Higher education is the on precipice of a new normal. It has been brewing for some time, but the pandemic hastened its arrival. This new normal – or, rather, new future – will be defined by institutional innovation and consumer response, and successful university leaders will need to rise to the occasion.
Higher education has had to evolve to meet the needs of students, while addressing the public health crisis over the past year, and it must continue to innovate to serve digital natives who have now fully experienced online learning.
Those at the top of the academic enterprise must also evolve to serve in a world where transparency, trust, and visibility of leaders enhance or dilute their institutional brand. The student consumer expects to see more than degrees, educational quality, internships or rankings – they expect to “see” university leadership at the highest level communicating the value proposition of the brand and standing by the “product.”
Undergraduate enrollment is down 5.3%, and student acquisition costs are rising. It is no wonder many haggard leaders will step down after an intense 18 months marked by worry and uncertainty about staff, students and financial viability.
Boards, executive search firms and search committees must take notice. There are five traits that every next-gen higher education leader will need to possess or quickly amass.
- Expertise in Marketing, Enrollment and Brand: The digital frontier is where colleges and universities must deliver their value proposition to potential students. If there is any doubt about this, refer to Google’s digital ad revenues for Q1 2021 – $55.31 billion, up 34% from a year earlier. Leaders at the highest levels need to understand the deepest intricacies of digital spend, yield and efficiency to effectively run their institution. Someone like Clair Foster, Vice President for University Marketing and Public Relations at Regent University, is a good representation of the next generation of higher ed leadership. She’s savvy and poised, and operates with a student-first mindset underpinned by her expertise in data-driven enrollment and marketing.
- Entrepreneurial Mindset: Institutions are facing many internal and external factors that contribute to enrollment difficulties. The value of a college education, tuition prices without clear ROI communication and non-degree credentialing are challenging the way we think about traditional education. Leaders positioned well for the future will strategize around students as “consumers,” have a testing mindset and take risks to achieve evolved levels of operational and program efficiency. They’ll challenge the status quo, all the time. Educational leaders can take lessons from EdTech innovators like Tom Woolf, founder and CEO of EdAid, who partners with colleges and universities to offer fair and affordable funding opportunities beyond the traditional options. Taking risks, particularly those that improve access, is a must-have for next gen leaders.
- Social Media Savvy: Future leaders will leverage their personal brand by nurturing, growing and engaging with a social media audience. If a college or university president today thinks they can avoid social media participation because they serve adult students, consider this: over 75% of U.S. adults use at least one social media platform heavily. A leader’s personal brand will be intertwined with the university brand if done correctly. Dr. Daria Willis, President of Everett Community College, is a model of the personal/professional representation. Scroll through her Twitter and you’ll see her successfully and authentically blending her personal and professional identity, from celebrating a workout, to highlighting what she is doing to expand educational access, to a candid photo of her family. Potential and current students get to know Daria personal and professionally – she doesn’t code-switch.
- Functional Structures and Operating Models: The 21st century leader must be willing to consider that the way of operating and staffing post-pandemic will be fundamentally different. Employees have spent 18 months adjusting to remote work and its benefits. Institutions have hired employees in other states and will need to reconcile those decisions when repopulating facilities through choice or requirement. At Claremont Lincoln University, Dr. Lynn Priddy, President and CEO, is exploring a hybrid structure that includes intentional “meeting days,” while leaving the remainder of the week open to individual choice regarding physical attendance or remote work. The key word post-Covid is flexibility according to Lynn and she has involved her entire staff to help develop the solution.
- Authenticity Is Currency: Future university presidents have been seen at their best, their worst and everything in-between during impromptu Zoom meetings. In the past, authenticity may have had negative consequences because it exposed opportunity for judgement. Now, we are more mindful, empathetic and accepting of the reality that we all face in balancing work with our home lives and health priorities. A leader must be authentic and accessible. This creates next-level networking opportunities and the relatability students want to see in a brand they select. Authenticity comes in the form of inspiring messaging and believability from leaders. Take Dr. Emily Barnes, interim President at Cleary University. The first sentence of her LinkedIn bio reads, “I see what higher ed can be; I also see what it’s not…YET. I want to boost and rebuild it, to truly make the higher education journey a valued place of passage for those seeking more than they were given.” This message is personal and shows authentic passion that will resonate with students. Dr. Barnes won’t be an “interim” for long.
Creating a personal brand that enhances institutional communications and brand is a prerequisite for the future of higher education leadership, but not every higher ed leader or governing board understands the importance of this. As the new normal and new future come into focus for higher education, so too must the vision of what an executive-level university or college leader must bring to the table to navigate the contemporary landscape. A new wave of presidential candidates will ascend and boast a 21st century skillset that will be much less traditional than those before them. Institutions, governing boards, and search committees should be prepared to adapt with the changing times – because they are going to happen either way – for the progression of their institutions and learners.
Joe Sallustio, Ed.D. is the COO and Executive Vice President at Claremont Lincoln University (CLU), a non-profit online university offering master’s degrees through a Socially Conscious Education®. Joe oversees all areas of university operations, including business administration, enrollment management, marketing and more. His role is to ensure that CLU is at the forefront of innovative graduate education in the 21st century by being disruptive, innovative and disciplined. Joe also hosts The EdUp Experience podcast where he interviews some of the most intriguing and influential people across higher education.