Advisory Focus Areas
I work with college and university leaders during moments of pressure, transition or high-stakes decision-making. Engagements are advisory in nature and designed to provide clarity before institutions commit time, money or credibility.
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This work is most valuable when leaders need an experienced, independent perspective — not another vendor, campaign or framework.
Enrollment Pressure & Demand Shifts
Institutions often feel pressure to "do something" when applications, yield, or net tuition soften. Too often, that response leads to activities without clarity on what will actually move the needle. ​
I help leaders:
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Assess whether enrollment challenges are structural, cyclical or messaging-related
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Distinguish between awareness problems and demand problems
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Evaluate if marketing activity is warranted, and if so, at what scale
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Avoid investments that create long-term cost without impact.
Organizational Alignment & Role Clarity
Misaligned roles between marketing, enrollment, academic and other areas area a common and costly source of confusion.
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Advisory support may include:
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Assess whether enrollment challenges are structural, cyclical or messaging-related
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Distinguish between awareness problems and demand problems
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Evaluate if marketing activity is warranted, and if so, at what scale
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Avoid investments that create long-term cost without impact.
Role Boundaries & Decision Authority
Under pressure, responsibilities may blur across functions.
When boundaries are unclear, institutions experience:
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Duplicate or conflicting initiatives
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Accountability without authority
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Functions solving problems they do not own
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Decision by committee without clear ownership
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Advisory support in this area helps leaders:
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Clarify where responsibilities truly sit across functions
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Distinguish between influence, contribution and ownership
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Align expectations with authority and resources
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Reduce friction caused by well-intended but misaligned involvement
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Ensure decisions are made at the appropriate level and role
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This work is especially valuable when institutions are:
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Responding to enrollment or revenue pressure
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Reorganizing or introducing new leadership roles
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Bringing in external consultants or interim leaders
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Experiencing tension between academic priorities and operational demands
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The goal is not to protect any single function, but to restore clarity so decisions can actually work.
Vendor & Consultant Evaluation
Institutions often receive conflicting advice from agencies, consultants and internal stakeholders — each with different objectives. ​
I support leaders by:
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Reviewing vendor recommendations through a strategic lens
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Identifying drivers of advice
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Helping leaders ask more informed questions before committing resources
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Serving as a neutral second opinion when stakes are high
Leadership Transitions & Interim Support
During periods of leadership change, institutions are vulnerable to drift, over-correction or decision paralysis.
Advisory support can include:
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Short-term guidance during executive transitions
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External perspective when internal leadership is stretched
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Helping leaders decide what not to change prematurely
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Stabilizing decision flow while permanent leadership is identified