior institutional leaders who joined forced to wrestle with questions and solutions surrounding financial sustainability for regional public universities and systems.

Thank you to the Path to Sustainability Advisory Group and Project Team for your valuable, timely and actionable insights!

David Capitano
Principal
Christine M. Smith
Managing Director
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Next up

New England regional M&A update: H1 2023