NACUBO BUSINESS OFFICER • 35
Since its founding in 1999, the National Consortium for
Continuous Improvement (NCCI), consistent with its
teachings, has used planning and improvement approaches
to chart a course of action. The organization now presents
an annual meeting and several workshops a year, hosts a
Web site, distributes electronic bulletins, and is starting an
i n t e rnship and consulting exchange program. NCCI’s
vision is to function as a catalyst for higher education insti-
tutions to work collaboratively across institutions to
employ effective methods for advancing academic and
administrative excellence. In other words, NCCI wants to
be a matchmaker that brings together institutions in search
of best practices.
Matchmaker, Matchmaker:
NCCI’S ROLE IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
By Brent D. Ruben and
Louise E. Sandmeyer
It’s clear why a “matchmaker” is needed. Journals and the
popular press are replete with articles outlining the chal-
lenges faced by higher education. Leaders who must deal
with such challenges need to become more adept, flexible,
and responsive. Their approaches must involve a variety of
techniques and abilities, including:
• thinking beyond the traditional silos of higher education,
• looking end-to-end with a systems view,
• bridging the gap between administrative and academic
c u l t u re s ,
• innovating and/or re-engineering existing processes,
• gathering data and analyzing stakeholder expectations,
• assessing and measuring effectiveness and efficiency,
• providing for continual learning and upgrading of employee
skills,
• leveraging new technologies and partnerships, and
• creating outstanding workplaces that promote excellence
and collaboration.
In short, higher education leaders must become knowledge-
able about tools for organizational change, and must be pre-
pared to use those tools now and in the future. Furthermore, it
is not acceptable to declare victory after achieving improve-
ment—the current climate demands continuous improvement
in higher education.
Helping members