Inside Higher Ed Special Report: The Growing Role of Mergers in Higher Ed
The online industry news publication Inside Higher Edproduced its first-ever paid special report, The Growing Role of Mergers in Higher Ed.
Topics Include:
- An in-depth look at the data and projections causing leaders to worry about the future of their institutions
- A framework around which leaders can build their own merger process
- A step-by-step guide for higher ed leaders and trustees on evaluating and pursuing a merger
- Case studies examining colleges that have successfully merged -- and some that have tried and failed
- Stumbling blocks to avoid, including how to communicate with accreditors and faculty, on the path to successful merger
Executive Summary
Colleges and universities find themselves facing an uncertain future as student populations shift, financial pressures mount and skepticism rises about the value of a higher education. In the coming years, presidents and boards of trustees may very well find themselves fighting for the survival of their institutions -- if they aren’t already.
Smart leaders do more than hope to keep their heads above water. They seek strategies to navigate the coming waves, or to improve their position if they are already confident in their course.
One such strategy is merger.
Mergers and acquisitions carry a stigma in higher education, where every college professes a fierce dedication to its own unique mission and the barriers to major institutional change seem dauntingly high. Concerns about preserving mission, dealing with faculty members, pleasing alumni and overcoming a culture that has long encouraged silence about problems can make the idea of pursuing a merger seem like an insurmountable challenge.
But talking about a merger doesn’t guarantee a battle between constituencies on campus. Nor does it amount to a betrayal of an institution’s identity.
A well-thought-out merger process can help presidents, boards, faculty members, students and staff members understand where a college stands and where it must go in order to preserve its mission and values into the future. Such a process can be successful even if it does not result in a consummated merger. It can help leaders choose from a range of actions: perhaps a strategic partnership with another college that doesn’t quite amount to a full merger, or maybe a specific plan for trimming expenses and refocusing student recruitment.
Without assuming a merger is the best strategy for every institution, this report aims to serve as a guide for considering the strategy. To address practical concerns, it sketches out a basic framework around which leaders can build their own merger process, and it includes sidebars on important stumbling blocks such as approaching accreditors and talking to faculty. To answer the question of why any college would consider merging, it explores the data and projections that cause leaders to worry about the future of their institutions. For those who want to learn from others’ experience, it features several case studies examining colleges that have successfully merged -- and looking at some that have tried and failed.
The point is not that any institution should or should not merge with another. It is that colleges and universities of all types and sizes could benefit from asking the question “Should we merge?” and then answering it calmly and strategically.
The special report can be purchased online. Inside Higher Ed plans to produce more special reports on other industry topics in the future.