With a few months left in the school year, a familiar tension has likely settled in —the anticipation of wrapping things up, paired with the fatigue that accumulates after months of deep investment. While feeling stretched, the calendar is packed yet, important decisions and transitions still lie ahead.
To help cut through the noise, I’m sharing a simple organizational clarity tool, created by Giant, to guide your leadership conversations in the weeks ahead. Take a step back, zoom out, and take a breath. As you peer into summer work, re-examine the school’s strategic priorities, current projects, and potential proposals by asking three clarifying questions with your team:
This is the season when clarity matters most. Using this lens can bring focus and consistency to your leadership decisions while building a shared understanding that supports your mission and purpose-driven plans.
Shining light on your future steps, be sure to explore April’s Trend Tracker and Pulse Perspectives.
In this month’s Trend Tracker, we highlight the following signals and trends. Within each area, a number of clickable resources are available to research with your team.
01 New Job Opportunities02 Morale Index03 AI on the Rise04 Different Pathways05 Horizon Scanning06 Higher Ed Climate07 Fundraisers & Funders08 Productive Meetings
Reflecting real-time perspectives representing the voices in our association, we solicited feedback from SAIS counselors in March to complete a pulse survey focused on challenges, caseload, and effective strategies.
The survey revealed that anxiety remains the most pressing student health challenge, with 89% of counselors identifying it as a top concern, followed by peer relationships, academic stress, coping and resilience, and attention and focus. Counselors reported that anxiety commonly manifests through academic performance pressure, social anxiety, and generalized worry. While many counselors indicated their caseloads have remained steady, nearly half described expectations as somewhat or significantly challenging. Effective strategies for supporting student well-being include parental involvement, external referrals, stress-reduction techniques, and one-on-one counseling. Counselors also highlighted major challenges in balancing crisis response with planned programming, finding time for social-emotional learning and individual meetings, and managing administrative duties.
See slide deck for full results.
If you are looking for some professional growth during the summer months, take a deeper dive by registering for one of the in-person events SAIS has designed to build capacity for you and your team.
June 9-11: Administrative Leadership InstituteJune 16-18: Advancement Summit: Capital CampaignsJune 16-18: Summer ConferenceJune 18-20: Early Career Heads InstituteJune 24-27: Institute for Heads
You’re not just managing the end of a year. You’re setting the tone for what comes next. Keep going—you’re almost there.
Dr. Brett JacobsenSAIS President
