Institutional Effectiveness and Best Practices

In this highly competitive environment, institutions must be focused on practices that are effective. Evidence-based decision-making, best practices, assessment, and comparative benchmarking, are all strategies to identify approaches that are effective. Institutions must embed this process of continual improvement into their everyday existence in order to develop sustainable enterprises that can remain resilient in an ever-changing world.

As a social scientist, I approach all my work with the question—how do we know? Good stewardship of resources and effort arise out of this openness to assessment. Every new initiative or program should address the questions: What does success look like?  How will we know that we are effective? How are we going to measure success?  Only after these questions have been answered can you begin to build the road map to get there, anticipating unexpected twists and turns along the way. Change management is never as straight as the map might portray.

Below is information on my experience related to institutional effectiveness and change management. This expertise arises out of my consulting practice, institutional leadership positions, and board roles that I have held.

  • Executive Director, American Scientific Affiliation, Topsfield, MA, 2022-present

    J M Curry Consulting, 2009-present

    Program Priorities Process Consultant, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, August 2022 to present

    Grant Reviewer, McAllister and Quinn (primarily NSF, NIH, USDA, etc.), 2021-present

    Academic Division Reorganization Consultant, Bethel University, St. Paul, MN, July 2021-June 2022

    Program Priorities Process Consultant, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, July-August, 2020

    Academic Division Program Analysis Consultant. Forman Christian College, Lahore, Pakistan, January-March 2020

    Strategic Planning and Institutional Decision-Making Realignment (co-led), Kendall College of Art and Design, 2010-2011

    Program Assessment, Clinical Pastoral Education Program, Swan River, Manitoba, 2009-2011

    Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, Medaille College, Buffalo, NY, 2020-2021: Led academic priorities process alongside a strategic re-organization of the academic division

    Provost, Gordon College, Wenham, MA, 2012-2020 (sabbatical 2019-2020):
    • Led academic priorities process alongside strategic visioning to fundamentally restructure and re-orient the academic division of the college
    • Developed Academic Division fundraising goals in conjunction with Advancement (Personally raised $1.5+ million from individuals)
    • Oversaw Academic Division (academic departments and faculty, undergraduate and graduate programs, library, registrar, sponsored research
    • Expanded the submission of grants from 5 to 40 each year, resulting in successful NSF and Fulbright funding
    • Increased retention from 79% to 85% through a focus on advising and revision of the core curriculum structure
    • Developed graduate programs in Financial Analysis and Leadership
    • Established governance and management processes related to the academic budget

    Dean of Research and Scholarship. Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI, 2000-2009
    • Established policies and structures related to grants budgeting
    • Managed budgets of research-related programs and endowments, approximately $30 million in endowment, grants, and general budget
    • Oversaw 11 centers and institutes with approximately 30 staff: budgets, program and staff assessment, strategic planning
    • Extended the development of community partnerships around joint research, IP development, sustainability initiatives

  • Presidential Briefings—Gordon’s Financial Future. 2016, to develop financial understanding among faculty and staff, Davis Foundation

    Wise Stewardship in a time of Change in Higher Education. 2015, to develop a series of workshops for faculty and staff, Davis Foundation

  • Curry, Janel and Kathryn Willeman. 2018. Overcoming the Gender Gap. Advance Magazine. Fall: 26-30.

    Curry, Janel, Margaret McCallum, and Jorge Juan Rodriguez V. 2016. Spiritual Care Education and Rural Systems in Swan River. Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling 70 (March): 53-62.

    Study: Where Are the Women Leading Evangelical Organizations? That's the mystery the Gender Parity Project, whose results debut this weekend, sets out to solve. Interview by Katelyn Beaty/ September 19, 2014. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/september-web-only/study-women-leading-evangelical-organizations.html

    Curry, Janel. 2014. Women in Leadership: Achieving Mission. Perspectives: A Journal of Reformed Thought. Special Issue, online edition (September-October). http://perspectivesjournal.org/blog/2015/09/01/women-leadership-achieving-mission/

    Barden, Dennis and Janel Curry. 2013. “Can Faculty Members Lead? Will they?” The Chronicle of Higher Education. April 12: A36 (with Dennis M. Barden).

    Curry, Janel, Scott Rodin, and Neil Carlson. 2012. “Fundraising in Difficult Economic Times: Best Practices.” Christian Higher Education 11(4): 241-252.

 
“Evidence-based decision-making, best practices, assessment, and comparative benchmarking, are all strategies to identify approaches that are effective.”