We recently hosted a webinar featuring Gary Daynes, a former Provost, Vice President for Enrollment Management, and Vice President for Student Affairs turned higher education consultant and author of the upcoming book How to Be a Small College. As a partner at UQ Solutions and founder of Back Porch Consulting, Gary brings deep expertise in helping small colleges navigate today’s challenging landscape while maintaining optimism about their future.
His message was clear: small colleges can thrive, but only if they resist the urge to do everything. A devotion to growth has left many small institutions complicated and incoherent at a time when they need to be focused and clear. Instead of chasing expansion, successful colleges are finding clarity through distinctiveness, operational wisdom, and a deep commitment to serving students and communities on the margins.
We invite you to watch the full webinar recording or continue reading below for key takeaways from our discussion.
Gary shared several encouraging examples of small colleges that have found their niche and embraced distinctiveness. Salem College, for instance, has recommitted to its identity as a women’s college while developing academic programs in health leadership, creating a clear and compelling value proposition. Other institutions like Bethel College in Kansas and Trinity Christian College are reimagining the work college model to increase affordability while maintaining strong academic offerings.
Another path to focus and clarity comes through operational wisdom. The recent merger between St. Ambrose and Mt. Mercy demonstrates how small institutions can streamline back-office functions while enhancing student learning outcomes, proving that financial sustainability and academic mission can go hand in hand.
The conversation also explored how small colleges shifted from an era of expansion to an era of constraint. In the 1990s and early 2000s, many institutions grew by adding new programs, facilities, and co-curricular offerings, believing that sustained growth was the key to long-term success. However, as demographics shifted, public trust in higher education declined, and competition from large universities increased, this growth-first mindset left many institutions stretched too thin, financially strained, and lacking a clear identity.
Gary emphasized that constraints—while challenging—can also foster creativity and renewal. Small colleges willing to shed unnecessary complexity and refocus on their core mission are the ones best positioned to succeed.
A key theme throughout the webinar was the difference between marketing positioning and genuine distinctiveness. While many institutions claim to offer excellence, leadership, or affordability, successful small colleges are those that define their unique strengths and focus on the students and communities they are best equipped to serve.
This often requires tough decisions—such as discontinuing certain programs, restructuring operations, or narrowing recruitment efforts—to ensure that every aspect of the institution aligns with its distinct mission. The pathway to clarity is not through doing more, but through doing what matters most—exceptionally well.
For many small colleges, this also means recognizing their role in serving students and places on the margins—whether that’s first-generation students, rural communities, or specific professional sectors in need of talent. Institutions that embrace this responsibility rather than competing with larger universities on their terms are finding new ways to remain relevant and impactful.
Although small colleges are often praised for their nimbleness, the reality is that many struggle with staff wearing multiple hats, inefficient systems, and operational bottlenecks that make change difficult.
Gary advised that colleges should focus on making basic operations as smooth as possible while strategically deciding which complex functions to outsource, streamline, or manage through partnerships. Doing so frees up time, money, and energy to be invested in the areas that truly make the institution distinctive.
By embracing operational wisdom, institutions can shift from a reactive mindset—constantly putting out fires—to a proactive strategy focused on long-term sustainability.
The webinar concluded with a discussion of emerging, innovative small-college models that are embracing their identity and thriving as a result.
These institutions exemplify how constraints can drive creative approaches to delivering higher education. Rather than competing with large universities, they are leaning into their distinct missions and serving specific student populations exceptionally well.
Gary’s message was one of measured optimism—while not every small college will survive in its current form, there is immense opportunity for those willing to embrace their identity, simplify their operations, and serve their communities with clarity and focus.
By moving away from complexity and toward distinctiveness, small colleges can find their niche and do their work well—even in difficult times.
To learn more about Gary’s insights on this topic, we encourage you to pre-order How to Be a Small College on his website. And for institutions not currently working with Rize, who want to explore how program sharing could support their distinctive mission, we invite you to schedule a conversation with our team using the form below.
