Necessity created higher education.
The Higher Education Innovation Group builds on the values of the past to make colleges and universities the touchstones of the future. Our partners bring a wealth of experience in the leadership of universities and colleges for institutions and administrators who can benefit from our immersive approaches to building strong teams, expanding assets, and crafting long-term strategic goals.
Human Resources Recruitment and Support
Excellence results when a college or university has people and strategies aligned with an administrative culture that encourages anticipating challenges — and then meeting them with creativity and conviction. This demands leadership at every institutional level.
The perfect candidate for a crucial position in a university or college can be hard to find, but our partners have over 40 years of combined experience searching for effective leaders and then building teams based on an institution's specific culture and needs.
We know from personal experience that no institution wishing to be “best in class” succeeds without superior leadership. Therefore, we partner with our clients to provide a holistic approach to personnel recruitment and development that forcefully resonants with institutional aspirations.
Financial Stability and Growth
No college and university can grow without the financial stability derived from a steady or expanding student enrollment, a well-managed and growing endowment, and the exigencies of other, often external, factors that must be surmounted. In these challenging times, it is absolutely essential to know precisely the current financial condition of an institution — and it wouldn’t hurt to have a crystal ball to show what the future might bring. Our partners can assess the position of an institution in a dynamic marketplace and work as a team to maximize its financial potential.
Attracting students and generous donors depends on many factors but offering desirable academic opportunities and building positive brand recognition are the most important. A program that aggressively improves these can result in stronger student interest, and stimulate more external and internal philanthropy.
Our partners are also expert in maintaining compliance with accreditation standards, which is almost unique to higher education and is a vital element in maintaining the credibility and financial vitality of an educational institution.
Managing and Preparing for Crises
Any crisis, small or large can have long-term negative consequences for a college or university, leaving a hard-to-clear stain on the institution's brand. They can arise from anywhere, and while most are completely unpredictable, their possibility is not. Natural disasters cannot be prevented but their impact can often be mitigated by having ready proactive responses. However, social and criminal actions can be anticipated.
It is better to develop administrative procedures to address a situation before it becomes a crisis. And if a crisis proves unavoidable, having a plan for managing the potential legal and public relations consequences is a vital factor in emerging with as little damage as possible to the reputation of the institution.
Whether an anticipatory program for crisis management needs to be developed, or a sudden concern requires immediate experienced intervention, our partners can assist in maximizing the chances that crises, from whatever origin, are managed for the most positive possible outcome.
Policy & Program Support
All colleges and universities need to have connections in Washington. Institutions with programs and projects that partner with the federal government and other global sponsors, or those that wish to develop them, will benefit from knowledgeable and astute support accrued from the government and international experience of our partners.
As your advocates, we can offer access through our extensive federal and diplomatic connections and work with you to develop the most attractive presentation to these constituencies.