May Newsletter: Preparing for Summer

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Higher Education News

While Domestic Applications Drop, Non-Traditional, Independent Students are Turning to Higher Education

The Common App released a report yesterday that highlights the growth of applications from Independent Students via the Common App since 2016-2017, as seen below.

"Independent Students" are students from four categories: 1) Students who do not reside with a parent or legal guardian, 2) students with children of their own, 3) Military Members, and 4) Students over the age of 23 who are FAFSA independent. This group has a total population of over 45,000 students.

When examining this group, the Common App found that Independent Students submitted more than 2/3 (68%) of their applications to in-state institutions and have a six-year graduation rate of less than 40%.

As Higher Education continues to face an enrollment crisis, student success is quickly becoming a key factor in assisting non-traditional, independent students with degree completion. This report emphasizes the importance of supporting students before they even arrive on campus by removing barriers to application and helping them see themselves at your institution.

Test your Knowledge

In America, Memorial Day, a day to honor veterans who lost their lives serving in the American military, is observed on the last Monday in May. Originally known as Decoration Day, it was first observed in 1868, initiated by a Union general. This general was born in Illinois and has a college named after him that is part of the Illinois Community College System.

Which General led the charge?

A) George McClellan

B) Philip Sheridan

C) John Logan

D) George Farragut

Look at the end of this newsletter for the answer!

Perspectives on Higher Education

1. A new Op-Ed from Stevens Strategy President John Stevens reflects on the ideological divide between Harvard University and the Trump administration. Drawing from his own educational and career journey, Stevens examines how his experiences at Harvard, as an alumnus, and 40 years in higher education shaped his perceptions of the personal responsibility both sides must take to resolve the conflict for the future of Higher Education.

2. A new set of blogs by Senior Researcher and Blog Author Mike Townsley examines how higher education institutions often grapple with critical decisions regarding leadership authority and resource allocation in the face of financial challenges.

Townsley discusses the conflict between investments in human capital, such as faculty, and those in physical capital, including technology and infrastructure. He emphasizes that while faculty provide unique expertise, technological innovations can often serve as more economical alternatives, but finding the balance of these investments can be challenging. Additionally, Townsley explores the relationship between college presidents and boards of trustees during times of financial hardship. While presidents may pursue greater authority to implement rapid changes, boards tend to be reluctant, concerned about losing the institution's identity or straying from its mission.

Read these and more blogs on our website.

How to Spend Summer 2025

As the 2024–2025 academic year comes to a close, campus leaders should take the time to reflect on the lessons learned and position their institutions for a strong start in Fall 2025. Below are six strategic priorities to guide a productive summer:

Track, anticipate, and plan for the federal government's impact (even if the burden may not hit until summer/fall 2026). While Congress works through reconciliation and budget negotiations, the Executive Branch has already proposed significant cuts to higher education. These are currently projections and proposals, but institutional leaders should begin scenario planning now. NAICU is also a valuable resource for tracking developments in Washington. For guidance on dealing with the day-to-day, see Harvard Business Review’s insights on leading through uncertainty. Most important in times like these are staying true to your Mission, staying student-centered, and charting your own path forward.

Spend time reviewing and updating your policy manuals. During times of change, whether it is financial restraints or other types of pressures, having clear and up-to-date policies will be vital to facilitating change on your campus . Spend time updating Faculty, Staff, and Student Handbooks and Board Governance Materials, and then communicate any changes to the broader community. One key tip for success: These reviews should encompass a diverse range of perspectives and should not be conducted in isolation. Often, having a third-party lead a critical review and lend an external perspective assists with asking essential questions, identifying biases, and working through pain points you may not even know exist.

Conduct Retreats with Various Groups of Stakeholders. Retreats for Faculty, Staff, Executives, and Boards are an excellent opportunity to review previous and current goals, evaluate against ongoing Strategic Plans and priorities, and begin to formulate goals for 2025-2026. These retreats also serve as valuable opportunities to reset and co-create new goals for the coming year.

Prepare New Leadership. The Chronicle has a great piece on preparing new institutional leadership, broken down into three phases: President-elect, first 90 days, and then Go!. For non-Presidential leaders, conducting a listening tour with a wide range of community stakeholders, learning and understanding the organizational chart and lines of communication, and investing in paths for continuous development are also key when stepping into a new leadership role. One of the biggest mistakes new leaders make is burnout once the newness wears off. Here are some tips to mitigate that burnout.

Use the Summer as a Bridge between Admissions Cycles. Dive into a granular review of your current student markets, demographics from each market, marketing and recruitment spend in each market, ROI from various events or forms of marketing, and what programs/institutional-specific items students are most interested in. By leaning in and reviewing your incoming class, you can also communicate with them in hopes of reducing summer melt and begin building student success, as Jeff Doyle outlines in his recent newsletter.

Conduct a program review and subsequent budget review for 2025-2026 and beyond. Collect as much data as possible on current programs, course offerings, student perceptions, and external data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, state or system-wide data, and any other programmatic data you have. Conduct an honest review of the current offerings and begin conversations to prepare for improving or closing poorly performing programs and adding new, highly marketable ones. For poorly performing programs, explore creative ways to modernize the curriculum, such as through experiential learning, to attract new students. Use these findings to shape your budget with intention, aligning resources with market demand and mission relevance. While painful in the short term, these reviews can chart a new path forward and even serve as a lifeline for all types of institutions. Above all, be transparent with the broader community by clearly communicating how and why these decisions were made and what they entail.

These summer priorities won’t just prepare your institution for Fall - they’ll position your institution to be nimble, mission-aligned, and student-focused as we head into an uncertain but opportunity-rich future.

The Stevens Strategy Synopses

Meet Our Consultants

Starting this month, we would like to highlight our consultants and their expertise with a short introduction and a Q&A! Next up, we have Senior Consultant Kathryn Dodge, Ph.D.

Kathryn Dodge Ph.D.

Kathryn Dodge, PhD, joined Stevens Strategy in 2023 as our Senior Consultant. Kathryn has practiced excellence in higher education at various levels, with individuals, institutions, and matters of higher education policy.

As director, coach, and consultant she has, for over 30 years, applied leadership in a variety of sectors: publishing, career education, public liberal arts education, and state government. In addition to teaching graduate courses in higher education leadership, policy and governance, she sat on student dissertation committees for over a decade.

Kathryn is a Governor appointee to the Education Commission of the States and has served as a public member on various accreditation commissions for multiple terms. Kathryn also served for a decade as State Higher Education Executive Officer at the New Hampshire Higher Education Commission. She founded and facilitated affiliation groups for senior leaders in New England, served for eight years on the National Council – State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA), and co-founded Radio Higher Ed, a national podcast that provided information and commentary on education policy issues, producing sixty podcasts between 2011 and 2018. She offers perspectives grounded in her commitment to long-term organizational health. This has been especially important in her experience working with start-ups or institutions with a campus outside of the United States.

Kathryn earned her Ph.D. in Human and Organization Systems and her Master of Science in Human Development from Fielding Graduate University. She also earned a Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling/ Student Personnel from Montclair State University and her Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Literature from The King’s College.

Q&A with Kathryn:

What’s one ability you think every leader in higher education should master?

"Strong leaders in higher education need an ability to transcend personal priorities and consider broader contexts, it is essential when making complex decisions. Leaders who apply lenses that integrate individual, institutional and social perspectives with their own personal strengths have much better chances of long-term success. A genuine interest in understanding what drives differences and context brings a necessary depth to complex decision-making."

What is one thing you wish leaders of institutions knew?

"Constructive collaboration requires clarity. Specifics regarding objectives, ground rules, timelines, transparency about the ultimate decision-maker, and communication structures contribute to a healthy process. Given the current myriad challenges to the concept of shared governance in higher education, collaboration is necessary. Building a campus-wide system for constructive collaboration grounded in discipline and integrity cultivates trust and goodwill."

One piece of advice for a mid-career professional?

"Challenge yourself to be curious, listen to learn, and engage to resolve issues. While it may be easier and feel safer to observe and criticize, there is significantly more to be gained personally and professionally when you undertake challenging projects. In doing so, stay positive, seek feedback, and build relationships to accomplish objectives. Solving problems with colleagues makes for more effective solutions and the possibility of long-lasting friendships."

You can connect with Kathryn via LinkedIn. To learn more about how our experts can assist your institution, please contact us below.

Stevens Strategy

603-863-4704

info@stevensstrategy.com

Grantham, NH 03753

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Quiz Answer: C) John Logan

John Logan served the Union as a General during the Civil War, and then went on to serve his home state of Illinois as a Congressman and Senator. In 1868, he led the charge to establish a day to remember the soldiers who lost their lives fighting for America in combat.

In 1967, the state of Illinois opened John A. Logan College, a two-year college located in Carterville, IL, just 16 miles from his birthplace in Murphysboro, IL.

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