BALTIMORE–How to Run a College, a new book published by Johns Hopkins University Press, provides an essential analysis for trustees, faculty, administrators and policymakers on the challenges facing U.S. institutions of higher learning, and the changes they must make to build a sustainable future.
Written by Brian C. Mitchell, former President of Bucknell University, and W. Joseph King, President of Lyon College, How to Run a College examines how U.S. colleges and universities today are struggling with outdated and unresponsive operating models ill-suited to today’s environment.
Changing consumer preferences mean these institutions must focus on demonstrating their value to stakeholders, as well as potential students and their families, and can no longer rely on rising tuition to build their budgets. Aging infrastructure and expansive investments in real estate should result in a re-examination of operating costs. And, most importantly, outdated governance structures and policies need to be replaced by leadership initiatives that encourage transparency and communication, as well as innovations in the schools’ operating models.
“The success and sustainability of American higher education starts with leadership and the rethinking of the governance model,” said King. “The time has come for these institutions to open their minds and consider alternative pathways to build the future of American education.”
From an overview on management structures, to examinations on finance, advancement, enrollment, academic affairs and technology, How to Run a College takes a step-by-step approach to providing historical context, as well as evidence-based insights, for education leadership to use in their strategic planning.
“Colleges and universities are the economic engines that have the potential to transform communities and provide the basis for creativity and innovation that span every industry in our nation,” said Mitchell. “It is incumbent upon educators and policymakers to address the challenges facing these institutions so that they have the capacity to produce our next generation of leaders.”
How to Run a College is available for purchase on Amazon.com and at Barnes and Noble. A synopsis of the book can also be found on the Johns Hopkins University Press website at https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/content/how-run-college.
Mitchell and King, along with their colleague Richard Gaumer, are also principals of Academic Innovators, a Boston-based advisory firm that offers solutions in institutional planning and management, strategic finance, curricular and co-curricular planning, and infrastructure development.
