Academic Turnarounds

Contributions by Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown Edited by Unknown

Publication date:

30 March 2007

Length of book:

144 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780275988067

What are the hallmarks of a lasting institutional turnaround? It is too easy to mistake a single initiative_mounting a new marketing program, for example, or bringing in a million dollar donation_for a true turnaround. Successful turnarounds involve profound, often difficult, actions that affect the finances, academic offerings, and reputations of colleges and universities. They take institutions to new levels of performance and then present new challenges. MacTaggart examines the several stages that comprise institutional turnarounds and offers practical advice on setting and reaching higher levels of performance. MacTaggart also discusses the early indicators of a college or universityOs need for a turnaround. He and his colleagues outline financial trends and other indicators of distress, as well as benchmarks for the various stages in an effective turnaround strategy. Academic Turnarounds will help trustees, presidents, and faculty members diagnose whether or not they are in denial over the true condition of the institution they are charged with preserving. Donors, state officials, accreditors, and others interested in the quality and vitality of American higher education will find direction in this book.
Filled with vivid case studies and careful analyses, Academic Turnarounds is a highly useful and insightful book. Terry MacTaggart and his co-authors have made a substantive contribution to both the theory and the practice of leadership and management in academic institutions. It merits the interest of a wide audience, including faculty leaders, administrators, and trustees.