Category: Education

Mission Market

Higher Education 2020: Top Trends Overview

As U.S. higher education starts a new decade, several critical issues are driving decision making at most colleges and universities. And, as we wrote four years ago in our white paper, Public Higher Education 2016: Overview of Top Issues, colleges and universities continue to try to solve these issues one institution at a time. A promising outcome is that this pressure is forcing administrative and academic leadership to focus on priorities and differentiation, but the progress and payoffs are mixed and there is no clear path forward in terms of “one size fits all.” The following are the top trends The Napa Group believes will greatly influence higher education in 2020 and beyond.

Six big issues and their impacts on higher ed are described here…

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Spotlight: “Strategic Plan Q and A” with Dr. Keith S. Carver Jr., Chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Martin

“Strategic planning served as a catalyst for momentum, differentiation, impact and increased trust among our stakeholders.”

In the first year after Dr. Keith S. Carver Jr. became Chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Martin, he engaged the campus community in a strategic planning process. We talked with him about “Prepare for Takeoff,” the 2018-2023 strategic plan for the university. Read more >

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UC-Irvine Redesigns Collaboration Model for Student Success

How does an innovative undergraduate education program redesign itself for the next generation of students and reposition its services across the university? The University of California-Irvine’s Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning answered this challenge in its new five-year strategic plan that began implementation in the fall of 2017. Read more >

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A New Era for Public Health & Human Sciences at Oregon State

F. Javier Nieto, new Dean of the College of Public Health & Human Sciences (CPHHS) at Oregon State University, described his college’s strategic planning project in an all-college meeting on September 19, 2017. “Our students and their success is our greatest responsibility and strength. Our research on complex health challenges is our primary contribution to future knowledge. Our community outreach and partnerships enable broad-scale changes that are unparalleled anywhere in the country. Now is the time to reformulate our strategic direction for the next few years to capture our organization’s truly extraordinary potential to fulfill our mission!” The Napa Group is pleased to partner with CPHHS as it plans a future of innovation and impact. Read more >

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Saint Mary’s College of California – One of the “Best in the West”

For the third year in a row, Saint Mary’s College of California has been listed as one of the top 10 best regional universities in the West in the just released 2018 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. The College was also ranked 19th for Best Value for Western regional universities, fifth in California for Best Online MBA Programs, and fourth in the state for Best Online Master’s in Business Programs. They also achieved Tier 1 ranking for their MBA and EMBA programs by CEO Magazine. Read more >

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Public Higher Education 2016: Overview of Top Issues

Most Agree That Education Is More Valuable Than Ever, But Dynamic Change Continues to Bring Complex Challenges

Higher education is in the spotlight this year, thanks to the presidential election’s focus on cost and affordability, and if there is one issue that thought leaders and educators can agree on, it’s the need for new thinking – especially with respect to financial and operating models. In surveys, discussion papers and reports, the complex topic of financing higher education remains central and influential in other issues from shared governance to new models of learning to data-informed decisions at all levels. Read more >

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CASE Engages Members Globally to Set a 5-Year Roadmap

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has launched a year-long strategic planning process. In their announcement, CASE President Sue Cunningham and Board Chair Mike Goodwin said “this vitally important project will help CASE define our vision and aspirations for the next 10 to 15 years and create an initial five-year roadmap to achieve our objectives.” They encouraged institutional, organizational and professional members to participate in the “highly engaging, interactive and inclusive” planning activity “to help shape the future of CASE.” The membership association includes more than 3,600 institutions and organizations globally serving more than 81,000 members in 82 countries. The Napa Group will facilitate the process, working closely with the executive team, board of trustees and a special project steering committee.

Trends and Best Practices in Alumni Associations

1. Alumni organizations are focusing their efforts on market-related activities that have greatest impact, increasingly relying on market information and data to segment programs and create value-centric relationships with their alumni. The result is a shift toward lifetime relationships through a lifecycle model of programs and services. Associations are asking the strategic questions – Where is our greatest value? What should be our priorities? What do we “stop doing? How do we increase our relevance to our alumni and to the university? Read more >

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Practices and Trends in Alumni Communications

1. Alumni associations have reshaped themselves in the past decade to deliver market-focused programs, and strategic communications approaches and plans are central to their ability to reach their multiple audiences for all activities and build and foster relationships. Increasingly associations are rebranding themselves as the lifelong link between alumni and the university, shifting perceptions of the association’s role and its importance within the university. Read more >