How proactive mergers can stabilize and enhance colleges and universities―and ensure their future. With the pool of high school graduates decreasing, national and global competition increasing, and the need to invest in new technologies and approaches growing, many universities and small colleges alike are struggling―not just to thrive, but to survive. In this challenging environment, mergers and consolidations are often viewed as options of last resort. Strategic Mergers in Higher Education , however, argues that college and university mergers are a legitimate and proactive strategic option to help ensure success, maximize quality and service, and yield the best return for faculty and students. In this thoughtful book, Ricardo Azziz and his coauthors―including higher education leaders who have led successful consolidations―address the many questions surrounding institutional mergers. When, they ask―and why―should a merger be considered? How can leaders deal effectively with the many challenges and opposition that a merger will inevitably face? What are the predictors of merger failure and success? And how do we successfully address the postmerger cultural divide? This thorough text demonstrates how mergers can dramatically accelerate the goals of postsecondary institutions. The book is informed by an extensive review of published reports, interviews with over thirty higher education leaders, individual case studies, and the experiences of the authors themselves. Addressing numerous critical questions, this practical guide is aimed at higher education leaders and their boards, the campus leaders charged with executing transformative mergers, and any policy makers interested in change management or the future of higher education. While many pundits have predicted the consolidation and merger of hundreds of colleges and universities, none has had the foresight or expertise to advise schools on how to navigate this complex process. This guide―the first of its kind―will be an invaluable resource to the governing boards and officers of many colleges and universities seeking to continue to fulfill their mission in an increasingly challenging market environment. ―Ryan Craig, Co-Founder / Managing Director, University Ventures, and author of A New U: Faster + Cheaper Alternatives to College A very strong, practical contribution that will be useful to higher education leaders, governing boards, faculty leaders, scholars of higher education, and policy makers. The timeliness of the book makes it particularly important. ―David J. Chard, Dean ab interim, Boston University The authors should take pride in the publication of this collection of important chapters on a hot topic: addressing the broader sustainability of higher learning. Strategic Mergers in Higher Education provides cogent and incisive perspectives on the deployment of mergers as a strategic direction for institutions to deploy under the right circumstances and conditions. This significant contribution to higher education mergers is worth the read. ―James E. Samels, CEO and President, The Education Alliance, coauthor of The New American College Town: Designing Effective Campus and Community Partnerships As mergers and major campus transformations increasingly become the focus for institutional leaders, we must engage our faculty and staff in the development and implementation of our plans. Lack of deliberate, thoughtful engagement with our colleagues could lead to the creation of a culture that is not productive and ultimately detrimental to the new organization. This book provides a great starting point to help consider human capital needs in the transformation process. ―Andy Brantley, President and CEO, College and University Professional Association for Human Resources A quality education is one that leads to a job and a lifetime of opportunity after graduation. In order to lead to that future of promise, we must first provide students with a sound education, delivered in an efficient, cost-effective way. That's ultimately what Strategic Mergers in Higher Education is all about: how to give the students of today an education worthy of the jobs of tomorrow, in the twenty-first century and beyond. But preparing for what the future holds can at times be difficult and requires letting go of the precepts of the past. Places of learning all around our country can learn from the work thoughtfully presented in this book. ―Nathan Deal, former Governor, State of Georgia One of the very few certainties for America's colleges and universities is that many of their core historical assumptions are open to reexamination. One of these involves governance and management, exploring the possibility of combining institutions in a variety of configurations. For those seeking a new volume that will test their beliefs in this arena, and even legitimately claim to be both a 'how to' and a 'should we,' this is the one. ―Barry Munitz, Chancellor Emeritus, Californ