The Connected College: Leadership Strategies for Student Success

COMING SOON

Instead of silos and separations, we need colleges and universities where all students feel a sense of belonging, courses lead to rewarding careers, students have the support to succeed, and everyone works together to make this happen.

The Connected College is an encouraging, evidence-based management and leadership book for college administrators. It is drawn from Elliot Felix’s background in design, his experience as consultant to more than 100 leading colleges and universities, and insights contributed by dozens of higher ed innovators.

Whether you are looking to inform and inspire a retreat, foster collaboration within and across teams, or orient and energize a new leader, The Connected College is a practical playbook for you to increase student success. It will challenge leaders with its breakthrough ideas, success stories, and practical tactics.

Want to learn how The Connected College can help you? Take the quiz!

Campuses, majors, and cultures may vary, but all college students strive to feel connected to their people, their place, and their purpose. But far too few do… and it’s not their fault.

Today’s colleges and universities are defined by their separations: teaching and research, student affairs and academic affairs, courses and careers, academia and industry. The list goes on.

But demographic shifts, technology breakthroughs, economic upheaval, and new ways of learning and working all mean that higher education has to change. Instead of separations, we need connected colleges, colleges where all students feel a sense of belonging, where courses lead to rewarding careers, where they have the support to succeed.

To lead a Connected College, you  must get comfortable with disrupting higher education.  Bust silos and make bold decisions. See differentiation – not demographics – as destiny. Get as good at sunsetting programs and services as you are at starting them.

Throughout the book, you'll hear from a variety of higher ed innovators, including Terry Brown, Steve Charles, Tom Ellett, Nancy Felix, Jeff Fellenzer, Mary Ellen Gillespie, Christopher Holstege, Cedric Howard, Sukhwant Jhaj, Julia Lang, Bob Lasher, Peggy McCready, Drumm McNaughton, Dan Maxwell, Kelly Miller, Will Miller, Mike Palmer, Ravi Pendse, Liesl Riddle, Suzanne Rivera, Joe Sallustio, Sanjit Sethi, Lora Strigens, Maggie Tomas, James Vasquez, Tanya Vogel, and Karen Weaver. 

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

The Connected College  is an encouraging, evidence-based management and leadership book for college administrators that will challenge leaders with its breakthrough ideas, success stories, and practical tactics.

In this strategic planning book for higher education leaders, you’ll discover the importance of

  • Internal collaboration between departments,

  • External partnerships with industry and other higher education institutions,

  • Recruiting and retaining communities where students find their niche,

  • Flexible course pathways that build durable skills while responding to industry needs

  • Embrace experiential learning, integrated student services, and generative AI.

Drawing from his background in design and innovation and his experience as a consultant to more than 100 leading colleges and universities, Elliot Felix provides a practical playbook for leaders in higher education to question tradition, bust silos, and partner with industry  so they can adapt to change and help students thrive personally and professionally. 

College students are working on their futures. It’s time to work together to create connected colleges where every student can succeed.

  • “The Connected College is a great read! I love the 'choose your own adventure' organization that allows (encourages!) readers to skip around. I’ll give copies to all the members of my leadership team and the heads of all our shared-governance committees.”

    – Dr. Suzanne M. Rivera, President, Macalester College

  • “Elliot Felix’s The Connected College is an indispensable guide for university leaders dedicated to transforming the student experience. This book offers actionable insights and innovative strategies that are essential for fostering a thriving, connected campus community."

    – Tom Ellett, Chief Experience Officer (CXO), Quinnipiac University

  • “This is an exceptional book that I very much enjoyed reading. I was struck by the important issues it highlights like connecting the “front line” student-facing work and institutional strategy. It also inspired me to look to the external market for ideas.”

    – David Clark, Ph.D., Vice President of Campus Life, Emory University

  • "The Connected College offers a transformative blueprint for rethinking how institutions support student success. Elliot Felix provides practical, innovative strategies that empower leaders to build more inclusive, engaging, and student-centered campuses. It’s an absolute read for anyone committed to shaping the future of higher education."

    – Marybeth Gasman, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education and University Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University

  • "The Connected College offers leaders, their teams, and anyone working at colleges and universities a “playbook” for creating pathways and bridges that make it easier for students to navigate college, avoid confusion, find support, make connections, and SUCCEED. The Connected College also offers a blueprint for institutions seeking to create efficiencies and increase effectiveness by focusing first, foremost, and always on student success. Connect to this compelling book, and then get to work on your campus."

    – David V. Rosowsky, Senior Advisor to the President, Arizona State University

  • “It is rare when I find compelling writing in a book format that is informed and relevant for my work in higher education. The Connected College integrates well-known philosophers (Foucault, Schein, Godin) and reputable higher education theorists (Dickeson, Sallustio, and Ellett) to create a powerful explanation of how higher education can become more "connected," and ultimately, better, than ever. My only ask is that we take the time to read it and align our behavior with what we learn to live like the leaders we were born to be."

    – Jeff Doyle, Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life, Southwestern University

  • "As higher education faces unprecedented challenges, The Connected College delivers research, compelling case studies, and bold ideas that help leaders break down barriers, rethink outdated structures, and embrace a more connected, collaborative future. A vital read for those ready to move from tradition to transformation."

    – Greg Pillar, Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs, Gardner-Webb University

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