Surviving to Thriving A Planning Framework for Leaders of Private Colleges and Universities

by Joanne Soliday

Through the tumult of socio-economic, political, and ideological shifts exerting pressure on higher education in the United States, leaders need effective, practical tools to guide their institutions toward relevance and sustainability. Surviving to Thriving has served as that guide for independent college and university presidents, cabinets, and boards of trustees around the country since its release in 2014. With an updated introduction, this second edition offers a framework to inform institutional planning and thinking with students always at the center. Authors Joanne Soliday and Rick Mann consider and apply the nine elements of Credo’s Thriving Framework through which institutional health can be examined and improved. -- If you are on senior staff, read this book. If you are a new college president, read this book. If you are an established college president, read this book. I have done each of these and have benefited greatly each time. Higher education in America is changing. Reading this book is a solid first step in preparing for that change. D. Mark McCoy, Ph.D, President, DePauw University I have found Surviving to Thriving to be an invaluable resource for our institutional planning process. This book does for private higher education what Good to Great did for business. Dr. Andrew P. Manion, President, Marian University The first time I read Surviving to Thriving was an amazing experience for me! I was finally reading a higher education planning manual written by practitioners with years of experience. And, most importantly, Joanne Soliday was not just suggesting that we keep doing the same old things with new labels. This book is an absolute must for college or university leaders who truly want to create a culture of innovation on their campuses. Dr. Bill Katip, President, Grace College and Seminary

Hardcover

First published January 8, 2018

About the author

Joanne Soliday is an author, speaker, and college presidential advisor. She is co-founder of Credo, a higher education consulting firm.

Reviews

[Emily Attaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great resource for anyone interested in higher education leadership. The chapters on finance, data and transformative spaces were my favorites. I loved the conversation about pipelines and I’m looking forward to implementing those at my job.

[Susanne Huizing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leaders in higher education would glean many important and bold strategies from the experience of Joanne. Lots of points to ponder.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really insightful book about the current state and future of higher education institutions.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Joanne Soliday has some very good ideas but seriously needs to calm down. There's at least one exclamation point on every page, including in section headings, and one sentence actually had two. The audience is supposed to be college presidents, trustees, and other high-ranking education administrators but it reads more like inspirational self-help for can-do youth. Very patronizing and annoying. And once again, she almost completely ignores the academic library, except to briefly assert in the final chapter that libraries should have fewer stacks and quiet study spaces and be more collaborative instead. Sounds like she doesn't have much regard for introverts and people who work better with minimal distraction either. Ironic, considering her emphasis in Pivot on accommodating different learning styles.

[PattiCav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I read this and am more understanding about the challenges inherent in successfully leading today's small private colleges...Makes me want to return to my own alma mater to do "research", and gain a modern perspective not only as a student but also as a parent and as an alum.

[Amalauna Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for thinking holistically about small, private colleges.