Your First 90 Days

Are you just starting a position as a chief business officer in higher ed? Or, perhaps you’ve been promoted to a leadership role? What do you need to do in your first 90 days?

• Articles of Incorporation
• By-Laws
• Policies & Procedures
• Employee Handbook
• Faculty Handbook
• Strategic Plan
• Master Plan
• Board Governance Manual (if any)

• Debt/Bank covenants
• Current year budget
• Prior year’s budget-to-actual report
• Five-year financial plan (if none, plan to create)
• Capital budget (if any)
• Investment policy (if none, plan to create)

• Past two years of 990s, 990-Ts, and audit reports
• Past two years of financial aid audits
• Past five years of management comment letters
• Review the most recent risk assessment and risk management documents (if none, plan to create)

Read the most recent accreditation reviews and recommendations.

• Read significant third-party contracts
• Inquire about current or pending litigation

• Meet in person with key personnel across the campus (individually—go to them)
• Cabinet members
• Faculty leadership
• Department heads
• Student leadership
• Your own staff
• Board committee chairs (with approval of your president; ask your president to make these introductions)
• Walk the campus with Director of Physical Plant (every building)
• Attend a faculty meeting (introduce yourself, talk about your philosophies and plans, seek their guidance and input)
• Attend departmental meetings across campus

• Auditors
• Bankers
• Investment managers
• Insurance brokers
• Legal counsel

• Knowing your first year (or more) will be overwhelming, be intentional about your work/life balance
• Be intentional about your ongoing professional development
• Be intentional about building your professional peer network