Act IV Consulting, Inc. helps executives at college and universities to improve institutional performance through effective planning, organizational development, business analysis, and change management.

Organizational Assessment and Development

Successful management within higher education requires that organizations develop clarity around structures, skills, and roles and responsibilities.  Act IV works with clients to understand the dynamics of the organization and to manage the major levers of change.  Representative engagements include:

For the system office of a multi-campus public university, Act IV conducted an assessment of the institution’s capacity to grow its relationships and sponsored research with industry.  The analysis included the distribution of autonomy and authority across the system, processes for technology commercialization, and incentive programs.

For a private Midwestern university experiencing rapid growth and widespread demands for new personnel, Act IV conducted an institution-wide assessment of the current distribution of, and future needs for, administrative staff.  Each functional unit was analyzed in terns of its staffing, strategy, history, use of technology, and skill sets.  The outcome was a prioritized set of staffing needs for the institution.

Act IV worked with the Dean of a professional school to rethink and redesign the administration during a time of transition in the two senior-most positions.  The engagement led to improved support for research administration and student services, better sharing of resources with other biomedical schools, and increased accountability.

Recent organizational and functional assessments have included:

- Advancement and alumni relations
- Budget development, cost allocation, and charge-back practices
- Government relations, public affairs, media relations, and communications
- Information technology, including entire functions and focused assessments of academic technology, web management, and support units
- Offices of the Vice Provost/Chancellor for Research

Academic Management and Planning

Academic units within universities are under increasing pressure to use their resources effectively.  This may entail improving management practices, planning for new revenues, or instilling better communication and coordination within departments.  Because Act IV Consulting understands the ethos of higher education, we work effectively with academic leadership to develop successful plans and processes.  Representative engagements include:

Act IV Consulting worked with the Provost of a private research university to develop and facilitate a process for regional accreditation.  This institution was the first to undergo accreditation under new standards that emphasize learning outcomes and organizational effectiveness.  As part of the engagement, Act IV conducted a study with a sample of department chairs on outcomes assessment.

Act IV assisted the Dean of Arts and Sciences at a private university with global operations to develop a plan for implementing a broad range of academic and administrative initiatives.  Having recently recruited his management team, the Dean was especially interested in creating a shared sense of priorities and purpose. 

The chair of a Division at a west-coast public university needed to rally her department around a strategic planning process.  Act IV designed a process and facilitated a retreat that fostered greater integration and teamwork, and led to an academic plan that yielded funding for a new faculty position.  In a later engagement, Act IV developed a process for allocating faculty positions across academic specializations.

  Four interdisciplinary programs at an elite liberal arts college wanted to establish methods for outcomes assessment.  Applying a competency framework, Act IV worked with program leaders and Career Services to develop an assessment approach and tool that identified both shared and program-specific learning objectives.

 Business Planning and Market Analysis

The economic environment is forcing institutions to find new sources of revenue and to calibrate their strategy to the demands of the market.  Act IV Consulting can help with the design and facilitation of the strategic planning process; development of business models and scenarios; readiness assessments; and market analysis.

Act IV Consulting worked with a foundation to develop a feasibility study and implementation plan for a new public college in southern Virginia .  The exercise involved identifying, modeling, and costing all elements of the institution as part of the case to be made to the legislature for funding.

Two schools at a private university – Business and Continuing Education – had established business education programs, resulting in internal contention and market confusion.  To define the roles of the schools, the Provost asked Act IV Consulting to conduct an analysis of their offerings and competitive positioning.  The project resulted in a clear set of market assignments and a series of protocols for working together. 

Act IV developed a business plan for expanding continuing education at a private university.  Using a variety of assumption sets, the business model projected three growth scenarios and identified critical factors affecting the successful achievement of each one.  The project included an assessment of the existing strategy and operations. 

Act IV assisted a non-profit in science and math education to develop a marketing plan for its online science education program for K-8 teachers.  The work entailed an assessment of target markets, the development of a high-level business plan, and an approach for forging relationships with university partners.

  Executive Advisory Services

There are times when senior executives want outside counsel on strategic or operational issues without the formality of a large project. These may include the coaching of a subordinate (or themselves) in management style and techniques, the evaluation of proposed or current initiatives, or simply an objective perspective on a thorny problem. One of the luxuries of being a small firm is the agility and flexibility to take on these small, focused assignments.  Representative engagements include:

  To provide an impartial perspective, the new President of a liberal arts college asked Act IV to conduct a series of rapid assessments of academic affairs, advancement, and the President’s office.

The new president of a public college asked Act IV to help him think through his own strategic priorities, and to facilitate a planning process with his Cabinet around those priorities.

For four years, Act IV has facilitated the annual retreats of the Board of Trustees for a public university.  The retreats focused on core strategic issues: the University’s strategy for on-line learning, models of System-wide coordination, financial management in difficult times, and institutional assessment.