
4 practices higher ed presidents and chiefs of staff are taking with them into 2021 and beyond
As college and university presidents and chiefs of staff continue to lead through crisis in 2021 and beyond, they must lock in practices from the pandemic that will sustain their institutions for the long-term.
What the Biden administration and a Democratic Congress could mean for higher ed
With so much at stake, education leaders want to know what to expect from the Federal Government over the next two years. To help leaders prepare for the Biden administration, EAB assessed the likeliness and impact of its potential higher education policy proposals below. Following this analysis, we also offered some advice for leaders to bear in mind across the coming weeks.
Five myths about M&A that higher education leaders should recognize before evaluating opportunities
While interest in M&A has spiked, many leaders remain uncertain about how it might fit into their institutional strategy. Part of this stems from stakeholder misconceptions of M&A in higher ed: Board members, for example, may have experience with M&A in other industries but fail to recognize regulatory and cultural factors that make it difficult to apply corporate best practices in a higher education context. Meanwhile, other institutional stakeholders may misinterpret media narratives around M&As in higher ed, leading to overstated expectations around the ease, likelihood, or impact of a potential transaction
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MoreWhat Higher Education Leaders Need to Know About the Latest Federal Relief Package
On December 21, 2020, Congress finalized a new stimulus package and federal budget in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to provide another round of relief to the US economy. While this latest relief package is far smaller and later than many of us would have hoped for, higher education leaders can expect some additional federal assistance to start 2021.
How to take a more holistic campus safety approach
Some campus leaders are reframing the campus safety conversation around community needs in order to take a more holistic campus safety approach.
Beyond a symbolic gesture: How to ensure your institution's CDO can drive transformative change
Having a chief diversity officer, or CDO won’t be enough to create meaningful change—institutions must ensure their CDO role is well thought out, and that the individual filling the role is empowered to build relationships and drive progress on initiatives.
4 key components of a strong DEI plan
We reviewed over 40 DEI plans across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. to better understand how campuses are demonstrating real work and commitment to DEI. EAB identified four key components of an actionable and compelling DEI plan.
What has higher education promised on anti-racism in 2020 and is it enough?
EAB conducted an analysis of 130 statements on anti-racism issued by higher education institutions after George Floyd’s murder. See what we learned.
How Promoting Institutional Values Strengthens Campus Climate
Statements that isolate university free speech values may disharmonize students who question if the institution values diversity and inclusion to the same extent as free speech. To promote a holistic view of their institution’s values, institution leaders must articulate, reinforce, and allow students to reflect on the university’s values. These three steps will help university leaders turn abstract values into values students engage with and ponder during their time on campus.
Leading your institution through crisis: three imperatives from a university chief of staff
To offer insight into these challenges and advice for leading through them, on October 15, the Higher Education Strategy Forum hosted a working session for presidential chiefs of staff and other strategic deputies, featuring an interview and Q&A with Candace Dodson-Reed, Chief of Staff to the President and Executive Director of the Office of Equity and Inclusion at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.