Before I joined Quinnipiac University in 2018, I’d spent my entire academic life at R1 institutions—globally recognized research powerhouses with sprawling labs, internationally acclaimed scholars, and committees that often needed subcommittees.
But at Quinnipiac, I discovered something unexpectedly rich: the distinctive culture and impact of a “mid-major” university. Serving as president was a deeply fulfilling experience—one that many academics from research-intensive institutions might easily overlook, but should not.
I use “mid-major” here as a borrowed term from Division I sports—where the Power Four conferences get most of the glory, but where some of the most significant developments come from institutions like ours.
The analogy holds beyond athletics. Of the approximately 3,500 nonprofit, degree granting institutions in the country, there are roughly 600 to 700 institutions like Quinnipiac—such as Elon, Michigan Tech, Creighton, Southern Illinois or Hofstra—either public or private, each serving approximately 5,000 to 15,000 students.
These universities are comprehensive in their offerings, spanning a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees including professional programs; they are highly tuition-dependent and generally lack large endowments. Typically they have enough scale to achieve financial stability, are small enough to pivot quickly, and are acutely enrollment-dependent.
With declining demographics in the traditional college age cohort, fewer international students, heightened competitive pressures from peers, skyrocketing discount rates and reduced federal financial aid, clouds loom over many of these universities. But that urgency breeds something useful: adaptability.
Mid-majors can’t afford to move slowly—so they don’t. Heavy dependence on enrollment fosters a strong sense of shared ownership over the university’s future and helps move the needle more quickly across the institution. Strategic planning is similarly infused with a need for speed—simpler approval processes and fewer delays.
Of course, R1s are essential. They are the source of breakthrough scientific and technological advances, they house world-class graduate education, and attract substantial public and private investment in research.
The world needs them—and relies on them. To paraphrase Steve Jobs, they make a dent in the universe. Yet there is also a vital educational role for mid-major colleges and universities that are deeply vested in nurturing the workforce and civic leaders of the future.
4 keys to mid-major leadership
While certain qualities and skills drive success across all types of university leadership positions, when I reflect on my transition from an R1 to a mid-major presidency like Quinnipiac’s, there are certain capabilities and experiences that are especially advantageous in leading a mid-major. Here’s what you’ll need in such senior leadership roles:
- A sophisticated grasp of evolving external market needs. Mid-majors often differentiate themselves through their graduates’ strong career readiness, equipping them with skills tailored to emerging employer demands. As jobs and professions evolve at unprecedented speed, university leaders must be adept at forging multifaceted partnerships with employers—relationships that inform “where the puck is headed”, and create concrete pathways for students through internships, rotations, and immersive, site-based learning experiences.
- Deep expertise in enrollment management, particularly at the undergraduate level. In my experience at large public universities, enrollment challenges, while significant, were less existential than they are for mid-majors. At mid-majors, the complexities and nuances of enrollment management are the primary driver of institutional health. Enrollment management is both science and art, and university leaders cannot afford to simply rely on others for their expertise and execution. Sustained personal fluency and engagement in enrollment management are essential.
- Breadth of experience collaborating across disciplines and functions. Mid-majors tend to be less siloed by field or function, making cross-unit collaboration an opportunity and an imperative. Continuous innovation—in interdisciplinary, market-facing programs; operational efficiencies; distinctive marketing; and standout living-learning experiences—depends on this integration. A successful mid-major leader must possess the breadth of experience needed to mobilize the entire institution in pursuit of these distinctions.
- Comfort with deep community engagement—on and off campus. Because mid-majors are heavily teaching- and student-focused and often smaller than R1 institutions, expectations are high for senior leadership visibility and engagement in the university and surrounding communities. Whether teaching an undergraduate course, attending student poster sessions, fashion shows, bake-offs or volleyball matches, participating in rotary or chamber of commerce meetings, or leading a charity 5K run, leaders are expected to be visible. Experience with, and genuine comfort in, this level of engagement is critical to effective leadership at a mid-major university.
A faster and deeper impact
Mid-majors are laser-focused on preparing students for careers of today and tomorrow, and on equipping them to experience productive professional and personal lives. Research matters at the mid-majors, especially applied, pedagogical or community-engaged scholarship. But the priority is clear: student outcomes are the essential measure of success.
The financial, governance and societal pressures facing university leaders today is severe. For some aspiring and qualified candidates, these roles have become less appealing—expectations are growing, politics more charged, and the personal toll higher. But that burden can feel lighter at mid-majors.
I found my presidency at Quinnipiac to be joyful, purposeful, and impactful. There can be deep fulfillment at mid-majors from shaping strategy and seeing results in real time, and in having the bandwidth to engage directly with students across every facet of the university. Witnessing, up close, students’ transformation over the course of their education is a sustaining reminder of our purpose.
If you’re coming from an R1, the spotlight may not be as white-hot, but you’ll find that the ability to achieve impact, the shared purposes across the institution, and the direct connection with students and the broader community create a different kind of leadership opportunity, one that can be enormously gratifying. And with purposeful preparation for the distinctive opportunities mid-majors present, your impact can come faster, and run deeper.
