Higher Education Advisory

Clarity, structure, and strategy for institutions that lead.

Heightened Education Consulting partners with university presidents, boards, and leadership teams to strengthen financial operations, facilities management, and technology infrastructure — from day one through long-term impact.

University campus
"The right strategy starts with understanding the institution — not imposing a template onto it."
Spencer Conroy, CEO — Heightened Education Consulting
What We Do

Three practice areas. One integrated team.

We work across the functions that determine whether an institution runs well — finance, facilities, and technology. Each area is led by experienced practitioners who understand higher education from the inside.

Financial Advisory

Cash flow, budget strategy, reporting process, and board-ready financial management — built for the pace and complexity of higher education.

Facilities Management

A hybrid-remote director model that delivers consistent standards, strategic deliverables, and on-site accountability across your entire portfolio.

Technology & IT Advisory

Infrastructure assessment, vendor governance, cybersecurity posture, and technology roadmaps aligned to institutional priorities and budget realities.

Board & Leadership Advisory

We help bridge the gap between management and the board — ensuring complex challenges are communicated clearly and decisions are grounded in data.

Interim Leadership

Experienced practitioners available to step into CFO, Director of Facilities, or CIO roles on an interim basis while permanent searches are underway.

Ongoing Monitoring & Reporting

We stay engaged after implementation — tracking progress, refining forecasts, and delivering board-ready reporting packages each quarter.

Financial Advisory

Built around the challenges universities actually face.

Our engagements are scoped to the institution — not the other way around. Whether you are navigating a deficit, overhauling a reporting process, or preparing for a capital campaign, we bring the expertise to move quickly and make an impact.

01 — Day One Priority
Cash flow before anything else.

If cash flow is a concern, it becomes the top priority immediately. We assess the position, build a rolling forecast, and put a plan in place — fast.

02 — Budget & Reporting
Reporting that actually informs decisions.

We evaluate how financial statements and budget reports are developed, and rebuild the process so leadership has clear, timely, and reliable information.

03 — Board & Lender Alignment
The right information, to the right people.

We build the reporting cadence that keeps the board informed and lenders confident — translating operational complexity into clean, credible financial narratives.

04 — Team & Process Development
Capability that stays after we leave.

We assess the finance team, identify capacity and skill gaps, and put processes in place that the institution owns — not just the consultant.

What We Deliver
Cash Flow Assessment & Forecast
Rolling 13-week forecast and scenario analysis — giving leadership an honest, forward-looking view of the institution's liquidity position.
Monthly
Budget-to-Actual Analysis
Variance analysis against the approved budget, with materiality thresholds and a clear narrative explaining what is driving performance.
Monthly
Financial Reporting Process Review
Assessment of close processes, chart of accounts, and reporting workflows — with a redesign where the current process is not serving leadership's needs.
As Needed
Board & Lender Reporting Packages
Clean, professionally formatted financial packages delivered ahead of every board meeting and lender reporting deadline.
Quarterly
Solutions Inventory & Priority Plan
A prioritized list of financial challenges, solutions, and owners — validated with the president and presented to the board with a clear implementation timeline.
Annual
Ongoing Monitoring & KPI Dashboard
A standing monthly review of financial health metrics, tracking performance against targets and surfacing risks before they become problems.
Monthly
Facilities Management

Presence is intentional — not constant.

A remote-led facilities department is not a compromise. It is a deliberate design that concentrates a director's time on the strategic artifacts that move an operation forward — while on-site managers own daily execution.

01 — On-Site Point Person
Local ownership, every day.

A dedicated Manager or Supervisor at each location owns daily execution, dispatches work, and serves as the department's face on the ground.

02 — Scheduled Site Visits
Full weeks, not drop-ins.

The director conducts week-long immersions on a published rotation — walkthroughs, stakeholder meetings, vendor reviews, and condition assessments.

03 — Structured Daily Rhythms
Predictable, two-way communication.

Every workday opens with a 45-minute team check-in. Direct reports receive standing weekly one-on-ones. Stakeholder meetings run virtually as standard practice.

04 — Output-Based Accountability
Measured by deliverables, not presence.

Performance is tracked against service levels and documented deliverables. Visibility comes from data and structured reporting — not line-of-sight.

What We Deliver
Operational Assessments
A top-to-bottom review of staffing, workflows, response times, and process gaps — producing a prioritized improvement roadmap.
Annual
Facilities Condition Assessments
Building-by-building condition ratings across roof, MEP, envelope, and interiors — driving the capital plan and deferred-maintenance backlog.
2–3 Years
Service Level Agreements
Written, measurable commitments between facilities and each site — response times, completion targets, escalation paths, and communication standards.
Annual
KPI Dashboards
Monthly performance reporting against SLAs, work-order throughput, budget variance, and safety indicators.
Monthly
Capital & Deferred Maintenance Plan
A multi-year roadmap sequenced by condition findings, risk, and budget — so capital dollars land where they matter most.
Annual
Vendor & Contract Optimization
Ongoing review of service contracts, vendor scorecards, and competitive sourcing to protect quality and control cost.
Ongoing
Technology & IT Advisory

Infrastructure that serves the mission — not the other way around.

Small private universities carry the same technology obligations as large institutions — with a fraction of the IT staff and budget. We help leadership understand what they have, what they need, and how to close the gap without overbuilding.

01 — Infrastructure Assessment
Know what you have before you invest.

A structured review of network architecture, hardware lifecycle, ERP systems, and cloud services — identifying risk, redundancy, and gaps before they become incidents.

02 — Cybersecurity & Compliance
Protect students, faculty, and institutional data.

Higher education is a high-value target. We assess your security posture, align policies to FERPA, GLBA, and NIST frameworks, and build a practical roadmap to reduce exposure.

03 — Vendor & Contract Governance
Stop paying for what you don't use.

A review of software licenses, SaaS contracts, and managed service agreements — identifying consolidation opportunities and renegotiation leverage before renewals arrive.

04 — Technology Roadmap
A multi-year plan tied to institutional priorities.

Technology decisions should follow strategy. We build a sequenced roadmap that aligns IT investment to enrollment, accreditation, and operational goals.

What We Deliver
IT Infrastructure Assessment
A full inventory and risk-rated review of network, hardware, cloud, and core systems — with a prioritized action list for leadership.
Annual
Cybersecurity Posture Review
Gap analysis against FERPA, GLBA, and NIST standards — covering data handling, access controls, incident response, and staff training readiness.
Annual
ERP & SIS Optimization
Assessment of student information and ERP systems — identifying underutilized modules, integration gaps, and upgrade or replacement timelines.
As Needed
Vendor & License Audit
A structured review of all software contracts and managed service agreements — surfacing consolidation opportunities before renewal windows close.
Annual
Technology Roadmap
A three-to-five year IT investment plan sequenced by institutional priority, budget reality, and risk — reviewed and updated annually with leadership.
Annual
Help Desk & Support Structure Review
An assessment of staffing models, ticketing systems, and service levels — identifying whether to build, outsource, or restructure the support function.
As Needed
How We Work

A structured path from discovery to lasting impact.

The first weeks of an engagement are critical. Our process is designed to surface the right information quickly — and turn it into action.

Not every step applies equally to every institution. Cash flow may be an immediate priority for one university and a non-issue for another. Our process is a guide, not a script — and we move at the pace the institution requires.


Discuss Your Situation
01
Initial Assessment
Weeks 1–3
Cash Flow & Budget Review
Understand the financial position from day one. If cash flow is a concern, this becomes the top priority immediately.
Institutional Priority Inventory
Align with the president and leadership team on what matters most — growth, cost reduction, deferred maintenance, enrollment, or compliance.
Operations & Infrastructure Review
Assess the current state of facilities, technology, and finance functions — identifying gaps, risks, and quick wins.
Team & Vendor Landscape
Map existing staff capabilities, contractor relationships, and vendor contracts across all three practice areas.
02
Solution Identification
Weeks 4–8
Prioritized Solutions Inventory
A clear list of challenges, solutions, and owners — ranked by urgency and impact across finance, facilities, and technology.
Stakeholder Validation
Solutions reviewed with the president, department leads, and the board — building alignment before resources are committed.
Cost-Benefit Analysis & Timeline
Business cases built for high-priority items, with realistic timelines, cost estimates, and measurable success criteria.
03
Implementation
Week 8 Onwards
Execute High-Priority Solutions
We lead or support implementation — keeping leadership informed and adjusting as conditions evolve.
Build Institutional Capacity
We document processes, train staff, and hand off ownership — so the institution retains the capability long-term.
04
Ongoing Monitoring
Continuous
Monthly Performance Reviews
Budget-to-actual, facilities KPIs, and IT metrics reviewed monthly — with a written summary to leadership.
Quarterly Business Reviews
A structured review of all three practice areas covering performance, capital progress, vendor standing, and forward priorities.
Annual Roadmap Refresh
At the 12-month mark, we reassess the original solutions inventory and reset priorities — keeping the engagement relevant year over year.
Get in Touch

Let's talk about your institution.

Every engagement begins with a conversation. Tell us where you are, what's pressing, and what you're working toward — we'll take it from there.