Turnaround: Leading Stressed Colleges and Universities to Excellence

Nearly one thousand colleges and universities in the United States face major challenges―from catastrophic hurricanes to loss of accreditation to sagging enrollment. What can leaders of such at-risk institutions do to improve their situation? Turnaround gives college and university leaders the tools they need to put their fragile institutions back on a path to success.

This comprehensive handbook outlines how board members, presidents, and administrators can identify their institutions' weaknesses, implement plans for improvement, and mitigate existing damage. Turnaround also identifies the legal pitfalls that often accompany institutional change, offering solutions for how to overcome such obstacles or avoid them altogether.

Evaluating the experiences of two hundred college leaders, the contributors share such critical information as:

• 20 indicators of institutional vulnerability
• 10 necessary skills for presidents directing a turnaround
• 5 characteristics of institutions that have completed successful turnarounds
• 10 lessons of successful turnarounds

Featuring candid advice from decision makers who have faced severe challenges, Turnaround is a valuable resource for college and university leaders facing tough times.

James Martin is a professor of English at Mount Ida College and academic vice president of The Education Alliance. James E. Samels is CEO and president of The Education Alliance and founder of Samels & Associates, a law firm concentrating in higher education law. They are the authors of The Sustainable University: Green Goals and New Challenges for Higher Education Leaders, Presidential Transition in Higher Education: Managing Leadership Change, Merging Colleges for Mutual Growth: A New Strategy for Academic Managers, and First Among Equals: The Role of the Chief Academic Officer, all published by Johns Hopkins.