bodner089

I love competition and the challenge of growing enrollment and budgets.   I enjoy all the elements, at least as I’ve experienced them.   Marketing releases lots of creative energy, and the challenge of continuously improving institutional processes appeals to the puzzle solver in me.   I also believe that branches tend to do best when they develop strong internal and external partnerships, and partnership development has been one of my most enjoyable experiences. In this context, I’ve been thinking about the competitive pressures faced by those branch campuses that have been around for a while.   For several generations, institutions created branch campuses as a vehicle to expand access and draw additional enrollment.   I’ve often said it is a holy mission, providing opportunity to people who otherwise would not be able to realize their educational dreams. These branches tended to be in small cities or either in the suburbs or the downtown are...

Please forgive me for this “brief commercial message,” which I’m posting on both of my blogs. For the past couple of years, I have engaged in one of the most satisfying professional experiences of my life:   The exploration and pursuit of my encore career.   After “retiring” from university administration, I became a consultant and certified professional coach, while rebalancing the elements of my life to bring the renewed sense of purpose that may be the hallmark of the Baby Boomer generation. Now, in collaboration with my fellow coaching colleague, Yvonne Ulmer, I am pleased to announce a workshop for people who seek fresh opportunities in the second half of life.   From December 6-8, in St. Petersburg, Florida, Yvonne and I invite you to share in a three-day retreat, in which you can reflect, explore and begin designing your own encore experience. The retreat will be held at the Postcard Inn, on beautiful St. Petersburg Beach, beginning on Thursday e...