Hi there Reader,

Higher education leaders are staring down some of the biggest systemic shifts we've seen in decades...

Politically, financially, and operationally.

This week’s edition spotlights strategies to lead through the uncertainty... and unlock new opportunities.

The Metrics of Belonging: A Fresh Lens with Meacie Fairfax

We brought Meacie Fairfax (Strategy Director at Complete College America) back this week — but with a twist.

Rather than just focusing on gateway courses or credit accumulation, Meacie pushes us to ask better, harder questions:

🔹 Are we measuring what matters?​
🔹 Are we capturing students' purpose, not just their performance?​
🔹 Are we designing services that reflect real student lives — or idealized ones?

Meacie’s work urges institutions to reframe data as a tool for human-centered redesign, not just compliance.

🎧 Full conversation: Listen here​
📥 Share it with your Student Success or Institutional Research team: Clip link​

Mutual Defense Compacts: Symbolism vs. Strategy?

Faculty groups across the country are calling for "mutual defense" pacts against perceived federal overreach. But will these symbolic resolutions actually hold water?

🔹 Over a dozen major universities have passed resolutions — but no presidents have formally committed.
🔹 Legal questions loom: Can state funds be used to defend other states' institutions?
🔹 Some leaders warn that this could escalate political targeting without producing real protections.

👉 Read the full Chronicle piece: More and More Faculty Groups Want Their Colleges to Stand Together Against Trump​

🧠 Bottom Line: Aligning politically carries major risks — and demands a real operational strategy, not just statements.

Apprenticeships 2.0: The White House’s New Push

The Trump administration (still operating amid chaos) declared a goal to reach 1 million new apprenticeships annually — from cyber to construction to healthcare.

🔹 Focus: "Modern apprenticeships" tied to in-demand fields.
🔹 Big Question: How can colleges integrate real-world apprenticeship pipelines without sacrificing academic mission?

📈 This could be an enormous opportunity for community colleges, regional publics, and adult learning programs to differentiate.

👉 Full article here: White House declares goal to reach 1M new apprentices per year​

Podcast Recap: Why Higher Ed Needs Better Customer Journeys

In this week’s external listening, the "GrowthTLDR" podcast featured sharp insights on customer journey mapping — and why most organizations fail.

Key Takeaways for Higher Ed:​
• Students don’t experience your college in silos — they experience a journey.
• Lagging indicators like enrollment or completion hide broken micro-moments.
• Best-in-class orgs build for retention at every step, not just recruitment.

🎧 Worth a listen: GrowthTLDR: Why Your Customer Journey is Broken​

🧠 What would it look like if we mapped advising, billing, communications, and student life from the student's perspective, not ours?

Bonus: Is Your Institution Sitting on Untapped Savings?

If your campus is still relying on static reports to surface budget gaps, you're missing out.
Perspective Data Science’s platform helps leadership teams:

🔹 Find buried cost-savings in healthcare, contracts, staffing.
🔹 Track real ROI across student services, programs, and assets.
🔹 Turn compliance data into actionable cabinet-level strategy.

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REPLY HERE to schedule a full walkthrough customized for your institution.

Best,

-Mike O’Connor

O'Connor & Associates

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