This study examines how Chief Student Affairs Officers (CSAO) make sense of their role engaging with fundraising at small, private, liberal arts institutions with endowments below the median endowment size of $140.2 million. Specifically examining how they make sense of engaging with fundraising and how they have gained knowledge or experience in…

Institutions of higher education are partially funded by philanthropic gifts to support various initiatives on campus ranging from student scholarships, specific programmatic needs, construction, and everything in between. As Generation Z becomes the predominant generational cohort graduating from colleges and universities, advancement teams must…

The education of postsecondary students has become an increasingly cost-intensive enterprise, and many higher education institutions are now reliant on philanthropic support to meet their financial needs. Higher education advancement offices face mounting pressure to perform at extraordinary levels. Magnifying the urgency of the work, colleges and…

The percentage of full-time college students decreased by 7% in the United States between 2010 and 2018. Modern university leaders confront difficult decisions regarding their institutions' future because of financial challenges related to reduced tuition revenue. Grounded in the theory of diffusion of innovations and the balanced scorecard, the…

This research considers a variety of independent variables to determine the school-based factors that can predict alumni giving. Data for this study are gathered from a top-tier liberal arts college located in the US with an impressive history of alumni giving and a robust endowment fund. The findings indicate that cultural components of the…

In autumn, most colleges' football fields are covered with a thick carpet of grass or artificial turf and are adorned with yard lines. But the football field at Paul Quinn College was carved up by plowing and planting. This past fall, portions of the college's gridiron were covered with sweet potatoes, watermelons, peppers, rosemary, and sugar…

Student affairs organizations are at a crossroads. They face expanding enrollments; a concomitant increase need for often more complex services; changing demographics; a growing cohort of non-traditional and first-generation students; shifting and more demanding responsibilities; and increased expectations from the greater campus community,…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight on the nontraditional pathways to a college presidency. Specifically, this inquiry explored the career trajectory of college presidents with experience as a former chief student affairs officer (CSAO). The population of the study was comprised of 12 presidents from a myriad of four-year…

This article examines the factors that influence presidents' perceptions of board effectiveness in relation to their boards' fundraising role. Data from a survey of small college presidents are used to see what factors influence each of four areas of satisfaction: deciding policy, making financial contributions, referring donor prospects and…

About a year ago, Heidelberg College pumped up its spending for a new, streamlined scholarship program, and then promoted its simplified formula so that students would know how much they could get before they even applied. Heidelberg's strategies worked as it was able to brought in the second-largest class in its 158-year history and a gain in its…

This article discusses Antioch College, a once-prominent countercultural institution that will be closed in 2008 due to serious financial problems. Antioch has been hemorrhaging money for years. Its Board of Trustees has decided to shutter the college by July 2008 and lay off most of its 160 staff and faculty members. Although the administration…