Higher education institutions face a number of challenges including constrained financial resources, increasing competition for a declining number of high school graduates, and growing calls for accountability from a variety of external sources. Public, regional universities, as institutions often considered to be “stuck in the middle” between major research universities and smaller niche colleges, are particularly susceptible to these challenges. This has led many scholars and observers of higher education to indicate that colleges and universities can no longer be all things to all people, and that clear strategies are needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of many institutions. Yet, strategy is an understudied area within higher education, specifically related to public, regional universities. Still, these institutions play a vital role in society, educating approximately four million students each year.This study focused on examining the strategy, changes in strategy, and influences on strategy of three public, regional universities. Administrative and faculty leaders were interviewed and documents reviewed at each institution in order to gain perspective about what occurred at these institutions during a challenging time within the higher education industry. Key findings include: (a) many similarities in what institutions did in response to recent challenges, but greater differences in how and why they took certain actions, (b) more minor changes and adjustments in tactics than large-scale changes in institutional vision, and (c) a confluence of external and internal factors influencing the strategic direction of institutions. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are considered, specifically related to institutional differentiation, the pursuit of prestige, the future of institutional change, and the importance of balancing external and internal factors in establishing institutional strategy.
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