Hi there Reader,

In this edition, I’ve gathered insights on leadership, marketing optimization, and the enrollment shifts that are coming our way.

Here’s a look at what’s caught my attention this week.

1. Data-Driven Leadership: Key Takeaways from Jason Morrison, President of Trinity Valley Community College

In my recent conversation with Jason Morrison, we discussed the evolving role of leadership in community colleges.

Here are the top takeaways:

• Adaptability: Leaders must be flexible and ready to pivot quickly in response to challenges.
• Data-Driven Leadership: Every decision, from facilities management to student engagement, must be driven by data.
• Inclusive Leadership: Building diverse, inclusive teams leads to better outcomes for both students and the community.
• Data Literacy is Essential: Future leaders and students must be equipped with the skills to understand and leverage data.
• Collaboration Over Competition: By collaborating with other institutions, we can better serve students rather than fight over limited resources.

[Quick Clip; Full Conversation]

2. Healthcare in America: A Complex Web of Profit, Policy, and People

Jia Tolentino’s recent article, “A Man Was Murdered in Cold Blood and You’re Laughing?” takes a hard look at the U.S. healthcare system, spotlighting the systemic failures of private health insurers like UnitedHealth.

Through a deeply critical lens, Tolentino underscores the dangers of a profit-driven model that sacrifices patient care for shareholder value.

She illustrates how algorithms and bureaucratic inefficiency have placed human lives at the mercy of corporate priorities, while accountability remains elusive.

For Tolentino, the healthcare system is a machine that dehumanizes its patients, making life-altering decisions based on flawed, impersonal data.

In contrast, Jonathan Gruber, an MIT economics professor and key architect behind the Massachusetts health care reform and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), offers a different perspective on the healthcare crisis in America.

In a recent podcast, Gruber explains the fundamental issue with U.S. healthcare as being not just about the private sector’s failings, but a fundamental market failure at the core of the system itself.

Gruber argues that healthcare is an inherently “non-competitive” market because consumers cannot shop around for prices or switch providers easily when they’re in need of urgent care.

As a result, rising costs, inefficiencies, and unequal access are built into the system.

Gruber’s insight points to the fact that healthcare, like education, is a public good—yet in America, it is treated as a private commodity.

He acknowledges that both private and public models have their flaws, but stresses that the ACA, which sought to balance regulation and market forces, was a necessary step toward addressing the affordability and access crises.

Still, Gruber notes, the challenges persist because of the complex dynamics between insurance companies, hospitals, and government programs, often leading to fragmented care and bureaucratic inefficiency.

While Tolentino’s focus on corporate greed highlights the harmful effects of profit-driven decision-making in healthcare, Gruber’s perspective provides a broader framework for understanding why these inefficiencies persist despite attempts at reform.

Both perspectives reveal the massive challenges facing policymakers and healthcare leaders:

Can we fix a system so entrenched in both public policy and private profit motives?

Is the solution simply a matter of tweaking the ACA, or is a more radical overhaul required to make healthcare truly accessible and human-centered?

In this debate, the complexity of America’s healthcare crisis becomes ever more apparent.

It’s not just about the private sector’s failings, nor is it solely about the role of government in regulating costs—it’s a confluence of both factors, deeply embedded in a system that places profit motives and political gridlock at the center of a conversation about people’s lives.

The question for leaders in both policy and industry remains: How do we reconcile these opposing forces to create a system that prioritizes people over profits, accessibility over bureaucracy, and care over complexity?

As both Tolentino and Gruber demonstrate, there is no easy answer—but understanding the full scope of the issue is a necessary first step.

​[Link to New Yorker Article; Plain English Podcast]

3. Looming Declines in High-School Graduates: A Sobering Reminder...

This week, the Chronicle of Higher Education reminded us that high school graduation rates will hit a peak in 2025 and then begin to decline, with a significant impact on higher education enrollment.

Here’s a quick summary of the key findings:

• The number of high-school graduates will decline by 13% by 2041, with the biggest decreases happening in the Northeast, Midwest, and West.
• The demographic makeup of high-school graduates will change, with Hispanic and multiracial students representing a growing percentage of graduates, while the number of white graduates will decrease by 26%.
• Only the South will see a modest increase in high-school graduates, with states like Tennessee, South Carolina, and Florida leading the charge.

As the "demographic cliff" approaches, higher education institutions must find ways to stay relevant, enhance retention, and demonstrate value to potential students.

WICHE’s report offers crucial insights on how to navigate these challenges, with recommendations on affordability strategies, simplifying admissions, and providing more robust support systems.

Read the full article here: [Link to Chronicle Article].

I’d love to hear your thoughts—What are you focused on - and what is stealing your precious Bandwidth?

Hit reply and let me know!

Best,

-Mike O’Connor

O'Connor & Associates

​

​

​​

unsubscribe here.

​

​

​
​