Today’s Higher Ed Leaders Are Drinking from a Fire Hose
Leaders at colleges and universities today are drinking from a fire hose. They are leading through the myriad issues and opportunities that confront academic leaders on a routine basis. At the same time, they are being bombarded by a number of pressing challenges. Key ones include these: shifting accreditation standards; heavy state and federal mandates; new financial-aid policies; and politicized interference in everything from curriculum, tenure, diversity initiatives, and presidential appointments. One of the ways that leadership teams can keep pace with the volume and velocity of these issues is to partner with an embedded consultant.
What Types of Leadership Teams Can Use an Embedded Consultant?
In this moment, leadership teams—especially those at smaller universities with shallow leadership benches—need help. And there’s no shame in asking for it. Even seasoned leaders can benefit from support as they navigate unfamiliar terrain and work to position their institution for long-term strength and success.
In my experience, these academic leaders don’t need a distant observer or a contract with a firm of highly intelligent professionals who have never held the post or done the work. They need a close partner: someone who brings an outside perspective but works inside the community; someone who has imagined the possibilities being entertained and mapped out the steps necessary for bringing them to life; someone who is willing to share the ups and downs of lessons they have learned first hand.
I refer to this “someone” as an embedded consultant.
Embedded Consultants: A Familiar Concept in a New Context
The term “embedded consultant” is not one that many in higher education routinely use. But it’s not a new concept—especially in journalism. In times of conflict or crisis, an embedded reporter lives with the troops and commanding officers—in the communities they build and those they are fighting against. These journalists don’t parachute in for a photo op or quick news brief. They forge relationships, understand the nuances, and capture the contradictions. As a result, their stories go far beyond summary and synthesis; they bring to life the little-known and often invisible reality of war. Rather than gloss over phenomena that many Americans have the luxury to avoid, the work of an embedded reporter or photographer reflects a multidimensional picture. The story they write or the picture they take conveys a deep and authentic “take” on a crisis that is simultaneously personal and far-reaching.
In a similar way, an embedded consultant doesn’t just call or Zoom with university colleagues elsewhere, conducting interviews from afar. Embedded advisors are established professionals who have had “boots on the ground” at one or more “home campuses.” They are now at a point in their careers where they want to do a particular kind of consulting and advising.
The What and How of an Embedded Consultant’s Work
Embedded consultants, like me, want to come to campus for a couple of extended periods of time to join forces with the university community. We diagnose issues in real time and co-create, with campus leaders and an array of university members, solutions built to last. In today’s environment, many embedded consultants assist our partner colleagues in retooling enrollment strategies, diversifying revenue streams, and reassessing the sustainability of tenure, staffing patterns, and institutional business models for the mid-21st century.
Our work typically includes a number of steps and phases such as these:
- Visiting the campus they are partnering with for a week or so on a couple or more occasions;
- Observing the daily work of faculty and staff;
- Meeting with various university constituents in their own places and spaces to gather input, answer questions, and shape emerging reports;
- Drafting and sharing iterative draft reports with engaged participants who provide feedback;
- Providing penultimate reports to those who have weighed in;
- Using all of the above to craft a final report with recommendations on the topic being explored;
- Sending that report to university leaders who are expected to share it with campus.
Why the Embedded Consultant Approach Works
The steps delineated above allow an embedded consultant to sense the rhythms of the campus, to hear what’s said in formal meetings and at informal moments, and to get a feel for the ethos and vibe of the university. This type of genuine presence makes it easier to co-create plans and solutions with campus constituents at various levels and in various departments throughout the institution. And these are the plans, recommendations, and solutions that actually stick.
Embedded Consulting Case Studies
To see how embedded consulting works in practice, read about my recent work at Lake Erie College:
đź”— Lake Erie College embedded consulting case study: Rooted in Input, Ready for Action
đź”— A Step-by-Step Guide to Using an Embedded Advisor for Strategic College Positioning
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a Higher Education Embedded Consultant?
An embedded consultant (EC) is a seasoned higher education professional—often a retired or transitioning senior leader—who partners with a college or university to provide personalized, project-based consulting services. Unlike consultants who operate primarily off-site, ECs spend meaningful time on campus to better understand institutional culture, history, and context. They combine that immersive experience with hybrid work—balancing in-person discovery with remote research, analysis, and report writing.
Institutions typically engage ECs to explore a complex issue, answer a strategic question, or co-develop a plan—such as a strategic roadmap, enrollment strategy, branding initiative, or academic restructuring plan.
What sets embedded consultants apart is their:
- First-hand leadership experience (as former presidents, provosts, or VPs),
- Immersive approach to stakeholder engagement, and
- Ability to translate discovery into actionable, campus-specific recommendations.
The work of an EC generally includes:
- Spending dedicated time on campus, often in multi-day or weeklong visits, to build trust and observe context up close;
- Meeting with faculty, staff, students, board members, and other stakeholders in their own workspaces to gather input;
- Conducting additional analysis, drafting reports, and iterating recommendations remotely between visits;
- Sharing and refining drafts in collaboration with campus participants;
- Delivering a final report with clear, customized guidance; and
- Encouraging leadership to share findings transparently with the broader community.
Embedded consulting is hybrid by design—on-site enough to earn credibility and context, remote enough to be cost-effective and efficient.
How Much Do Embedded Consultants Charge?
Fees for embedded consultants vary based on project length, complexity, travel requirements, and the consultant’s background.
- Hourly rates typically range from $100 to $1,000.
- Project-based fees—the more common model—range from $15,000 to over $100,000, depending on the number of campus visits, stakeholder interviews, and deliverables involved.Â
Pricing is usually negotiated after an initial scope of work is defined between the consultant and institution.
What Makes an Effective Embedded Consultant?
There is no formal certification for becoming an embedded consultant in higher education. However, the most effective ECs tend to share five key characteristics that distinguish their impact and approach:
1. Senior Leadership Experience
Most embedded consultants have held senior roles, such as president, provost, or vice president—and bring first-hand experience and knowledge of the strategic, operational, and political dynamics that shape institutional decision-making.
2. Stakeholder Engagement Expertise
Effective ECs are strong listeners and facilitators. They engage with faculty, staff, students, and trustees to surface insights, understand culture, and build trust across the institution.
3. Strategic Communication Skills
ECs are skilled communicators who synthesize complex input into clear, compelling reports. Their deliverables are well-organized, action-oriented, and grounded in both campus realities and national trends.
4. Execution-Oriented Thinking
Beyond crafting high-level recommendations, embedded consultants outline practical steps for implementation. They help institutions translate strategy into feasible action plans with defined timelines and decision points.
5. Institutional Neutrality
As outside experts with insider experience, ECs offer a rare combination of empathy and objectivity. They are not beholden to campus factions or politics, allowing them to speak candidly, challenge assumptions, and build consensus around hard truths.
How do ECs get started?
- Tap into your higher ed network and professional associations.
- Define your consulting niche (e.g., shared governance, enrollment management, institutional planning).
- Develop sample proposals or case studies to showcase your style and strengths.
- Consider partnering with organizations or firm that match institutions with experienced consultants.
- Take on a limited project or pilot engagement to build visibility and momentum.
