Archive - The Leading Edge

Beyond the Label: Why Higher Education Struggles to See Innovation

Focusing on brand over behavior prevents us from seeing the possibilities of innovation right in front of us.

Jun 16

The Creep of Competition in Higher Education

The underlying truth about American higher education is that the system incentivizes competition, and in such a system, every school is becoming…

Jun 2

May 2025

When a University Needs More Money: Part Two

Savvy university leaders leveraged “enrollment threshold” polices to create a new financial formula: more of a certain type of student = even more…

May 15

When a University Needs More Money: Part One

In the system we built, all institutions get federal money from the same “per-student” funding formula, which is: more students = more money.

May 1

April 2025

How Student Loans Funded a Multi-Billion-Dollar Building Boom

The untold story of modern American higher education is that many institutions funded the complete physical transformation of their campuses using…

Apr 15

There Are Two Sides to Rapid Change

“When there’s change, there’s danger. And when there’s change, there’s opportunity.”

Apr 1

March 2025

Value Entrepreneurs – Driven by Mission

For tuition-driven schools living in the shadow of elite institutions, the way forward must include recognizing they are not alone – that their…

Mar 17

A Field Focused on Elites

We would not look to the Kardashians to understand most American families. Why then do we look to elite institutions to understand most colleges and…

Mar 3

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