Transcript Strategic Planning: Addressing the Critical Issues in

Strategic Planning:
Addressing the Critical Issues in
Higher Education
John J. Hurley, J.D.
President, Canisius College
Rev. James J. Maher, C.M.
President, Niagara University
The Context
• 4100 colleges and universities in the U.S.
• New York State
– 189 independent colleges and universities
– 64 units of SUNY
– 23 units of CUNY
Costs of College Education
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that
college tuition and fees have gone up 107%
since 1992
• BUT
– Net tuition and fees at private 4 year schools have
only gone up 22% since 1992
– Net tuition and fees at public 4 year schools have
gone up 60%
• Source: The College Board
Student Debt
• Total student debt is now $1.3 trillion
– The largest segment of consumer debt after home
mortgages
• BUT
– 58% - less than $10,000
– 18% - between 10,000 and $20,000
– 7% - more than $50,000
• Source: The Brookings Institution
Student Debt
• Share of Personal Income directed to student
debt is only marginally higher than it was in
1992
1992 3.5%
1998 4.3%
2010 4.0%
Source: The Brookings Institution
Federal Support of Higher Education
Total Aid = $167.4 Billion
$30.20
$0.98
Grants
Federal Work Study
$99.70
$36.50
Tax Benefits
Loans
The Challenges
The model of American higher
education is threatened
The Challenges
• Accountability
– Retention Rates
– Graduation Rates
– Student Outcomes
– Career-Readiness
– Relevant Learning Goals
– PROOF REQUIRED!
• This is an accreditation and federal oversight
issue
The Challenges
• Financial Issues
– 40% of private colleges will not achieve net tuition
revenue growth above 2% this year
– 45% of private universities project that enrollment
will decline
– Falling enrollments and rising freshman discount
rates will temper future growth of net tuition
revenue
Source: Moody’s Investor Services Sector Report 11/17/2014
The Challenges
• An Increased Focus on Getting a Good Job
– Programs aligned with the job markets
– Soft Skills
– Additional Special Skills
Some Shakeout/Consolidation in
Higher Education is Inevitable
• What will this look like?
• Who will be the survivors?
• Do healthcare or the newspaper industry offer
us any models?
• How do we prepare to be the survivors
The Sign in the Chiropractor’s Office
The Five Most Dangerous Words:
Maybe this will go away
Higher Ed Must Prepare Students for a
New Economy
Graduates need to compete in a
global, digital marketplace
Where are the jobs?
• STEM
– 29% of the degrees in higher education are
awarded in STEM; but 48% of the jobs are in STEM
• Computers, IT
• Nursing
• Hospitality, Food & Tourism
Source: Burning Glass Technologies, cIcu Presentation 02.26.14
How Should We Guide Our Students?
• Only 40% of college graduates thought about
their career before selecting a major
• Less than 10% talked with a career counselor
before selecting a major
• More than one-third regret their choice of
major
Source: Burning Glass Technologies; NACE, Heldrich Center, Rutgers University
2014
How Should We Guide Our Students?
• One-half say that college did not prepare
them to look for a job
• More than half wished they took more
computer classes
• One-third wished they had done more
internships
Source: Burning Glass Technologies; NACE, Heldrich Center, Rutgers University
2014
What Skills Are Needed?
• Microsoft Excel and Office are employers’ top
requested software skills
• Basic accounting, data analysis, financial
modeling, mathematics, and marketing can
nearly double the number of possible jobs for
a typical liberal arts graduate.
Source: Burning Glass Technologies, 2014
The Necessary Proof
• Ad hoc examples of success are not enough
• A true culture of assessment will provide the
necessary proof
– Relevant learning goals
– Measure our performance with data
– Continuous improvement
• The schools that master this will be the
leaders
Higher Education Needs a Different
Operating Model
• Costs must be contained
– A change in focus from inputs to outputs
• Delivery systems for services need to be
streamlined and improved
• Strategic alliances between and among
institutions could lead to creative new
approaches
Getting from Here to There:
Strategic Planning
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•
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Vision – Where are we going?
Mission – Why do we exist?
Strategic Goals – What is our focus?
Objectives – What results do we want?
Actions – How will we get there?
The Importance of Mission
• Ultimately, everything we do must be in
furtherance of the mission.
• We are judged – by students, by accreditors,
by external publics - by our fidelity to mission.
• In faith-based institutions, this is an important
differentiator
Strategic Goals
• Critically important new things that must be
done to move the institution to the next level
• Avoid “continue”, “maintain”, and “further
develop”
• Watch out for the “planning to plan”
syndrome
Execution is Critical
• Detailed plan for each action item
– Responsible party
– Budget
– Time frame
– Proposed activities
– Desired outputs
– Measurable outcomes
Execution is Critical
• Periodic reviews and revisions
• Performance metrics
• Annual individual action plans
Your Challenge
• What will be your role in crafting the strategic
response to the critical challenges your
institution faces?
– College or University-Wide strategic planning
committee
– Critical division, department or other unit plan