Higher Education Strategic Planning That Drives Growth and Faculty Buy-In
Release Date: 04/29/2025
Innovation in Higher Education: How Leaders Build the Capacity to Adapt
Changing Higher Ed
Higher education leaders are being asked to innovate faster than their institutions are built to move. This episode of Changing Higher Ed explores how presidents and boards can change that. Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Erika Liodice, Executive Director of the Alliance for Innovation and Transformation (AFIT), about how institutions can strengthen their innovation capacity through futures thinking, cross-sector insight, and structured team-based planning. Topics Covered: How futures thinking helps leaders anticipate demographic, workforce, and technology shifts Why innovation efforts fail...
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Accreditation Trends and WASC Priorities for Student Success
Changing Higher Ed
are shifting under rising accountability pressures, financial constraints, and increased scrutiny of student outcomes. This episode of the features , President and CEO of the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), in a strategic conversation with about how institutions can strengthen accreditation readiness and support stronger student success. This episode is essential for presidents, provosts, trustees, and senior leaders responsible for accreditation, mission alignment, evidence systems, governance oversight, and long-term institutional resilience. Topics Covered How...
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The Real Cost of Overlooking Teaching Quality in Higher Ed
Changing Higher Ed
Improving how teaching happens in the classroom is one of the most effective ways to increase student retention, stabilize tuition revenue, and strengthen institutional reputation—yet most universities don’t manage it strategically. In this episode of , speaks with , Associate Professor at the University of Iowa and author of The Missing Course, about how teaching quality has fallen outside institutional oversight and what presidents and boards can do to make it a core part of strategic leadership. They explore how governance structures, incentive systems, and faculty preparation create a...
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Free Speech on College Campuses: Insights from FIRE's 2025 Report
Changing Higher Ed
Free speech on college campuses has become one of higher education’s most volatile and defining challenges. In this episode, talks with , Chief Research Advisor at FIRE—the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression—about findings from FIRE’s newly released and the state of academic freedom, the growing political pressures on universities, and how presidents and boards can protect open dialogue in today’s divided climate. Topics Covered: Why FIRE expanded its mission beyond higher education and no longer stands for “Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.” How...
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Aligning Higher Education Strategy and Programs with Workforce Needs and Student Value
Changing Higher Ed
Host welcomes , president of the University of North Texas and former Texas commissioner of higher education. This episode of the helps higher education presidents, boards, and senior leaders rethink how to connect institutional mission with workforce readiness. It explores how institutions can better align employer partnerships, faculty innovation, and experiential learning to ensure graduates gain both economic and civic value from their degrees. Listeners will hear how the University of North Texas is translating statewide strategy into campus-level change—showing what’s possible when...
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Holistic Enrollment Strategy and Management: Filling the Enrollment Pipeline
Changing Higher Ed
At one of the smallest graduate schools in the nation, a system built to serve just over a hundred students is redefining how higher education can grow. CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism has proven that scale isn’t the key to enrollment stability—structure is. By integrating admissions, student affairs, career services, and alumni engagement into one cohesive unit, the school has created a holistic enrollment strategy and management model that continuously fills its pipeline while centering student success. In this episode of the Changing Higher...
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Executing a Debt-Free Higher Education Turnaround with Real Estate
Changing Higher Ed
When every board discussion centers on deficits, deferred maintenance, or another “strategic realignment,” higher education leaders start asking what it would take to fix the system instead of just managing decline. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Beth Martin, President of Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU), who led her institution through a complete financial and operational turnaround—eliminating institutional debt through strategic real estate use, risk planning, and sound financial governance. Martin’s experience offers...
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Cybersecurity Risk Management in Higher Education—It's Not Just an IT Problem
Changing Higher Ed
Higher education institutions are increasingly at risk from cyberattacks that threaten enrollment, accreditation, financial aid compliance, and reputation. In this episode of the , speaks with at and former higher education CISO, about why cybersecurity must be treated as an enterprise risk—not just an IT issue. This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, trustees, and senior leaders who need to understand how cyber risk intersects with governance, strategic planning, crisis management, and accreditation readiness. Topics Covered: Why higher education is a prime target for...
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Higher Education Fundraising and Strategic Planning Alignment
Changing Higher Ed
Higher education institutions face strained budgets, declining enrollments, and shifting donor behavior—making fundraising a strategic priority, not just an operational function. In this episode of the , Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with , CEO of and former university president, about how presidents and boards can strengthen higher education fundraising by Topics Covered: Why fundraising must be integrated into institutional strategic planning The shift from the 80/20 rule to today’s 95/5 donor reality The concept of “mattership” and why donors need assurance that their lives...
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How AI Dashboards Can Strengthen Board Governance
Changing Higher Ed
AI dashboards offer higher education boards the opportunity to boost performance to improve their institutions. In this episode of the , speaks with , about how AI dashboards provide trustees with better insight into board work and support This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, trustees, and board professionals seeking to strengthen board readiness and make governance more data-informed. Topics Covered: How AI dashboards consolidate board materials and surface the most important information Methods for tracking progress against institutional strategy over multiple years...
info_outlineStrategic planning in higher education isn't just about setting goals—it's about building the kind of stakeholder engagement and leadership alignment that can drive lasting institutional change. In this episode of Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Andrew T. Hsu, President of the College of Charleston, about how a collaborative planning process helped increase enrollment, launch new academic schools, and move the college toward national university status.
Drawing on his background in both industry and higher education, Dr. Hsu shares insights into balancing urgency with collaboration, the importance of faculty engagement, and the realities of leading strategic change within shared governance environments.
This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, boards, provosts, and leadership teams navigating strategic growth, governance challenges, or long-range institutional transformation.
Topics Covered:
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How strategic planning anchored the College of Charleston’s enrollment growth and academic expansion
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Why broad faculty engagement strengthens institutional resilience and accelerates change
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Lessons from balancing urgency for change with the realities of shared governance
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How industry experience shaped Dr. Hsu’s leadership approach in higher education
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Governance missteps: What happens when leadership bypasses consultation—and how to correct course
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Long-term growth planning and the move toward national university status
Real-World Examples Discussed:
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College of Charleston’s creation of Schools of Health Sciences, Natural and Environmental Sciences, and Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics
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The enrollment surge from 11,000 to 32,000 applications annually under Dr. Hsu’s leadership
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Policy changes at Charleston to formalize academic reorganization processes after early challenges
Three Key Takeaways for Leadership:
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Build stakeholder ownership early: Strategic planning must involve faculty, staff, students, alumni, and governing boards to ensure success.
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Respect governance processes: Even well-intentioned leadership actions can falter without proper consultation and transparency.
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Balance urgency with collaboration: Sustainable change in higher education requires leaders to move decisively while honoring shared governance culture.
This episode offers practical strategies for institutions seeking to strengthen their strategic planning efforts and drive sustainable growth through collaborative leadership.
Recommended For:
Presidents, provosts, trustees, board members, strategic planning leaders, and senior administrators focused on institutional transformation and governance alignment.
Read the transcript:
https://changinghighered.com/higher-education-strategic-planning-and-growth/
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