Oct 29th 10 Posted by Bob Sevier

Hustle as Strategy

I just finished preparing a presentation for a board retreat. This particular board was interested in exploring options for how the university might make and implement decisions more quickly. The board chair said it best, “There appears to be no sense of urgency around here.” As part of my preparation I reviewed one of my all-time favorite Harvard Business Review articles. It first ran in 1986... read more

Sep 29th 10 Posted by Bob Sevier

Seven Things Colleges Need to Get Right

Every now and then a president or board member asks me, “What are the keys to institutional success in the years to come?” I love this question and after some reflection, I want to share seven things colleges need to get right. Develop a compelling vision Build the senior team Diversify and expand your revenue stream Sharpen, not broaden your academic offerings Cut deeply but narrowly Decide... read more

Aug 6th 10 Posted by Bob Sevier

The Next Evolution in Marketing

I recently read Gilbreath’s The Next Evolution in Marketing. He makes the case, much like Godin and others, that today’s audiences are tired of intrusive, self-serving advertising. He believes that the only way to connect with your customers involves creating marketing with meaning. The idea of marketing with meaning is not new. What is new, however, is that most marketing had meaning for the... read more

Jul 7th 10 Posted by Bob Sevier

Target Fixation: Don’t be Oblivious to Hazards

A friend of mine used to train helicopter pilots during the first Gulf War. He used a term, “target fixation,” in which pilots would focus so completely on the target that they were completely oblivious to other obstacles or hazards. I think many colleges are suffering from higher education’s version of target fixation with an enlarged devotion to evaluating and enhancing their academic core.... read more

Jun 23rd 10 Posted by Bob Sevier

Lewin’s “Facing Cuts in Federal Aid, For-Profit Colleges Are in a Fight”

Tamar Lewin’s NYT article, “Facing Cuts in Federal Aid, For-Profit Colleges Are in a Fight,” offers a glimpse into a scary future for all of higher education, not just the for-profit sector. She writes, “The regulations, known as the ‘gainful employment’ rules, are an effort to rein in the high debt loads students take on when they enroll in for-profit colleges that offer certificates or... read more

May 26th 10 Posted by Bob Sevier

Beyond Dialogue: Dealing With Some of Higher Education’s Most Intractable Challenges

There is no shortage of articles and seminars on the challenges facing higher education. At the same time, there is a clear shortage of significant conversations on how to deal with these challenges. Based on hundreds of conversations with campus leaders, I know why these conversations are so scarce: people are afraid. They fear they will be ostracized by the higher education community of which they... read more

May 6th 10 Posted by Bob Sevier

Stamats Integrated Marketing Conference: Back to the Basics.

There is no shortage of challenges facing higher education. As a result, getting the right information you need to make the decisions you must has never been more important. If there was a mission statement for our annual Strategic Integrated Marketing (SIM) Conference, I suspect that would be it. Each year, we bring together some of the smartest and most innovative people in the country to help colleges... read more

Apr 30th 10 Posted by Bob Sevier

A Response to “The Coming Meltdown”

I wanted to post a response to Seth Godin’s post: “The coming meltdown in higher education (as seen from a market)” All in all, Godin has some great points. While I don’t agree that most colleges are organized to give an average education and that the link between education and success is tenuous, I do concur that cost, a lack of differentiation, and accreditation are problematic. Not... read more

Apr 28th 10 Posted by Bob Sevier

Leadership In Crisis

A Harvard Business Review article from last summer (HBR, July–August 2009) offered an interesting article entitled, “Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis” by Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, and Marty Linsky. I have often felt that until higher education has its first heart attack, there will be a powerful temptation to maintain the status quo. Of course, over the last year or so, higher education... read more

Apr 14th 10 Posted by Bob Sevier

Hit Doubles – Six Ingredients to Institutional Success

I was chatting with a board chair who is also a CEO of a publicly held company. He mentioned that in difficult times, organizations believe that their salvation will come from hitting a home run, and they spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find that fat pitch. It’s seldom that easy, he said. I concur. Hitting a home run is difficult, particularly for institutions that do not have a recent... read more