The New England Board of Higher Education "NEBHE" has been deeply interested in how New England higher education institutions can collaborate with one another and with other leaders to confront threats to their economic sustainability. These threats stem partly from shifts in academic content and delivery, student demography and institutional finances--all set against the background of both rising expectations and eroding public perceptions of higher education. Through its Higher Education Innovation Challenge, NEBHE engaged institutional leaders in addressing head-on the critical issues of cost and economic sustainability, while developing analytical tools and convenings to help campuses survive and thrive. In the interview presented in this article, James Martin and James E. Samels, explain their latest book "Consolidating Colleges and Merging Universities: New Strategies for Higher Education Leaders," published by Johns Hopkins University Press. In the Q&A with New England Journal of Higher Education (NEJHE) Executive Editor John O. Harney, the authors share their findings and explore some of the key reasons that more New England colleges and universities are now considering partnerships, co-ventures, and even mergers as strategic options. (This article was written with James Martin and James E. Samels.)