Focusing on the Program Portfolio Part III: Design
The Risks and Rewards of Reimagining Academic Structures
Partner Event
This is part three of our three-part series designed to help deans review academic offerings.
Most universities and their colleges share the same core priorities—financial sustainability, enrollment growth, research output, and student success among them—but few are successful in aligning program structures, growth strategies, incentives, and evaluation with those priorities. The metrics we use as deans and academic administrators (such as six-year graduation rates) are often both imprecise and lagging, making it difficult for department chairs to understand the role their faculty play in advancing a university’s strategic efforts.
From faculty hiring to curriculum development to promotion and tenure, deans and department chairs make or influence myriad decisions that impact the viability of their programs, and therefore, the strategic priorities of their colleges and universities.
Join EAB expert David Attis in this three-part series designed to help university deans conduct a holistic analysis of the program portfolio to develop new strategies for long-term success.
Part III: Design
Even as academic disciplines have evolved to address student interest in multidisciplinary programs, and funding for cross-disciplinary research that addresses real-world challenges has increased, the organizational structures in which programs are housed have typically remained static.
This session explores:
- How new academic structures can attract students, incent interdisciplinary teaching and research, and reduce administrative overhead
- How budget models support or hinder efforts to improve collaboration across academic units
- How to engage faculty in planning discussions
Session
Attendance is best suited for College Deans, Associate/Assistant Deans in Charge of Academic Affairs/Programs, or Dean’s Chief of Staff.Â
- Monday, March 17, 2025 | 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Other Sessions in the Series
Register for the other sessions in our three-part Focusing on the Program Portfolio series:
- Part I: Effectiveness—Making the Most of Your Resources to Meet Student Needs
- Part II: Innovation—Understanding Academic Growth Strategies
