A Strategic Idea

By NEBHE Staff

NEBHE president proposes a “sweet spot” between consortia and mergers …

The TIAA-CREF Institute has published a report by New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) President and CEO Michael K. Thomas on “strategic alliances” in higher education.

Inside Higher Ed characterizes the Thomas proposal as a third ways between less formal collaborations and more permanent mergers. His solution that is “more flexible and sweeping than most consortia but less threatening and risky than mergers: strategic alliances in which they merge some of their some administrative functions (while retaining their distinct identities and structures) to both reduce costs and give them more capacity than colleges would have on their own.” Thomas calls it a “sweet spot.”

The Inside Higher Ed coverage is here. The full Thomas report is here.

To speak with the author about the study and ongoing research on the topic—or to learn about NEBHE’s Higher Education Innovation Challenge—call NEBHE’s Marla Phippen at 617.533.9519 or email: presidentsoffice@nebhe.org.


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