As the founding principal of The Higher Education Practice, Dr. Kenneth L. Hoyt is in the midst of a distinguished 30-year higher education career. He has served as president of Centenary University in Hackettstown, New Jersey, president of The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, Inc. (OFIC), vice president for The University of Akron, and in various campaign/fundraising leadership positions for Otterbein College and Baldwin-Wallace College.
Dr. Hoyt holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Leadership from Ohio University, an M.A. in Journalism/PR from Ohio State University, and a B.A. in Business Administration/Marketing from Baldwin-Wallace College. During his seven years at Centenary University, he truly transformed the institution, implementing a collaborative strategic planning model that led to unprecedented enrollment growth (1,600-3,300) in the university's traditional, non-traditional/adult, online and graduate programs.
Under Ken's leadership, Centenary implemented an effective branding strategy that established it as the fastest growing university in New Jersey, a first-choice institution providing "education designed around you," known for "student-centered learning and unparalleled service." In addition, Centenary was recognized by Intel as one of the top 50 wireless universities in America for its wireless IBM laptop campus.
In this episode, Ken Hoyt and I discuss:
- His background and the work he has done
- The challenges that higher education faces
- Optimizing academic balance with data
- Noticing opportunities
- How to take an idea and turn it into reality
- Importance of data and storytelling
- The strategic planning process
- The retention challenge and what to do about it
- Biggest lessons and takeaways
