System Transformation Toolkit

Helping systems move from pressure points to financially sustainable transformation strategies

A guided resource hub for public higher education leaders to diagnose opportunities, explore system examples, and choose the next practical step toward optimization, systemwide integration, or structural transformation.

Explore the framework Find a starting point

Toolkit purpose

A practical resource hub for system leaders

The toolkit is organized around three transformation approaches. Leaders can begin with an overview issue brief, move into the framework area most relevant to their current challenge, and use the linked tools, exemplars, dashboards, and case studies to support action.

What this toolkit helps systems do

Public higher education systems face growing pressure to improve sustainability, demonstrate value, serve students and employers, and make better use of system scale.

The resources include issue briefs, exemplar presentations, sample reports, HTML tools, dashboards, case studies, and implementation guidance.

View resource directory

Other key transformation ingredients

Transformation requires more than examples, tools, and rubrics. Like any major change effort, it depends on leadership, communication, and culture. Because system-level work often spans multiple institutions, progress is rarely quick or linear. Systems need a clear north star, consistent communication about why that goal matters for students and the system, and steady progress toward it over time.

Foundational across the framework

Data, metrics, and transparency

Strong data capabilities help systems understand current performance, identify opportunities, guide decisions, evaluate progress, and make timely course corrections.

Strategic Finance Metrics Dashboard Use systemwide metrics to inform decisions across optimization, integration, and structural transformation.

Dashboard

Overview and action

Resources that orient leaders to the full toolkit

These resources help leaders understand why transformation matters and how to begin translating the framework into action.

Issue Brief: Moving Toward Financial Sustainability

Introduces the case for system transformation and the need to strengthen sustainability, effectiveness, and student outcomes.

Issue Brief

Leadership Action Plan: A Practical Guide for System Leaders

Provides a roadmap for system leaders moving from diagnosis to prioritization, implementation, governance, and communication.

Action Plan

Transformation framework

Three ways systems can organize the work

The framework moves from strengthening institutions, to integrating work across institutions, to considering formal structural change when existing models are no longer aligned with long-term needs.

Transformation Approach 1

Institutional Optimization & Effectiveness

Strengthens institutions by improving academic portfolios, administrative models, internal operations, and financial sustainability. The system role is to set expectations, provide tools and data, coordinate decisions, and identify systemwide patterns.

Academic Optimization

Align programs with student interest, labor-market value, costs, mission, and access.

Academic Portfolio Review (APR)

Market Demand & Opportunity (MDO)

Administrative Effectiveness

Examine administrative services, staffing structures, processes, financial performance, and resource allocation.

Administrative Service Review (ASR)

Financial Sustainability

Financial Analysis for Academic Units: An Exemplar for Higher EducationPDF

Transformation Approach 2

Systemwide Integration & Support

Changes how institutions function together by integrating services, infrastructure, technologies, policies, and capacity across the system.

Cross-system Shared Services & Technologies

Identify functions, platforms, business processes, contracts, and infrastructure that may be more effective or efficient when coordinated at scale.

Shared Services & Technologies

Cross-system Academic Efficiencies

Explore shared courses, collaborative programs, learning resources, transfer strategies, and coordinated student support models.

Academic Efficiencies

Transformation Approach 3

Structural Transformation

Changes how separate institutions work together by reconsidering what constitutes an institution, administrative entity, partnership, or operating model.

System Restructuring

Consider options such as consolidation, mergers, joint ventures, formal partnerships, or other models that reshape how institutions are organized or collaborate.

System Restructuring Resources

Where to start

Suggested pathways for system leaders

These entry points help leaders move from an initial question to the most relevant tools, exemplars, reports, and case studies.

We need to make the case for transformationStart with the overview issue brief and leadership action plan, then use case studies to show how other systems approached change.Go to Overview Resources →

We need to examine academic programs and market alignmentStart with Academic Optimization resources, then use the APR, MDO, and academic program investment tools.Go to Academic Optimization →

We need to improve administrative effectiveness or financial sustainabilityStart with administrative service review, net revenue analysis, spans and layers, and the Strategic Finance Metrics Dashboard.Go to Administrative Effectiveness →

We need to act more like a systemStart with shared services, systemwide technology alignment, academic efficiencies, and examples of cross-system coordination.Go to Systemwide Integration →

We may need to consider restructuring or partnership modelsStart with the strategic partnerships issue brief, exemplar briefs, and structural transformation assessment.Go to Structural Transformation →

We need an implementation roadmapUse the Leadership Action Plan to translate evidence, priorities, and stakeholder engagement into a practical sequence of work.Go to Action Plan →

System examples

Case studies across the framework

Case studies illustrate how different systems have approached institutional optimization, systemwide integration, or structural transformation.

University of North Carolina System

Examples related to academic planning, mobility, performance metrics, and system-level strategy.

UNC System

Utah System of Higher Education

Examples related to strategic reinvestment, high-value credentials, transfer, and statewide governance.

USHE

Connecticut State Community College

Examples related to consolidation, academic alignment, shared services, and student pathways.

CT State

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education

Examples related to system redesign, shared services, integrations, and systemwide operating models.

PASSHE

Resource directory

All toolkit resources

Use the filters below to browse the toolkit by resource type or framework area.

Type

Framework area

Resource	Type	Framework area
Issue Brief: Moving Toward Financial Sustainability	Brief	Framework Resource
Strategic Finance Metrics Dashboard	Dashboard	Framework Resource
Academic Portfolio Review: An Exemplar for Higher Education	Resource	Institutional Optimization & Effectiveness
Vermont State Colleges System: Academic Portfolio Sample Report	Resource	Institutional Optimization & Effectiveness
Market Demand & Opportunity Analysis: An Exemplar for Higher Education	Resource	Institutional Optimization & Effectiveness
Market Demand & Opportunity Sample Report	Resource	Institutional Optimization & Effectiveness
Administrative Services Review: An Approach for Higher Education	Resource	Institutional Optimization & Effectiveness
Administrative Services Review Sample Report	Resource	Institutional Optimization & Effectiveness
Financial Analysis for Academic Units: An Exemplar for Higher Education	Resource	Institutional Optimization & Effectiveness
Academic Program Investment Model	Tool	Institutional Optimization & Effectiveness
Academic Portfolio Department Model	Tool	Institutional Optimization & Effectiveness
Administrative Review Spans and Layers Model	Tool	Institutional Optimization & Effectiveness
Shared Services Framework: VSCS Shared Services	Resource	Systemwide Integration & Support
Shared Service Agreements: VSCS IT Service Agreements	Resource	Systemwide Integration & Support
Library Consortium: OhioLINK	Resource	Systemwide Integration & Support
Online Education: Project Kitty Hawk	Resource	Systemwide Integration & Support
Credit Transfer: CA Transfer Assist	Resource	Systemwide Integration & Support
Course Alignment: TX Common Course Numbering System	Resource	Systemwide Integration & Support
Learning Resources: SUNY OER Services	Resource	Systemwide Integration & Support
Systemwide Technology Inventory and Alignment Review	Rubric	Systemwide Integration & Support
Strategic Partnerships Issue Brief: Why Strategic Partnerships and Why Now?	Brief	Structural Transformation
University System of Georgia Structural Transformation Brief	Brief	Structural Transformation
University of Wisconsin System Structural Transformation Brief	Brief	Structural Transformation
Vermont State Colleges System Structural Transformation Brief	Brief	Structural Transformation
Structural Transformation Assessment	Rubric	Structural Transformation
University of North Carolina System Case Study	Case Study	Framework Resource
Utah System of Higher Education Case Study	Case Study	Framework Resource
Connecticut State Community College Case Study	Case Study	Framework Resource
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education Case Study	Case Study	Framework Resource
Leadership Action Plan: A Practical Guide for System Leaders	Rubric	Framework Resource