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A private, religiously affiliated university in the Northeast saw an opportunity to use its financial strength to expand into a growing market. AGB Consulting helped the board define what it needed from a potential partner, assess the Southeast market, and identify institutions that aligned with its mission, culture, academic needs, and growth strategy.
The Challenge
A private, religiously affiliated university in the Northeast faced an unusual challenge: strong financial resources but declining enrollment in a contracting regional market. Its board saw an opportunity to invest in growth by expanding into the Southeast. But entering a new market through a merger, acquisition, or affiliation required more than finding an available institution. The university needed a partner aligned with its mission and values, compatible with its culture, and able to complement its academic strengths.
Our Approach
AGB Consulting worked with the board and leadership team to develop a disciplined acquisition strategy before evaluating potential partners. We first analyzed the Southeast student market, growth opportunities, and competitive landscape. Next, we assessed the university’s own strengths and vulnerabilities. Using those findings, we developed a profile of the ideal partner, including the characteristics needed to complement the university’s strengths, address gaps, and support its long-term goals. We then scanned the market against those criteria to identify institutions with the strongest strategic fit.
The Outcome
The university emerged from the process with a clear acquisition strategy grounded in its mission, institutional needs, and growth objectives. Within months, it used that strategy to acquire the institution it viewed as its ideal partner, successfully establishing a presence in the Southeast market. Rather than allowing an available opportunity to determine its strategy, the university used its strategy to identify the right opportunity.
The Lesson: Define the Partner Before Looking for One
Successful partnerships begin with clarity about what the institution is trying to achieve. Before pursuing a merger, acquisition, or affiliation, boards should understand their institution’s strengths and gaps, define the strategic value a partner should provide, and establish criteria for mission, culture, academic, financial, and market fit. Those criteria can turn partner identification from an opportunistic search into a disciplined strategic process.
Considering a merger, acquisition, or partnership?
Start by defining what success looks like and what you need from a partner to achieve it. AGB can help your board assess your institution, evaluate the market, establish partner criteria, and identify opportunities aligned with your mission and long-term strategy.