A Corporate Approach to Strategic Planning Mark Blegen, PhD

A Corporate Approach to Strategic Planning Mark Blegen, PhD

What if spending years on strategic planning is holding your college back? Sarah Holtan, PhD and Mark Blegen, PhD, President of Linfield University, get candid about why nimble, corporate-inspired strategic plans may be the lifeline small colleges need right now. Forget hundred-page binders. Dr. Blegen shares how focusing on a sharp budget, culture check, and clear priorities powers real change. Most schools compete with lookalike programs and struggle to differentiate. Dr. Blegen's “quick win” plan insists on honest data discussions and measurable results. No more chasing every trend or funding aimless pet projects. Think your institution could handle tough conversations about cutting old programs to focus on what matters most? What’s the secret to building real momentum without watering everything down? Listen in as Dr. Blegen explains his approach to strategic planning that keeps culture and results front and center. Episode Highlights: 02:46 - I think a lot of strategic plans fail because the leaders don't understand the culture and what they're stepping into, and they try to do too much too quickly, or we're just not paying attention to where the institution is in terms of culture. 07:07 - I don't want this laundry list of priorities that we will gather and we will listen and we will talk and we will hear and we discuss. But at the end of the day, I'm going to take all that information and sit down and name the priorities. 12:48 - I was very clear with our community that over the holiday break, I was going to sit down and write the framework to write to sit down and say, here's what I heard, here's what I believe our opportunities are, and here's what I think our priority should be. 25:34 - Just listen because you learn so much when you do that and it's really going to inform your process. Sarah Holtan, PhD LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgilbertholtan] Mark Blegen, PhD LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-blegen-b279b06a/ ] Website [https://www.linfield.edu/ ]

The Cost of No Confidence with Chuck Ambrose, EdD

What really happens when college faculty take a no confidence vote in their president? Sarah sits down with Dr. Chuck Ambrose—author, consultant, and former president—to pull back the curtain on the hard and hidden costs of campus leadership crises. If you think it’s all about a president’s payout, think again. Instability sends shockwaves through campus culture, hitting enrollment, fundraising, and even faculty morale in ways most never see coming. Are you wondering how an internal vote can actually change the financial health and student success at your institution? Listen to Dr. Chuck Ambrose explain the true impact of no confidence votes—and what every campus leader needs to know. Episode Highlights: 04:00 - At the same time, there are cases where, whether it's moral turpitude or as we used to define it, kind of don't self inflict pain, where leaders as humans make bad decisions and reflect poorly on the institution, cause reputational damage and has generated a no confidence vote. 11:59 - You take 15 people on a campus and ask them what shared governance means. Each one of them is going to have a different definition. And we don't teach it. And if we don't teach it, we don't model it. If we don't model it, then how can we say recommit to shared governance if we even have just a hard time defining it? 18:36 - There's just no way higher ed can present a sustainable future and continue to offer as many programs and as many majors in the same modalities that we've offered. 21:48 - If I were going to do one more, it would certainly be more transparency, everything driven off, especially within the private sector, primarily cash and liquidity so that people really understood and then owned. Sarah Holtan, PhD LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgilbertholtan] Chuck Ambrose, EdD LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckambrose/] Book [https://www.amazon.com/No-Confidence-College-Faculty-Presidents/dp/1421453568#:~:text=Ambrose%20analyze%20faculty%20no%2Dconfidence%20votes%20in%20college,how%20diminishing%20shared%20governance%20has%20fueled%20campus] Podcast [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3kLg0ciuo5yrDRzeLUALxh?nd=1&dlsi=17dcfc6fe2af48cc]

The Impact of Grade Inflation with Angela Walmsley, PhD

Sarah Holtan, PhD sits down with Angela Walmsley, PhD, educational consultant and founder of Interactive College Prep, to ask the uncomfortable question: what does it really mean when almost everyone gets an A? In an era where students arrive at college with sky-high GPAs and even higher expectations, Angela exposes how inflated grades muddle admissions, challenge professors, and create a ripple effect in university support systems. Behind those “perfect” transcripts, are students actually prepared for college-level work? Tune in to find out how grade inflation impacts AP exams, college admissions, and even the way professors approach their jobs. Ever wondered why so many students with straight A's stumble as soon as they hit campus and what’s being done about it? Listen to hear Angela Walmsley reveal what’s happening beneath the surface. Episode Highlights: 04:15 - The average GPA in American high schools has risen from 2.6 in 1985 to 3.1 in 2020. In colleges, it’s gone from 2.8 to nearly 3.2. And today, A’s are the most common grade—even at institutions like Harvard, where 60% of grades awarded are now A’s. 10:26 - [Angela referenced the National Board. This should be the College Board.] High GPAs often don’t reflect true mastery or college readiness. We’re seeing increasing gaps between classroom grades and standardized test/exam results, fueling confusion in college admissions and creating challenges for first-year students. 27:32 - Professors face increasing pressure to give higher grades due to course evaluations and student expectations. Support services on campuses are feeling the ripple effects, with a rising need for remedial courses and tutoring, particularly in math and writing. Sarah Holtan, PhD LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgilbertholtan] Angela Walmsley, PhD LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-walmsley/] Website [https://ic-prep.com/]

Building Academic Programs and Processes for AI with David Schippers

What if your college degree became outdated before you even graduated? On this episode, Sarah Holtan, PhD brings Dave Schippers, Sc.D., CISSP to the table to call out the uncomfortable truth: higher education cannot keep up with the breakneck pace of AI. If you think AI is just another gadget for faculty, think again. Dr. Schippers explains how AI is a socio-technological force rethinking everything from how students learn to what skills employers will demand tomorrow. Will universities survive if they cling to old mindsets? What does an AI-literate faculty actually look like and are your professors ready? Tune in for real-world examples, new staffing models, and a few honest wake-up calls. Episode Highlights: 09:24 - The groups that I'm working with, a lot of what I'm doing when I bring AI into the classroom is I make them use it in on a cognitive learning level and I also have them interact with it in a way that challenges their beliefs and their perceptions. So it in essence basically makes them self-evaluate their own thoughts on particular subjects 12:22 - So because it wasn't a human giving the feedback, they didn't assume that there was an emotional facet to that. So they actually did some self reflection and said, oh, yeah, I guess this is correct. 17:24 - The sooner we realize that this is potentially can happen, the more we're going to look to go, well, how can we stay ahead of it? How can we figure out how to leverage it in ways that are beneficial both to us so us being our institution and to the students that we serve? 28:44 - I think higher ed needs to stop looking at what is needed now. And I think they need to start partnering with what does the market anticipate their needs within the next six to 12 months. Sarah Holtan, PhD LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgilbertholtan] David Schipper, Sc.D., CISSP LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/daschippers/] Book [https://www.irondogllc.com/books] Website [https://walshcollege.edu/departments/department-of-information-technology-and-decision-sciences/faculty/#member-4983-info]

The ROI of a Strong Campus Master Plan with Lora Strigens

Get ready to be inspired by Lora Strigens, Vice-President for Planning and Facilities and University Architect at Marquette University, as she shares her expertise in leading over $300 million in capital projects in under a decade. Discover how campus planning at Marquette University follows a strategic approach, encompassing broad themes to ensure the best outcomes for stakeholders. Lora emphasizes the importance of engaging with both on-campus and external stakeholders, asking thoughtful questions to enable their impactful contributions. Explore the unique challenges and benefits of being an urban institution, from community connections to ensuring student safety. Learn the art of balancing multiple priorities with limited funds and executing integrated planning within set timelines. Find out about the key components of successful investment in new or renovated facilities as Lora sheds light on measuring success using both qualitative and quantitative metrics. Get insights on building a culture of strategic planning and execution of big ideas to ensure the viability and success of educational institutions. Listen to the episode and be inspired to transform campus planning and create thriving educational environments! Episode Highlights: 03:59 - Master planning is how do you engage people in a meaningful way, and so I think that beginning part where you're identifying the key stakeholders and you're bringing them into the fold and thinking about not just what general questions we can ask, but what are the questions that we can ask where people can feel like they're really having an impact? And then as we move forward with the planning process, how can you reflect back what you've heard from those people and share how their input and their experiences have actually made a difference, and how the plan manifests itself. 12:35 - I think that thoughtful planning that's continuous and integrated where it takes into account what are the academic growth goals and research growth goals, where are we at from an operation standpoint, talking closely with facilities, IT security to understand where are those pain points and where are the investments required there, as well as working with our advancement team who handles our fundraising and donor engagement, to understand what's that landscape looking like, and using all of those points to help inform how we might move things forward. 28:10 - The biggest challenge is probably, like you said, it's getting your head around all of the different aspects you need to be thinking about as you're approaching planning, whether that's the strategic plan or the master plan, and not being overwhelmed by that to a point that you get into a paralysis that you're not making decisions or you're not able to move things forward. Contact Sarah Holtan, PhD LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgilbertholtan/] Websit [http://Highlevelleadership.com]e Lora Strigens LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lora-strigens-54830a4/] Website [https://www.marquette.edu/leadership/ulc-strigens.php]