Considering a Higher Ed Consultant?

So often, our big picture planning gets kicked down the road in favor of the more immediate and pressing needs of the day-to-day. The parent phone calls, the student in crisis, the facilities emergency, are all much more urgent and time-consuming.  But those other long-term needs still linger, and without an intentional focus either through planning committees or through an outside consultant, that project gets kicked down the road another semester or another year.  And with higher education continuing to ride out this pandemic, those long-term planning needs can feel even more daunting.  Staff are burnt out, or new to their roles, and moving beyond the basics of the day-to-day can feel overwhelming.

If you have a project or a long-term planning activity that you would like to bring into focus, a consultant might be the best way to move the project forward.  If you have never thought about hiring help for your project, here are some reasons to consider bringing in a higher education consultant:

1.       When you have a persistent problem with you program, and your in-house solutions aren’t working.  Your program might benefit from an outsider’s perspective. A consultant can see your issue with fresh eyes, and bring the additional experience from other institutions and projects to bear on your issue.

2.       When considering making a large policy or process change (e.g. residency requirement, programmatic change). A consultant can help provide the necessary research, data, and unbiased outside perspective that can aid you formulating the ins and outs of a new program, or policy change.

3.       When an outside perspective would help you leverage support from University Administration. If you are having difficulty getting traction on an issue with University Administration, it can be useful to present a consultant’s report that takes into account industry best practices, benchmarking data, as well as student feedback (surveys, focus groups).  Having consultant feedback lends additional credibility to the issue, and a formal report can be what it takes to get Administration to sit up and notice.

4.       When you are short on time or on staff resources to complete a critical project.  Many residence life and student housing departments are in this boat right now, either due to being stretched thin in managing the day-to-day (plus the continued impacts of COVID on campus), or due to the fact that they have lost staff.  In these moments, outsourcing help on a project can be a great investment.

5.       When feedback from students is critical.  If you are dealing with a contentious issue on your campus, and getting feedback from students is critical, it can be useful to seek that feedback through consultant let focus groups.  Often students feel more comfortable providing feedback when speaking to a third-party.

Logistical and practical considerations for how to hire (and fund) a consultant following university policies:

1.       What is the scope and length of your project? Having a clear picture of what you would like to have included in the project, as well as any critical timing/deadlines associated with the project are important to develop.  While a consultant can also help you refine the project scope as part of a proposal, it is important to define your desired end result when working with a consultant.

2.       Do you have a clear understand of the university purchasing policies associated with hiring a consultant? Do your university purchasing policies require bidding the project through an RFP process?  Often a university’s purchasing departments require that a project be bid on by multiple vendors/consultants to ensure competitive pricing.  This requirement may be in place for larger dollar amounts.  It is a good idea to verify university policies on what project scope or pricing may trigger a requirement to bid.

3.       Does your university risk management require consultants and vendors to be self-insured?  Most institutions will require a contractor or consultant to carry their own liability insurance, especially if conducting work on campus.  If a requirement exists a consultant may need to provide a certificate of liability as part of the selection process.

4.       How might you allocate funds to pay for a consultant?  This can often be the most daunting aspect of hiring an outside vendor.   But a Residence Life or Housing department can frequently allocate funds with a little creative thinking:

o   If you have staff vacancies, consider allocating unused salary dollars due to fund your consultant. Keep in mind that your institution should be able to afford higher consultant fees, as they would typically be paying an employee’s income, benefits, payroll tax, social security tax, etc.  A consultant’s fees are typically inclusive of these costs.

o   Consider your operating funding closely.  If you have unused funds, you may be able to use them toward a consultant on a short-term project.  If operating funds need to be earmarked in advance, consider budgeted for a consultant in your next budget planning cycle.

o   Seek additional funds from your division.  If your Vice President can be convinced of the merit of the consulting project, you may be able to get approval for funding from the division.

As you are considering the potential value of bringing in a consultant to work on a project for you, please schedule a call with me to discuss your project.  I would be happy to review possible project scope, and discuss the skills that I bring to the table.  With over 20 years’ experience in higher education (student housing and facilities), I can be the critical outside perspective you need.  Take a moment to review my services and experience on my website, and schedule a virtual meeting with me here.