Congratulations, you've landed your first job as a college's chief public relations and marketing officer. It's a grand role loaded with ocean-size opportunities and responsibilities. I got my first director's position in 1988 when I joined the staff at Georgetown College in Kentucky. Up until then I had been a one-person shop. With my appointment […]

In an emerging trend that illustrates the growing importance of digital strategy in higher education, a handful of universities have named a chief digital officer to their leadership teams to merge the worlds of instruction and IT. Universities task these new digital officers—many of whose positions have been created in only the last few years—with […]

How important is it for college administrators to study successful student characteristics? "Focusing primarily on identifying at-risk students, without also identifying the profiles of successful students, is much like a doctor diagnosing a patient with an illness or disease, yet failing to offer a treatment plan or cure. When administrators understand the characteristics of successful […]

The skill set required for today's top jobs in higher education has never been more extensive or demanding. Boards of Trustees are looking for leadership in several areas: academic authority, fundraising ability, public relations and media savvy, legal and political sensitivity, as well as ease of movement between constituent groups—alumni, students, faculty, parents, donors, business […]