How Your Campus Fits Together: A Playbook for Shared Understanding

I’m excited to share my recently published book chapter from Metrics, Mapping, and Modelling for Masterful Management in Higher Education (Emerald Press, 2025) entitled Empower all stakeholders with an understanding of the nature of, and with the ability to conceptualize and understand the complex, intertwined operations of the institution.

Chapter 5 is about giving every stakeholder—not just senior leaders—a clear, shared understanding of how a college or university really works as an interconnected system. It shows readers how to analyze and communicate an institution’s culture and climate (including how employee and student demographics shape day-to-day realities), clarify institutional identity and reputation across multiple dimensions, and articulate the value the institution provides to different stakeholder groups. The chapter then moves from “who we are” to “what we produce” by explaining how credentials and degrees are named, classified, and assembled—linking courses, general education, liberal education, and honors pathways into a coherent model, and introducing practical approaches for tracking credential change over time. Finally, it tackles the money: where revenue comes from, how funds flow through the organization, and how accounts and expenses can be integrated into an institutional model so decisions are grounded in both mission and financial reality.

Many of the book’s chapters have a companion video which can be viewed for free on the Higher Education Leadership Learning Online Community web site. Visit the site to see the complete list.

If you’re involved in higher-ed leadership, strategy, assessment, or institutional research, I’d love for you to take a look at the chapter and add your comments below. If you would like assistance implementing any of the ideas addressed, please compete a consultation request form – the first hour is free for any institution.