Synopses & Reviews
Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services
Revised and Updated
Increasing economic concerns make the new edition of this best-selling classic an invaluable resource for those who want and need to implement a proven step-by-step approach to reallocating resources in tough times. Thoroughly revised and updated, Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services includes new recommendations from the field, communication strategies for more successful campus implementation, a new section on the sources of hidden costs, and a Prioritization Process and Implementation workbook designed to help administrators avoid costly mistakes. This book includes access to additional content online, including models for prioritization from a variety of campuses. Based on the author's extensive consulting experience, this necessary and timely resource offers the best advice for addressing the current economic concerns affecting most colleges and universities.
Praise for Prioritizing Academic Programs and ServicesFor more than a decade, higher education leaders have turned to Dickeson's practical guide to academic program assessment. These newly expanded approaches are just in time for today's competitive environment."
Suzanne Shipley, president, Shepherd University
Dickeson provides a compelling rationale for program prioritization as well as a practical planning structure that promotes alignment between programs, resources, and university mission. Presidents and provosts can use his approach to frame campus discussions around the future of the institution and away from legacy programs whose time has passed."
Kyle R. Carter, provost and senior vice chancellor, Western Carolina University
Dickeson's approach ensures that critical decisions regarding academic programs and resource allocation are aligned with strategic goals and institutional mission. As one of the early adopters of the process that he proposes, I am convinced that it is a powerful and practical tool for any college or university committed to remaining focused, resilient, vital, and relevant in a dynamic and increasingly challenging environment."
David Maxwell, president, Drake University
Robert C. Dickeson is a higher education consultant, president emeritus of the University of Northern Colorado, and former senior vice president of Lumina Foundation for Education.
Synopsis
This newly revised best-selling classic Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services continues to offer a proven step-by-step approach to reallocating resources in tough times. This updated text includes templates, available also online, for prioritizing communications plans to ensure more successful campus implementation and to avoid mistakes. Based on the author's extensive consulting experiences including serving several hundred two- and four-year colleges and corporations ranging from hospitals to bank holding companies, this revised edition is necessary and timely for the current economic concerns affecting colleges and universities.
Table of Contents
Foreword (Stanley O. Ikenberry).
Preface to the Revised Edition.
Preface to the First Edition.
About the Author.
1. Recognizing the Need for Reform.
2. Identifying Responsible Leadership.
3. Reaffirming Institutional Mission.
4. Defining What Constitutes a Program.
5. Selecting Appropriate Criteria.
6. Measuring, Analyzing, Prioritizing.
7. Anticipating Process Issues.
8. Implementing Program Decisions.
9. Achieving Strategic Balance.
Resource A: Outsourcing Practices in Higher Education.
Resource B: Sample Process Agenda Adopted by a Land Grant University.
Resource C: Criteria for Measuring Administrative Programs.
Resource D: Case Studies: Excerpts from Implementation Plans.
Resource E: Sources of Hidden Costs.
Resource F: Model Communication Plan.
Resource G: Prioritization Process and Implementation.
References.
Index.