Higher Education Expert

How do you approach developing an institutional policy that needs buy-in from faculty, staff, and administration with different priorities?

I involve representatives from each stakeholder group early in drafting rather than presenting a finished policy for approval, since a policy developed without early input tends to face resistance during implementation even if it's technically sound. Early involvement surfaces practical concerns before they become obstacles.

What's your process for building a strategic plan that accounts for both institutional mission and financial sustainability?

I evaluate strategic priorities against both their alignment with mission and their realistic financial impact, rather than treating mission and finances as separate conversations. A plan that ignores financial constraints isn't actually a plan, and one that ignores mission risks drifting from what the institution is meant to do.

How do you resolve a conflict between two departments competing for the same limited resources?

I ask each department to articulate the specific outcome the resource would enable, then evaluate against institutional priorities rather than department seniority or persistence, since a resource allocation process that rewards whoever pushes hardest tends to produce worse decisions over time.

What's your approach to implementing a policy change that's likely to be unpopular with a significant portion of the campus community?

I communicate the reasoning behind the change clearly and early, rather than announcing it as a fait accompli, and I build in a feedback mechanism even if the core decision isn't up for negotiation. Transparency about the why reduces the perception that the decision was arbitrary, even among those who disagree with it.