Evolving Higher Education Business Models

Evolving Higher Education Business Models
sensus on the notion that transparency has its challenges. Some group members asked: What are we
protecting that we maybe don’t need to and that may be weakening in value in higher education? Or
might financial transparency reveal that the financial model is not really supporting the core mission
of the campus?
• Get the data out there. Several participants agreed that much of the data about costs of instruction
are already available in campus information systems, but the problem is getting it out there for use in
the right way with maps to guide users on direction.
• Student success and innovation. The group discussions focused on the importance of degree completion,
employability of graduates, and the general certifying of student learning. All stakeholders
have to focus on strategy, risk, and data for estimating alternate futures, and begin making datadriven
decisions on costs and activities rather than just innovating for innovation’s sake.
• Leadership with data and evidence. The group all agreed that leadership was key to moving forward
in this area. Participants agreed that leadership was central to creating a narrative and map of the data
and meeting the difficult-to-discuss issues head-on. Several suggested that it was time to create a boot
camp for data analytics, fundraising, strategic discussions in units, and using institutional data for
trustees, faculty, students, and other stakeholders.
Because good financial data is a key to addressing the issues of college affordability and pedagogical innovation,
the group was gathered to launch a fresh discussion on what data is needed, and how to put that data
into a format that provides public policymakers and institutional leaders with the information needed to
sustain accountable public investment, on the one hand, and strategic financial management on the other.
Group Participants
• Jacalyn Askin, National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)
• Kemp P. Battle, Tucker Capital Corporation
• Sandy Baum, Urban Institute, The George Washington University (DC)
• Stephanie Bell-Rose, TIAA Institute
• Walter C. Breau, Elms College
• Nancy Brickhouse, Saint Louis University
• Molly Corbett Broad, American Council on Education (ACE)
• Lewis Burley, TIAA
• J. Michael Crafton, University of West Georgia
• Ryan Craig, University Ventures
• Dean Currie, California Institute of Technology
• Jeff Davies, ACE
• Donna Desrochers, American Institutes for Research
• Bill Dillon, NACUBO
• Tiffany McKillip Franks, Averett University (VA)
• J. Michael Gower, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
• James Jacobs, Macomb Community College (MI)
• Paul Jenny, University of Washington
• Nate Johnson, Postsecondary Analytics, LLC
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