Dr. Lady Katharine Harrington
Associate Vice President of Admission and Planning, USC
Context
Dr. Harrington claims to “always strive for perfection,” even though she acknowledges, “perfection is unobtainable"—thus, her quest is never ending. Harrington wants to make programs and processes run more efficiently. She admits to liking a good challenge, and never resting on past success. She has dealt with myriad problems as the Vice President of Admission and Planning: the volatile economy, student deaths and working within a traditional business model in the academy that is currently under attack. One of the most challenging times was during the height of the recession in 2008, as she was starting her second term as of Dean of Admission. There was no guarantee that the division would meet enrollment projections. Harrington had to manage the anxiety of those “above and below” her while managing the review of 50,000 applications submitted during that year's admission cycle. Innovation Dr. Harrington’s innovation is demonstrated in her approach to problems and how she works collaboratively to maximize positive outcomes even in times of stress. Katharine was “raised” to remain calm during times of crisis and move with conviction once a decision was made. In the face of the challenging 2008 recruitment cycle, Harrington implemented multi-pronged tactics that expanded the recruitment efforts of the admission team. At the same time Harrington executed an aggressive communication campaign that reached all 50 states and targeted international markets. Katharine built support for her admission campaign by meeting with each college dean individually and assessing their needs. Katharine paid close attention to myriad factors that could potentially affect the recruitment and yield of the 2008 freshman cohort. Harrington believed in the process. She stresses that, “integrity in the process will help you weather the storm.” Katharine made sure each unit under her supervision maximized their outcomes by relying on the safeguards—and the integrity—within the process. Impact The outcome of Dr. Harrington’s efforts was evident when the division of Admission and Planning met all enrollment projections. Katherine’s leadership and innovative approach to problem solving helped the academic units meet their individual enrollment targets. Katharine believes that a strategic manager must “look beyond the horizon,” when building student cohorts. She stresses that one must “balance maximizing all interests” when crafting an admission class. Balancing the needs of the various campus stakeholders, including academic departments, athletics, and the community, within an admission cycle is a delicate task. Taking the needs of each stakeholder into account, while meeting the broader mission of the university to build the campus equitably, could leave a leader vulnerable to myriad pitfalls. An example of this would be the murder of two international graduate on April 11 of 2011. The campus mourned two graduate students who were murdered while sitting in a car in their neighborhood. Katharine stresses that in situations as tragic as that one—“that one needs to be decisive in times of crises and put personal securities aside.” The campus community from the president’s cabinet to the community surrounding USC benefit from Dr. Harrington’s leadership and strategic vision. Practices Dr. Harrington contends that she was “raised” by “self-controlled” individuals who taught her to “listen and pay close attention to everything within the process.” Katharine increased the size of the recruitment staff in order to expand coverage to all 50 states. This was done during a time of austerity—when many universities cut back recruitment efforts. Dr. Harrington understands the function of each division under her watch. Katharine sees the Office of Admission and Planning as a system—not a machine. “A machine can run at its own detriment,” explains Harrington. “A car's engine can run, even though the axels are broken, only one windshield wiper works, and the windows don’t fully roll down.” Harrington says this philosophical understanding of an organization is flawed. Harrington insists that an organization should be a system. “An athlete is in-tune with their body.” Harrington pursues this point by highlighting the fact that, “A runner’s core knows how to compensate for injury. The inner connectedness of the nervous system would never allow him/her to run at their detriment.” This philosophy is crucial when managing and building relationships, according to Katharine. Harrington is pragmatic in thought even while taking calculated risk. Data driven decisions provide enough insight to deal with a crisis when it arises. Harrington led the admissions team as it recruited at the height of the mortgage collapse with the DOW Jones at an all-time low. Katherine implemented an aggressive multi-pronged recruitment and yield campaign that ensured the university met its enrollment targets. Harrington argues that you can think innovatively while still being conservative in your approach. Harrington sites Christensen’s (The Innovator’s DNA) view on innovation. Companies must be conservative in their approach to crisis management and innovation because of their need to safe guard the company. Individuals or small companies with little to no success can be more liberal in their approach to problem solving or crisis management. Harrington believes both approaches are warranted depending on the circumstance. |
Bio
Dr. L. Katharine Harrington is the Vice President of Admission and Planning at the University of Southern California. Harrington, a Louisiana native, leads all enrollment management functions including admission, financial aid, registrar, institutional research, and budget planning. Harrington holds academic appointments in both the Marshall school of business and the Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences. During her tenure, Harrington has doubled the size of the USC recruitment team and produced sharp spikes in the number of applicants to USC. Harrington is a steel magnolia - a leader and innovator within the academy. |