News & Insights
Photo courtesy of: Greg Land
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Across the country, higher education leaders are facing a hard truth: doing more with less is no longer a short-term strategy—it’s a long-term imperative. With enrollment volatility, shifting demographics, rising operational costs, and increased pressure from stakeholders, the ability to strategically align resources with institutional priorities has become a defining skill of effective, transparent, and collaborative campus leadership.
But resource optimization is not about belt-tightening for its own sake. It’s about stewardship. It’s about making the most of what you have—financially, operationally, physically, and organizationally—in order to deliver effectively on the mission and purpose of your university and build a sustainable business model that is nimble and can withstand market shifts and externally driven impacts. Stop doing more with less; start doing the right amount with the right amount.
Start with the “why”
At its core, resource optimization begins with clarity. What are you really trying to accomplish as an institution? What programs, outcomes, or experiences define your value? Once that “north star” is clearly articulated, leaders can begin to evaluate how their assets—budgets, facilities, staffing, and systems—are or are not aligned to support those goals.
Too often, resource decisions are driven by legacy practices or isolated budget cycles. A more future-ready approach demands a comprehensive, cross-functional understanding and analysis of where resources are going—and whether they are producing the outcomes that align with organizational goals and priorities. We can do anything, but we just can’t do everything. How do we identify our “anythings” and align resources? For many campuses, this means revisiting program and operating costs through an ROI lens, modernizing space utilization strategies, and applying data analytics to workforce planning.
From data to action
Institutions that optimize resources well don’t just collect data—they act on it. This requires an integrated approach to information management and an internal culture that embraces transparency and accountability. It also requires courage: the courage to make tough decisions to stop doing things that no longer serve students well and align with institutional goals, and the courage to take calculated risks to invest in new areas to maintain and/or grow market share and to increase investment in existing growth areas.
Examples abound. Institutions are rethinking their physical footprints by repurposing or selling underutilized physical assets, consolidating campuses, and partnering with the private sector to monetize assets and share risk. Others are reallocating funds from low-enrollment programs to high-demand areas that better reflect today’s student interests and workforce needs. They are also consolidating and optimizing administrative services through shared services models and technology.
Build agility, not austerity
Importantly, optimization doesn’t mean austerity. The goal is not simply to cut; rather, it’s to align. That alignment enables institutions to respond more nimbly to changing conditions, invest in innovation, and create margin for investment in mission-critical work. When resources are optimized, institutions can deliver higher-impact experiences with greater efficiency and resilience.
In a moment when many colleges and universities are confronting financial strain, resource optimization is one of the few levers entirely within their control. It requires collaboration across units, a commitment to continuous improvement, and, above all, a willingness to change.
As we look to the future-ready campus, aligning resources with purpose is more than a management strategy—it’s an act of leadership.
