Changing student demographics, increased competition, advances in technology, and the globalization of higher education are creating a rapidly changing world for higher education—a world where traditional management approaches will no longer suffice. Strategic management is a culture of collaborative management appropriate to higher education as each manager must understand how their functional area fits with others and perform effectively as part of a cross-functional team where tasks and responsibilities are managed at a higher level of functioning.

Strategic Planning
While a strategic management model encourages innovative thinking and entrepreneurial execution, strategic planning still provides the foundation for determining the future direction of our institutions. The local management team will develop a comprehensive, long-range strategic plan that will create a competitive advantage as College Matters facilitates thorough and effective strategic planning sessions with a broad representation of the college’s constituencies.

Organizational Development
A schools’ ability to increase institutional effectiveness rests in its ability to create an institutional culture in which planning, reflective practice, and self-improvement are evident. The role of organizational development is to provide an intentional opportunity for colleges to reinvent themselves to meet the challenges of the marketplace. Guiding the school’s management team through the change process, College Matters will help to create a culture that reflects the intentional development of the institution’s organizational framework.

Financial Performance
Ultimately, a school’s financial performance tells the story of its overall success. Colleges must be self-sustaining and rely as little as possible on outside sources of funding. Whether your college is classified as a non-profit or for-profit entity, a comprehensive financial plan drives the institution’s ability to fulfill its mission. Providing key financial metrics and training the executive management team to attend to the details that drive the bottom line, College Matters works closely with your institution to collect data, identify performance gaps, and capitalize on opportunities for improving financial results.