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How to Be a Small College
If you work at or love a small college, these are dark days. But according to higher education leader Gary Daynes, the decline of small colleges is not inevitable. Drawing on decades as a professor, provost, vice president, and consultant, Daynes demonstrates how these institutions can flourish—not by imitating universities, but by embracing what makes them different.
In How to Be a Small College, Daynes
Why the “grow or dieˮ mentality undermines sustainability. The essential connection between college learning and meaningful work. Ways small colleges can strengthen civil society by serving local needs. Leadership practices that foster resilience rather than fragility.Daynesʼ message is when small colleges are true to themselves, they not only endure but also help communities and students thrive. Practical, hopeful, and grounded in real-world experience, this book is essential reading for educators, policymakers, and trustees determined to ensure a future for small colleges.
Advance Praise for How to Be a Small College
“In How to Be a Small College, Gary Daynes delivers a masterclass in strategic innovation, resilience, and leadership for today’s rapidly changing higher education landscape in the small college environment. With clear, practical advice, Daynes offers small colleges a roadmap not just to survive, but to thrive. His thoughtful frameworks encourage institutions to embrace partnerships as a celebration of their size and agility, work creatively within constraints, and lead with courage. This is an essential guide for anyone committed to building sustainable, mission-driven campuses in an era defined by uncertainty and opportunity.”
- Amy Novak, President, St. Ambrose University
“I’ve served in senior leadership at both sprawling universities and mission-driven small colleges, and the differences run far deeper than scale. In How to Be a Small College, Gary Daynes brings rare clarity to what makes small colleges not just different, but indispensable. With wisdom, grace, and deep respect for the people and communities who make these institutions matter, he offers more than critique, he offers a path. This book is essential reading for anyone shaping the future of small colleges and serves as a meaningful invitation to bring Gary into the room when those futures are being decided.” - Annalisa Holcombe, Founder, Connection Collaborative
“I don’t think there was a page of How to Be a Small College that I did not receive as good news. The counter-logic that Gary Daynes brings to long-held and rarely-questioned presumptions about colleges and success opens new pathways for practice and missional effectiveness that are workable, particular, and exciting. This is not a book of ideals. It is a book of questions and insights, supported by practices and operational wisdom, that could be genuinely transformational. After reading this book, I felt ready to go to work with my leadership team – and I could feel myself imagining an America served powerfully by local expressions of colleges tuned to their place and the people they serve. - Aaron Keucker, CEO, Hope Chicago and Former President, Trinity Christian College
“It has never been more urgent for colleges and universities to rethink their strategies, and Gary Daynes shows the way for small colleges.
In How to Be a Small College, Daynes
Why the “grow or dieˮ mentality undermines sustainability. The essential connection between college learning and meaningful work. Ways small colleges can strengthen civil society by serving local needs. Leadership practices that foster resilience rather than fragility.Daynesʼ message is when small colleges are true to themselves, they not only endure but also help communities and students thrive. Practical, hopeful, and grounded in real-world experience, this book is essential reading for educators, policymakers, and trustees determined to ensure a future for small colleges.
Advance Praise for How to Be a Small College
“In How to Be a Small College, Gary Daynes delivers a masterclass in strategic innovation, resilience, and leadership for today’s rapidly changing higher education landscape in the small college environment. With clear, practical advice, Daynes offers small colleges a roadmap not just to survive, but to thrive. His thoughtful frameworks encourage institutions to embrace partnerships as a celebration of their size and agility, work creatively within constraints, and lead with courage. This is an essential guide for anyone committed to building sustainable, mission-driven campuses in an era defined by uncertainty and opportunity.”
- Amy Novak, President, St. Ambrose University
“I’ve served in senior leadership at both sprawling universities and mission-driven small colleges, and the differences run far deeper than scale. In How to Be a Small College, Gary Daynes brings rare clarity to what makes small colleges not just different, but indispensable. With wisdom, grace, and deep respect for the people and communities who make these institutions matter, he offers more than critique, he offers a path. This book is essential reading for anyone shaping the future of small colleges and serves as a meaningful invitation to bring Gary into the room when those futures are being decided.” - Annalisa Holcombe, Founder, Connection Collaborative
“I don’t think there was a page of How to Be a Small College that I did not receive as good news. The counter-logic that Gary Daynes brings to long-held and rarely-questioned presumptions about colleges and success opens new pathways for practice and missional effectiveness that are workable, particular, and exciting. This is not a book of ideals. It is a book of questions and insights, supported by practices and operational wisdom, that could be genuinely transformational. After reading this book, I felt ready to go to work with my leadership team – and I could feel myself imagining an America served powerfully by local expressions of colleges tuned to their place and the people they serve. - Aaron Keucker, CEO, Hope Chicago and Former President, Trinity Christian College
“It has never been more urgent for colleges and universities to rethink their strategies, and Gary Daynes shows the way for small colleges.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 6, 2025
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