CASE STUDIES
The Hidden Cost: Time and Resources
“There’s only so much we could do in the time we had,” lamented the administrator of a private university in New England that relied solely on its staff to manage its inauguration. What had seemed straightforward at the beginning of the urban institution's planning process became increasingly complex and detailed and, as the date rapidly approached, they needed to “pull in more staff” to get everything done. She noted one of the largest hidden costs of inaugural events: Staff must often set aside or reduce their regular workloads in order to serve inauguration needs.
Additionally, staff members charged with creating the college’s special event are
unlikely to have the unique knowledge of how to organize an inauguration, and time and money is wasted as they reinvent the wheel. Because new presidents transition on average of every seven years, many employees lack institutional memory; they may never have participated in planning an event of this complexity.
“There is a lot of protocol in higher education,” said a staff member from a Catholic university on the West Coast, and negotiating that — even simply knowing what was expected — was difficult. Indeed, an administrator of a suburban university in the Midwest characterized the learning curve as “daunting” and added: “It’s a lot more work than you think it’s going to be. It’s a much larger-scale event than you normally do.” The same is true regardless of the size of the institution. A small liberal arts college on the West Coast reported the planning and implementation of an event of this magnitude “can be stressful” for staff.
Looking back, the inauguration planning definitely took more time, resources, and people to accomplish than anticipated, admitted the administrator of a private religious university in California. “If I had known of a planner, I would have reached out — because it was a nightmare.”
Leveraging the Inauguration: A Powerful Tool
An incoming president represents so much more than the transition of a top-level administrator. As the chief of staff at a large state university pointed out, a new president represents the vigor of the school — a sign that the institution is thriving and changing and growing. A successful inauguration marks that sense of renewed vitality as your university moves into the future.
This decisive moment in the history of an institution includes an opportunity that is often overlooked. The long months of planning and intense focus on the day itself — or the week-long activities leading up to it — leave little extra imagination and stamina for follow-through. Staff, which have taken on extra duties on top of their regular activities, are understandably relieved after the event, and turn toward catching up on their delayed work.
GATE31 excels at taking a long-term view and following through, helping you engage with donors and alumni as well as the off-campus community both during and after the event. While your new president sets his or her own voice and vision for the institution, GATE31 ensures the leveraging of the new direction and vitality. An administrator at a DII state university in New England admitted they “did not fully realize the full effect” of leveraging the event, even while recognizing that this is something an institution cannot afford to overlook.
Surprises and Suggestions
Having been one of the staff members in charge of an inauguration, an administrator at an urban New England public university suggested that planning a wedding would “be a piece of cake” in comparison. She pointed out that the two events have many of the same elements: food and beverages, huge procession, speakers, out-of- town guests and “emotional significance” — but an inauguration is “ten times bigger…and with 10 brides at once, since everyone has an opinion.”
A representative of the office of the President at an eastern state university cautioned, “Things can spiral out of control” and quickly “become more expensive.” He believes that “For anyone planning this size event or larger, it’s really like planning three or four different events.”
Staff at a Midwestern university, anticipating a one-day event, were surprised when the incoming president wanted a week’s worth of activities; a university on the West Coast was unaware of the president’s intention to bring in dignitaries and family members from overseas; and an eastern university reports that the key staff member planning their event quit halfway through the process, which caused reverberating problems.
“Expect the unexpected,” recommends a major public university on the West Coast; “Be prepared to change things up” with little notice advises a state university on the East Coast. And the best advice from a weary administrator in the President’s Office at a private university? “Hire a professional. You don't want to learn as you go.”