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Why Consider Academic Realignment and Organizational Redesign?
Twenty-first-century colleges and universities are at the precipice of technological and cultural upheaval. The need for higher education is greater than ever, but higher education institutions face unprecedented challenges that include declining enrollment, runaway costs, and poor public perception. This has resulted in many higher education institutions not meeting enrollment goals, declining fundraising, and deferring maintenance—all of which result in institutions running structural deficits.
Institutions have attempted to cut costs to improve financial sustainability and survival, but institutions cannot cut their way to growth. Most are past cost-cutting, or don’t know how to do it without severe ramifications to organization culture and effectiveness, and ultimately their bottom line.
The only way many institutions can solve their current challenges is to recalibrate their strategy and transform their physical, curricular, and human assets to meet this differentiated demand and educate the student of the future.
In other words, they must restructure and realign their offerings to meet a changing marketplace. Higher education leaders must orient academic culture and offerings toward enrollment, retention, and a curriculum that is aligned with current and future workforce demand.
The Change Leader has significant experience working with boards, administrators, accreditors, and faculty to transform institutions to make its offerings more relevant to current and future students, while creating a culture that is more innovative, flexible, and responsive to market needs.
Our firm can assist in:
- Assessing academic and administrative capacities to build student-centered programs that meet the demands of the 21st century.
- Reconfiguring administrative structures to create lean, effective systems by reducing administrative duplication and operating costs.
- Restructuring academic offerings to eliminate duplicative offerings and better align with current and future student and workforce demands.
- Developing three-year bachelor’s degrees for students seeking more cost-effective college degrees that match their schedules.
- Increasing student transfers by streamlining the transfer process and the academic general education and elective requirements to make transfer enrollment seamless and less restrictive.
- Creating standalone online universities for state systems through our 10-step process with timeframes and milestones that reduce delays and help ensure success.
- Transforming your institution to the institution you envisioned it could be.
Benefits of Academic Realignment and Restructuing
Academic realignment and restructuring enable a higher education institution to:
Build reserve funds while eliminating structural deficits and a culture of permanent austerity
Grow enrollment by delivering academic programs that are relevant to current and future students
Create a culture of student success both at the institution and in the workforce
Refocus administration and faculty on student academic priorities
Focus on mission, staff and faculty needs, and student success
Eliminate institutional bloat and ensure you are not spending on administration that is not necessary
Transform your institution to one that is nimble, innovative, and responsive
Repurposes funds to student needs while invigorating enrollment growth and academic focus
Signs Your Institution Needs Realignment and Restructuring
There are telltale signs that an institution needs restructuring and academic realignment. These indicators are often ingrained in institutional culture, and may be difficult to change. However, these red flags tell us that your institution is at risk or on the path for closure or significant reputational decline if something isn’t done to change its trajectory.
STRUCTURAL DEFICITS
Your institution is facing a bond degrade or has large or sustained deficits
ENROLLMENT DECLINES
Your enrollment continually doesn't meet your enrollment goals
STUDENT-FACULTY RATIOS
Your faculty-to-student ratio is significantly higher than industry ratios
LOW STUDENT PERSISTANCE
Your year-over-year persistence rate is below 75% and you can't turn it around
WORKFORCE NEEDS
Your curriculum doesn't align with current and future workforce needs
LOW ENROLLMENT MAJORS
Outdated majors have low enrollment because they lack modern relevancy
TOP-HEAVY ADMINISTRATION
You have less than a 8:1 faculty to administrator ratio
DEFERRED MAINTENANCE
Maintenance is not being done because you must cover operation shortfalls
TRANSFER STUDENTS
Your transfer student requirements are too restrictive
FUNDRAISING FOR OPERATIONS
Your fundraising is being used to cover operational expenses
ALUMNI RELATIONS
Alumni are losing faith that their institution will stay in business
DUPLICATE CURRICULUM
The same courses are being taught by multiple colleges or departments
Best Practices for Successful Higher Education Academic Realignment and Org Restructuring
There are a number of higher education restructuring and academic realignment best practices that institutions should follow to ensure they are helping their institutions be successful. These include:
Higher Education Academic Realignment and Restructuring Best Practices Include:
Realigning the institution’s strategies, structures, processes, and people so they are focused on students
Restructuring the institution’s administration and faculty to reduce duplication and inefficiencies
Conducting audits of financial practices and changing those that do not add to the financial stability and sustainability of the institution
Conducting reviews of current academic programs and eliminating or revising those that are under-enrolled, losing money, and/or out of date
Creating transparent processes that lead to shared vision and trust across the institution and with its stakeholders
Creating external partnerships that provide new and improved pipelines for student enrollment
Reengaging stakeholders to build a shared vision across the institution and a culture of student-centeredness
Eliminating underutilized land, plant, and equipment, and upgrading facilities to reduce expenses
Making shared governance a priority and all parties know and embrace their roles and responsibilities required
Creating new programs and retiring old ones that are not performing at the level they should
How We Help Our Clients
The Change Leader’s proprietary process and methods have helped multiple universities and colleges:
- Reduce costs and increase revenue
- Streamline processes and improve operational efficiency
- Improve enrollment and student learning outcomes.
Our team of consultants includes Dr. Drumm McNaughton, Dr. Jim O’Connor, and Dr. William “Brit” Kirwan, who have over 100 years of cumulative experience in higher education and have assisted universities in reformulating their direction through the process of design, implementation, and measurement of successful academic realignment.
Higher ed institutions frequently struggle with academic realignment. Our experience in higher education strategy, curriculum realignment, and transformation, coupled with our proprietary stakeholder collaboration process, aligns the strategic priorities of all constituencies. When you have a shared vision for a needed change, the implementation process goes more smoothly, and resistance to change is minimized.
Our team is made up of experienced academic leaders, and we have worked with all constituencies involved in realignment, from students to faculty, administrators, boards, and accreditors. Our approach is rooted in decades of experience and a deep understanding of the unique challenges facing university and college leadership.
Some of the ways we’ve helped colleges and universities reverse structural deficits and enable them to realize efficiencies that got them back on the path to financial sustainability.
Financial turnaround through academic realignment.
One public university had lost 60% of its enrollment and was running a structural deficit of $5 million at its satellite campuses alone. We realigned its academics, made leadership and programmatic recommendations, and built a shared vision across the campuses that set the institution and its satellite campuses on a path to profitability in under a year.
Cost savings through academic realignment that eliminated duplicate online education initiatives.
A medium-sized public university system with 12 institutions had its colleges and universities offering multiple duplicate online education offerings. We helped the system develop a process by which it centralized administration and marketing with distributed academics that took advantage of the system’s premier programs and saved millions annually by eliminating duplicate administrators.
Increasing enrollment and revenues through improved transfer enrollment processes.
A medium-sized public university was losing enrollment due to its convoluted transfer process, which caused students to lose up to half of their credits. We streamlined the general education requirements, resulting in a curriculum that made transfers seamless and permissive enough for students to change majors without losing ground in their progress toward graduation.
Improving enrollment through cost savings for students.
A medium-sized public institution wanted to create a pathway for those students who had dropped out to return to school and get their degrees. We helped them create a three-year degree that helped them attract students who were looking for a cost-effective route to in-demand careers.
Governance restructuring to promote innovation.
A high-profile consortium of academic institutions was facing significant challenges in terms of board engagement and effectiveness and needed to become more innovative and agile to take advantage of market and research opportunities. We restructured their governance structures so that they realized a tangible improvement in board dynamics, decision-making processes, and stakeholder engagement. The renewed focus on accountability, transparency, and strategic alignment led to increased board effectiveness and improved organizational performance.
Driving enrollment gains worldwide through online education.
An R1 university had multiple overseas branch campuses that were enrolling students with onsite faculty, which cost the institution lost revenues and travel expenses. We oversaw the effort to convert these campuses to online delivery, centralized administration, and used current faculty for delivery, resulting in a significant growth in enrollment at 1/10 of the cost.
Improved decision-making and cultural dynamics through shared governance restructuring.
A medium-sized college had been put on sanction by its accreditor for a culture of bullying and top-down decision-making that eliminated shared governance and faculty voice. We conducted multiple listening sessions and built a shared vision across the college that resulted in improved morale, productivity, and institutional effectiveness.
Academic Realignment & Organization Restructuring Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Academic Realignment & Organization Restructuring Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Most frequent questions and answers about academic realignment and organization restructuring consulting services for higher education
What is organizational restructuring?
Organizational restructuring involves developing and implementing strategies that bring about changes in the core work units essential to a university’s or college’s operations. This may include shifts in senior and middle administration levels, adjustments to faculty administrative roles like vice presidents, deans, school directors, department heads or chairs, and program coordinators, as well as modifications in staff roles and organizational structures such as divisions, colleges, schools, departments, and programs.
What is academic realignment?
Academic realignment encompasses strategies that adjust the relationships between academic units or disciplines fundamental to a university’s teaching and research missions. This may involve revising and developing curricula, refining degree programs, and reshaping academic identities. While these changes are supported by organizational structures, they are distinct from them.
What is the difference among organization redesign, organization restructuring, and academic realignment?
Organization redesign, organization restructuring, and academic realignment are related concepts, but they have distinct foci and objectives:
Organization redesign focuses on improving the existing structure and operations to support a higher ed institution’s strategic goals. Redesign efforts might involve:
- Streamlining administrative processes to reduce redundancies in support services.
- Adjusting faculty and staff roles for better alignment with institutional priorities.
- Enhancing communication and collaboration across departments or functions
- Streamlining administrative processes to reduce redundancies in support services.
Redesign is often less disruptive than restructuring and focuses on optimizing the current structure rather than changing it entirely.
Organization restructuring involves more fundamental changes to the institution’s organizational structure. This often addresses large-scale needs or responses to major shifts such as financial challenges, mergers, or strategic realignments. In higher education, restructuring might include:
- Reconfiguring organizational units (e.g., creating new departments, merging or dissolving units).
- Changing reporting lines or hierarchical levels to improve decision-making or reduce costs.
- Reassigning or eliminating roles to address financial constraints or strategic shifts.
- Realigning departments or functions to fit new organizational goals or market demands.
- Reconfiguring organizational units (e.g., creating new departments, merging or dissolving units).
Academic realignment specifically targets the academic functions and structures within an institution. It focuses on aligning teaching, research, and programmatic offerings with the institution’s mission and strategic goals. Key elements of academic restructuring include:
- Realigning or merging academic departments or disciplines to reflect evolving fields of study or interdisciplinary needs.
- Adjusting degree programs and curriculum offerings to meet changing student and workforce demands.
- Reassessing academic identities and priorities to foster innovation in instructional and research practices.
Academic realignment is distinct from general organizational restructuring as it concentrates on the core instructional and research components, often impacting curriculum, degree offerings, and academic identities.
In summary:
- Organization redesign optimizes the current structure for efficiency.
- Organization restructuring reshapes the organizational structure to meet broad strategic or financial needs.
- Academic realignment refines the academic functions to align with teaching, research, and programmatic goals, adapting to shifts in academic focus or demand.
How do I know if my institution needs to go through organization restructuring or academic realignment?
If your organization is running financial deficits, shifting budget items from maintenance or other areas to cover operations costs, or even worse, dipping into your endowment or reserve funds to cover operations, you may be a candidate for organization restructuring and/or academic realignment.
What will academic realignment or organization restructuring do for my institution
If you are able to successfully redesign or restructure your institution, you will see that you have a shared vision across your institution, your enrollment increases and you meet your enrollment goals, and your culture works in harmony.
How fast will I see enrollment and budget gains if I undergo academic realignment or restructuring?
It depends.
Many institutions that choose to realign their academic programs or restructure will see enrollment gains within one year. This depends on the number and depth of changes that are made. For most academic realignment projects, return to “profitability” can happen within two years, but this requires a solid plan and strong implementation, none of which can happen without a shared vision for the future and buy-in from the stakeholders (think faculty).
How do I know if I need to consider an academic realignment or restructuring process?
If your institution is facing a bond downgrade, if you have sustained and/or large operating losses, or if you have seen a stead decline in enrollment for more than 2 years, you should consider restructuring or realignment to get back to “profitability.”
My faculty are resisting much needed changes. How do I build a shared vision?
Resistance to change is an issue when it comes to making significant changes to your institution, especially if you haven’t been transparent with stakeholders about finances and enrollment in the past.
We strongly suggest that you begin with a series of briefings and listening sessions to create a sense of urgency for the project. Then, once you have that and a coalition for change, jointly develop a shared vision for the future. Once faculty and other stakeholders know the situation and are onboard with the future vision, then implementation can take place.
Why should we choose The Change Leader instead of another consulting firm?
When you choose The Change Leader for your restructuring or alignment project, you are choosing over 100 years of experience in higher education administration, people who understand and have lived through the challenges you are facing.
Many consulting firms hire graduates from institutions and train them to work according to their methods. Not us. Our team has hands-on experience so that we understand the nuances and uniqueness of your institution, and can ensure that the right solution is adapted to fit your situation and culture. All for less cost than some of the other firms.
Try The Change Leader difference. It will make all the difference to your institution and your students.
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