Strada executive Beth Cobert leads the organization’s work with some of its most valuable partners — the affiliates it owns and its partnerships with mission-aligned nonprofit organizations.
Strada executive Beth Cobert leads the organization’s work with some of its most valuable partners — the affiliates it owns and the partnerships with mission-aligned nonprofit organizations.
In an interview about how she approaches her work, Cobert outlined a framework for successfully partnering with other organizations:
Clarity, clarity, clarity. Clear agreement is needed on shared goals, the actions needed to reach those goals, and the roles everyone involved will occupy.
A defined process for making decisions. Every organization has its own approach, culture, and way of working. Disagreements are inevitable, but without a plan for working through them, disagreements can derail partnerships.
A willingness to compromise. Everyone involved in the partnership needs to understand that compromise will be part of the relationship. “You have to have a mindset that says: ‘Get to the long-term goal,’” Cobert says.
Before coming to Strada in 2024, Cobert previously led a national foundation, served as acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and worked as a senior partner at a leading global management consulting firm
How can colleges and universities exercise cost transparency to ensure students and families can make an informed decision about education after high school?
In a letter to Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Strada President and CEO Stephen Moret offered insights on ways to improve transparency in higher education. Meanwhile Strada Senior Vice President of Affordability Justin Draeger testified before the committee, stating that the federal government should regulate financial aid offers and require them to use straightforward and standardized language.
“Price clarity is foundational to affordability,” Moret wrote. “It enables learners and families to make informed choices, budget realistically, and believe the system is working for them rather than against them.”
“Without it, learners lose hope and opportunity, and our nation loses talent and economic competitiveness.”
California Competes, in partnership with the College Futures Foundation and Strada, finds that the return on investment in higher education differs along lines of race, ethnicity, and sex.
This American Council on Education convening, taking place Feb. 25 to 28 in Washington, D.C., brings together higher education leaders to confront the sector’s most urgent and complex challenges.
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