Organizational Renewal: Education

Learn how organizational renewal helps companies adapt to change, strengthen leadership, revitalize culture, and achieve sustainable growth and performance.

Changing Business Models at a Graduate School & Research Center

Client Case Study

Organizational Renewal in Graduate Education: How One Graduate School Reinvented Itself for a Changing Future

Situation: Organizational Renewal

Graduate schools face increasing pressure from shifting student expectations, technological disruption, changing workforce demands, and heightened competition. While many institutions attempt incremental improvements, some challenges require something more fundamental: organizational renewal.

This academic graduate school was facing a new competitive environment after it had not changed its advanced degrees, operations, or market approach for years.

Leadership recognized that isolated fixes would not address the underlying issues. The institution needed organizational renewal — a comprehensive effort to realign strategy, culture, leadership, and operations with future realities.

During the transformation the president of the institution became ill and unable to remain in the role. The Dean of Academic Affairs was appointed interim president by the board of directors, with no prior executive management experience.

Complications

The newly appointed president inherited a graduate school facing significant headwinds. Fiscal management had deteriorated, core business and operating practices had not been updated for years, and emerging competitors were entering the market with greater resources and stronger market positioning. Recognizing that incremental improvements would not be enough, she sought support to accelerate her leadership transition and spearhead a broader organizational renewal effort.

Approach

  1. Designed an inclusive, yet accelerated strategic planning retreat and change management consulting process that was quickly supported by all stakeholder groups.
  2. Worked with the board of directors, senior management, and executive faculty to develop a new set of operating principles, and a renewed sense of company purpose and direction.
  3. Ensured targeted improvements were initiated.
  4. Implemented 1×1 executive coaching, team and board development, and large group workshops that drove the comprehensive change process.

Organizational Renewal: A Practical Guide to Transforming Business Performance

Results
In four years:

  • 90% student body growth
  • 100% development revenue growth
  • Re-aligned its academic structure and concentrations to match market interests
  • Recruited and developed a professional executive leadership team
  • Expanded its faculty and continued to lead the way in the at-distance education model.
  • The president is now in her third year and has been offered a new multi-year contract.

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