Along with Michael Nietzel (former president of Missouri State University), Chuck is a co-author of Colleges on the Brink: The Case for Financial Exigency, due out from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers on December 15, 2023.
The book discusses the financial crises many schools are facing in the post-pandemic world, offering suggestions on potential resolutions—and the tools needed for these resolutions, which will require a shift in university spending. Chuck and his co-author outline how schools can regain their financial health, coming back from the brink as better, more stable institutions ready to meet student needs.
Colleges on the Brink provides a hopeful vision, accompanied by data-driven tools, for the future of American universities. Chuck acknowledges that schools will need to make hard choices, but he firmly believes today’s struggles can be overcome and that our colleges and universities will remain one of America’s greatest assets.
What others are saying about Colleges on the Brink:
“American colleges and universities face a veritable tsunami of challenges when it comes to their near-term and long-term success. But two of the nation’s most foresighted higher education leaders offer hope and a plan, providing strategic, practical advice for how to navigate these choppy waters. This book will be required reading for those taking on the important task of making needed structural changes to allow institutions to thrive in the future and better serve today’s students.” — Jamie Merisotis, President/CEO, Lumina Foundation
“This is the right book at the right time to provide a planning guide for academic leaders at colleges facing financial uncertainty. Authors Nietzel and Ambrose combine experience as university presidents with a clear logic to considering sound data and values to make good decisions about mission and resources in the post-covid college era. Their engaging writing style and institutional analyses create a gyroscope for colleges whose presidents and professionals are navigating the adversities colleges face in the 21st century.” — John Thelin, American Historian of Higher Education
“As college leaders look to the post-pandemic future, they are confronting a confluence of daunting economic, political, and demographic changes that post an existential threat to the future of many campuses. Chuck Ambrose and Mike Nietzel—two college presidents with decades of diverse experiences in higher education—provide a clear-eyed, timely, and well-researched assessment of the challenges ahead, with a bold roadmap to financial sustainability through restructuring and reform. Their book is sure to generate discussion on the future of higher education as campus leaders navigate the turbulent 2020s. It should be required reading for college executives and those ascending to college leadership roles in the years ahead.” — Tom Harnisch, Vice President, State Higher Education Executive Officers
“Whether leaders find themselves at a relatively well resourced institution or one that has always struggled, this book is illuminating in its approach to understanding what has happened, what is happening, and what will likely happen across American higher education without bold vision and action. Ambrose and Nietzel, with plenty of experience behind them, provide perspective and foundation to encourage leaders to take the necessary steps to steer their institutions through the troubled times ahead. Senior leadership teams, whether they are serving public or private institutions, would be well advised to read this book before the organization experiences the likely challenges of the next 10 years.” — J. Carey Thompson, Vice President for Enrollment and Educational Services, Gettysburg College
“‘Financial Exigency’ is one of the scariest terms in the academic vocabulary. It is also the timely and important subject of this book by Chuck Ambrose and Mike Nietzel. Drawing from their own first-hand experience and extensive research, the authors of Colleges on the Brink offer a comprehensive overview as well as detailed guidance on the origins, processes. and potentially positive outcomes of declaring financial exigency at a college in financial trouble. Colleges on the Brink is a must read for trustees, administrators, faculty, and students of higher education who need to be better informed on the option of declaring exigency in order to save their challenged institutions.” — Terry MacTaggart; Senior Consultant and Senior Fellow, AGB Consulting; former Chancellor, Minnesota State University System and University of Maine System
“I recently finished reading “Colleges on the Brink: The Case for Financial Exigency” by Chuck Ambrose and Michael Nietzel, and I want to extend my congratulations to both authors for an outstanding book! With 40 years in higher education, split nearly equally between the private and public sectors, I found their insights particularly relevant and valuable. I highly recommend this book to college and university leaders at all levels.” — John Cech, Ph.D., President of Carroll College