This book is intended to serve as a road map for strategy creation and
execution for leaders and decision makers who, by choice or by
necessity, are looking to use strategy to optimize the development of
their institutions. It is the first book of its kind to focus
exclusively on strategy as it applies to postsecondary education. As the
authors explain, strategy is a systematic way of positioning an
institution within a context of community stakeholders. In today's
competitive environment, higher education leaders must become adept at
differentiating their institutions from competitors to obtain the
resources necessary for growth and sustainable advantage. The book
begins by explaining the concept of strategy and its application. The
authors describe the evolution of modern strategy and how it is has been
applied and developed by strategy theorists and practitioners. The book
also explores how strategy is shaped by critical factors related to the
mission, control and culture of the institution. For example, strategy
that is appropriate in a liberal arts college may be completely
inappropriate for community college or a teaching university. Real-world
cases are employed to illustrate the applications of strategy in three
different settings: a private liberal arts college, a comprehensive
public institution, and a special purpose institution. The last section
moves to the hands-on world of strategy formulation and implementation
inside the institution. The authors end with an outline of key concepts
for building a plan for implementing strategy and provide a framework
for evaluating its impact.
