HIGHER EDUCATION CONSULTING SERVICES

Strategic support for the complex challenges facing higher education institutions

Most consultants talk a good game about higher education but haven't lived in your world of impossible budgets, endless committees, and stakeholders with competing agendas. My higher education consulting comes from someone who's actually sitting in those same meetings, fighting the same battles, and figuring out how to make things work with whatever resources you have.

Let’s Create a Plan TOgether

A woman with red hair sitting on a light-colored sofa, resting her chin on her hand, holding a purple folder, and looking to the left against a plain background.

Assessment & Accreditation Support

Building Sustainable Assessment Cultures

Assessment shouldn't be something your team dreads doing right before accreditation visits or scrambles to complete in a panic at the end of the year when they've avoided it all along. Through higher ed consulting, I help you create assessment practices that actually improve your programs while contributing to the university's accreditation success in continuous improvement, without drowning your staff in meaningless paperwork.

Services include:

  • Designing comprehensive assessment plans for administrative units

  • Developing learning, satisfaction, and operational assessment strategies

  • Creating annual reporting processes that demonstrate impact and the value-add of your department or division

  • Building staff capacity for ongoing assessment and continuous improvement

  • Preparing documentation and systems for accreditation reviews

  • Training teams on data collection, analysis, and utilization

Stack of five books with a plush Eeyore toy on top, a white pencil case with a world map design and the phrase 'Let the adventure begin', and a pair of white Nike sneakers with silver swoosh logos placed on a white surface against a white background.

Organizational Development

Onboarding & Staff Development Systems

Strong institutions invest in their people through intentional development processes. My higher education consulting helps you create systems that support employee success from day one through their entire career trajectory.

Areas of expertise:

  • Designing comprehensive onboarding programs for new hires at all levels from entry-level to senior leaders

  • Developing succession planning and leadership pipeline strategies

  • Creating talent development frameworks for ongoing staff growth

  • Establishing mentoring and coaching programs

  • Building leadership development initiatives for managers at all levels

  • Designing retreat and workshop experiences that strengthen team culture

Crisis Management & Change Leadership

Navigating Complex Challenges

Higher education institutions face unprecedented challenges that require both immediate response and long-term strategic thinking. Through specialized higher ed consulting, I help leadership teams develop the systems, skills, and resilience needed to manage crisis situations effectively.

Consulting support includes:

  • Crisis response planning and team preparation

  • Change management strategies for organizational transitions

  • Communication frameworks for challenging situations

  • Leadership development for crisis response teams

  • Post-crisis evaluation and system improvement

  • Building institutional resilience and adaptability

Person wearing pink baseball cap using a laptop with a travel-themed illustration on the screen.

Team Effectiveness & Leadership Development

Strengthening Leadership Capacity

Effective institutions require strong leaders at every level. My higher education consulting focuses on developing leadership capabilities that align with your institutional mission and values while building practical skills for complex environments.

Leadership development areas:

  • Executive coaching for senior administrators

  • Leadership skill development for department heads and directors

  • Team building and communication enhancement

  • Cross-functional collaboration improvement

  • Conflict resolution and difficult conversation training

  • Strategic thinking and decision-making development

This isn’t like every other consulting experience.

Most higher education consulting comes from people who used to work in higher ed or who specialize in corporate environments. I'm actively living the challenges you're facing while bringing proven frameworks and a fresh perspective to help you navigate them.

  • Current Practitioner Perspective

    My higher education consulting is grounded in ongoing experience as a VP of Student Affairs. I understand current realities, emerging challenges, and practical constraints because I navigate them daily in my own leadership role.

  • Cross-Divisional Expertise

    Having worked at smaller institutions where collaboration across divisions is essential, I bring insight into how different areas of the university can work together more effectively to serve students and advance institutional goals.

  • Strengths-Based Philosophy

    Rather than focusing on deficits, my consulting approach helps you identify and leverage existing strengths within your team and institution while addressing genuine development needs.

  • Sustainable Solutions

    Every higher education consulting engagement includes capacity building so your team can continue implementing and refining improvements long after the formal consulting relationship ends.

How it Works

Woman with red hair smiling, holding a pen and a notebook, wearing a light gray jacket over a black top, standing against a plain light-colored background.

Discovery & Assessment

We begin by understanding your specific challenges, goals, and institutional context through interviews, observations, and relevant data review.

Collaborative Solution Design

Together, we develop approaches that fit your culture, resources, and timeline while addressing your core objectives.

Implementation Support

I provide ongoing guidance and coaching as you implement new systems, processes, or practices.

Evaluation & Refinement

We assess progress and make adjustments to ensure sustainable, meaningful improvement.

NEXT STEPS

Higher education consulting engagements are customized based on your specific needs, scope, and timeline.

Projects can range from focused workshops to comprehensive organizational development initiatives spanning multiple months. Ready to explore how higher ed consulting can support your institutional goals?

Let's Discuss Your Project