SPH Consulting: Mergers and Acquisitions in Higher Education

Podcast 7 of 7 Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed

In this 7th and final podcast episode, Dr. Ricardo Azziz addresses this set of questions regarding leading existential change in higher education. 1.      We have talked about the 7 competencies for higher education leaders from the book.  What are some other common challenges, BSC (Big Scary Change) leaders can expect.?   2.      You note on page 293 that there is no perfect BSC leader.  You go on to write that many of the 7 competencies aren’t often found in traditional college leaders and that the industry is moving toward more non-traditional higher education leadership. You document that with a reference to recent data that indicates about one-third of higher education leaders come from outside the industry.  Is this an indictment of how the industry has selected leadership or more of a market migration toward different leadership skills?    3.      Much of the chapter on ‘Supporting Leaders through BSC’ focuses on the reality that the college leader search process is generally flawed because it is still more focused on traditional academic leaders.  In your experience, is it reasonable to expect that type of candidate to leader the needed BSC required at many colleges?   4.      Scenario:  a college needs a new leader.  The board recognizes their college has serious financial challenges and the new leader they choose must be able to lead significant change.  However, like most boards, they are not yet prepared to look at the type of BSC in mergers, closures, or other major institutional restructuring referenced in your book.    This group calls you in for guidance.  What would that guidance be?   Chapter 15:  Can Leading BSC be learned? 5.      Let me just let you answer that question.  Can Leading BSC be learned? 6.      Final word:  You and your co-authors wrote this book to address a need.  Briefly describe the need you saw and what current college leaders should take from this book when they make the decision that BSC is an absolute need.

Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed: mergers, closures and other major institutional restructuring Podcast 6 of 7

Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed: mergers, closures and other major institutional restructuring. This is the 6th in a series of 7 podcasts reviweing this book.  In this podcast, Dr. Ricardo Azziz discusses the topic of: Achieving BSC leadership: • Facing resistance and opposition • Athletics Here are the questions he answers. 1. Northeastern and Mills College are the merger case study colleges.  There was much emotion from the Mills students, faculty and trustees.  You write: that the emotional investment of stakeholders in a college or university’s identity can often impede necessary strategic restructuring. I have often teased that when a college changes the font on its business card, someone will protest.  A merger is always going to generate both objective and subjective push-back.  What are the ways a BSC leader can prepare for those in advance? 2. Outcomes:  Of the merger between Northeastern University and Mills was that those students who needed 8 credits or fewer to graduate, were offered a special six week term to complete their degrees.   Are there other examples you can share that merging colleges used to get that merger to the finish line? 3. Change or resistance to change is firmly embedded in higher education culture.  The old adage that “culture eats change for breakfast” applies – particularly to college faculty.  You have a summary box on page 206 titled ‘Challenges to Advancing BSC in higher education.  Let’s talk about a few. a. Incrementalism as the usual approach to change. b. The sunk cost and established brand of existing programs c. The impact of shared governance (and tenure) on decision making 4. ON page 214, you write about ‘who is the opposition?” to mergers, closures, and major restructuring.  So, who is the opposition? Athletics 5. Arguably, many colleges are better known for their athletic programs than for their academics.  The team nickname, mascot, and college colors are an integral part of the college’s identity.  Talk about mergers where athletic teams are mostly retained and then like the two Georgia colleges in this sections case study – when the athletics departments are merged into one. 6. Youth sports are embedded into American culture.  Parents, sometimes with delusion, envision their children becoming skilled enough to earn a college athletic scholarship.  So, the elimination of a single college sports program (through merger or closure) impacts student-athletes academic and athletic pursuits.  With BSC, what guidance would you provide college leaders in recognizing the athletic culture in our country – and its importance?

Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed: mergers, closures and other major institutional restructuring Episode 5 of 7

In this 5th of 7 podcast episodes, Dr. Ricardo Azziz reviews aspects of leadership courage. The basis of the podcast series is his new book:  Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed:  mergers, closures, and other major institutional restructuring. Here are the questions Dr. Azziz answers in this podcast. 1. The 2017 closure of St. Josephs in Rensselaer IN is the case study for this chapter.  First, Let's talk about the lessons learned. The first one is. The need for governing boards to understand and accept the hard and sometimes ugly truth. There are colleges, probably many that cannot and will not survive. 2. The importance for big scary change leaders to engage directly- With faculty, staff, students, and community.   They really didn’t do this at St. Josephs. 3. There is considerable presidential turnover in higher education.  Ensuring financial due diligence is something both veteran and new college presidents should complete.  What has been your experience and challenges with college leaders struggling to engage and apply financial due diligence? 4. The importance of creating the right amount of urgency.  We have talked about this before.  Mergers in higher education cannot be slow-moving processes. 5. The last bullet point lesson learned is the need for extraordinary courage.  Expand on that, please. 6. Go back to the first ‘lesson learned’ one you have is the importance of always keeping student welfare front and center.  The book Requiem for a College.  It was written by Jonathan Nichols who was a faculty member present during the lead up and closure announcement.  It addressed in emotional detail the human impact of a closure.   Talk about that in the context of when a college leadership team should share that their financial health is not good with their stakeholders.  We know that waiting too long negatively impacts students, faculty, and staff. 7. My contribution to this book is a section entitled:  ‘The Roots of Courage are in the data.’    The essence of the section is that it is the data in the form of  comparisons and trends is key in helping to sell mergers and even closures.  How challenging is it for college leaders to use data to sell their decision?

Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed Episode 4 of 7

This episode reviews two more competencies from the 2025 book:  "Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed:  Mergers, Closures, and other Major Institutional Restructuring" Authors:  Ricardo Azziz, Lloyd A. Jacobs, Bonita C. Jacobs, and Richard Katzman. Podcast 4 Chapter(s): 8, 9  Competency 5: Building change-oriented teams Competency 6:  Leading from the front and engaging directly Below are the questions Dr. Azziz addresses during this episode. Competency 5: Building change-oriented teams 1.      Case:  CU Denver and /Anschutz Health Sciences merged and then kind of unmerged as the Board of Regents ended up naming separate chancellors for both campuses.  Is that an indication of how challenging public college mergers can be?   2.      Building a team.  You have been in the role as president of a college merger.  You note in the book that this BSC is primarily the leader’s idea.  Step us through how that played out in the Georgia merger you led. Talk about how you put together your team as you merged two colleges in Georgia.   What did you learn?  What were the biggest challenges? 3.      P. 143:  “We emphasize throughout this book that the legitimate use of power and authority will be necessary for a BSC leader and a BSC project to be successful.  Loyalty is the inverse of authority, at least regarding the management of a team.  You go on to say that a BSC leader must prioritize loyalty in the BSc team members above the assignment of authority usually seen in higher education.” Expand on that, please.   4.      You also noyr  in that same area that BSC members must genuinely believe in the proposed initiative. How do you see that playing out in most Mergers? What about leveraging interim leaders?    Competency 6:  Leading from the front and engaging directly   5.      P. 153  The case study for this competency is Newbury College (MA).  President Josephy Chillo.  6.      You talk about leading from above.  From behind and from the side.  That is in contrast to leading from the front.  Step us through the difference and the opportunities or challenges of each approach.   7.      Let’s focus on leading from the front.  You list the pros and cons on page 161.  Talk about those.

Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed, Mergers, Closures and other Major Restructuring Ep 3 of 7

Here are the questions, Dr. Azziz addressed during this podcast episode. 1.      The case you used for this competency ( Sensing and driving the pace of change)  was the merger of Kendall College and Louis National University.  Share with our listeners the need for speed in merger in higher education. 2.      Talk about incrementalism and how it is not necessarily a good approach for colleges considering mergers.   3.      The need for speed. P. 107 Box 6.2    Let’s talk about a few of your recommendations.      a.      Delaying implementation furthers anxiety and discomfort on campus and throughout the community      b.     a lack of speed simply favors forces of opposition the environment will change while institutional leaders make incremental decisions       c.      speed minimizes the risk of burnout and change    4.      p. 109 How is setting the drum beat that you reference set up. You note that leaders undertaking big scary change must recognize that in the usual course of business a college or university uses incremental approaches to change things. And you write that kind of approach won't necessarily work for mergers Competency 4:  Prioritizing and driving communication 5.      Talk about the best communication approach with which to engage the variety of stakeholders involved in any merger   6.      You note that the first phase of a merger will involve one-on-one conversations. This phase will be carried out in relative confidentiality and only a limited number of individuals privy to the discussions. Talk first about the confidentiality piece. Then talk about transitioning to selling the vision that you note involves “creating urgency without creating chaos”.   7.      You have a section on page 128 entitled the ‘opprobrium of being acquired’ and you note that when a college or university is “being acquired” (you put that in quotes) its impact may be ego shattering for the institution and for the individuals who comprise that college. Step listeners of the podcast through a communication process to help buffer that being acquired mindset.   8.     Finally, let's talk about the media. We know in general that the media focuses on controversial, negative, and emotional stories. Step us through some guidance you would provide to college leaders, College Board members on how to prepare their interactions with the media - knowing that most stories will be on the negative side in regards to proposed mergers