In this episode, Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn interview Walter Iwanenko Jr, the president of Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, on how and why the school pursued a merger with Ursuline College near Cleveland, Ohio. Although mergers and acquisitions are typically perceived negatively in the higher education space, this conversation highlights how they can benefit colleges if sought proactively and strategically–especially in the context of enrollment cliffs.
“Honestly, I think it’s a commitment to being bold, and there is an aspect of bravery. What’s bravery? It’s being a little afraid and still doing it anyways”, Iwanenko emphasized.