Lori E. Varlotta

Driving Change Through Publications

Summit Insights: Publications That Drive Change

Here is a compilation of select publications. They capture and reflect the insights I have developed after leading changes that have solidified institutional sustainability, heightened academic excellence, and elevated student success.

Securing and Succeeding in the Presidential Post

  • Varlotta, L. (Under review). Designing a presidential search process that positions a campus for reform: three recommendations. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  • Varlotta, L. (2024). How college leaders can articulate higher education’s ROI—beyond earnings. Higher Ed Dive.
  • Varlotta, L. (2025). Getting a Stronghold on the Glass Cliff. The Change Leader, Inc.,  Changing Higher Ed®️ podcast.
  • Varlotta, L. (2019). Lipstick leadership in higher education. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
  • Varlotta, L. (2019). President Speaks: What I learned from an academic redesign. Education Dive. 

Planning and Budgeting for Institutional Success

  • Varlotta, L. (2023). Planning and budgeting. In McClellan, G. and Kiyama, J. (Eds.), The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration, 5th ed. (pp. 501-522). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • Varlotta, L. (2010). Enrollment management in the CSU: rightsizing to align with state allocations. Enrollment Management Journal, 4(3), 116-136.
  • Varlotta, L. & Jones, B. (Eds.) (2010). Student affairs budgeting and financial management in the midst of fiscal crisis. New Directions for Student Services, 129.
  • Varlotta, L. (2010). Becoming a leader in university budgeting. In L. Varlotta & B. Jones (Eds.), New Directions for Student Services, 129, 5-20.
  • Varlotta, L., Jones, B. & Schuh, J. (2010). Developing budget models, communication strategies, and relationships to mitigate the pain of tough economic times. In L. Varlotta & B. Jones (Eds.), New Directions for Student Services, 129, 81-87.
  • Varlotta, L. (2012). Toward a more data-driven supervision of collegiate counseling center staff and budget. Journal of American College Health, 60(4), 336-339.

Creating Innovative Academic and Business Models

  • Varlotta, L. (2019). New tuition model at Hiram College offers education, career, and financial benefits. Higher Education Today, a blog by American Council on Education.
  • Varlotta, L. (2018). Designing a model for the New Liberal Arts. Liberal Education, 104(4), 44-51.
  • Varlotta, L. (2018). Designing and implementing systemic academic change: Hiram College’s model for the New Liberal Arts™. Planning for Higher Education Journal, V47N1, 1-20.

Maximizing 21st-Century Learning Technologies

  • Varlotta, L. (2017). Mobile technology meets mindful technology. EDUCAUSE Review, 52(3).
  • Varlotta, L. (2017). Hiram College as the new liberal arts: integrated study, high-impact experiences, mindful technology. Higher Education Today, a blog by American Council on Education.
  • Varlotta, L. (2017). “Tech and Trek™” at Hiram College. University Business.

Designing Student-Centric Assessment and Accountability Systems

  •  Varlotta, L. (2016). Measuring student success: models and metrics. In G. McClellan & J. Stringer (Eds.), The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration, 4th Ed.
  • Varlotta, L. (2012). Designing a culture of evidence in student affairs. In M. Culp & G. Dungy (Eds.), Building a Culture of Evidence in Student Affairs.
  • Varlotta, L. (2012). Toward a more data-driven supervision of collegiate counseling center staff and budget. Journal of American College Health, 60(4), 336-339.
  • Varlotta, L. (2011). Seven assumptions that can lead to counseling center mismanagement. Leadership Exchange: Solutions for Student Affairs Management, 8(4), 20-22.
  • Varlotta, L. & Oliaro, P. (2011). Moving toward a cross-campus wellness model for student mental health. In P. Magolda & M. Baxter-Magolda (Eds.), Contested Issues in Student Affairs (pp. 328- 334). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.
  •  Varlotta, L. (2009). The voluntary system of accountability: meeting the information needs of constituents. Leadership Exchange, 6, 14-19.
  • Castillon, V. & Varlotta, L. (2009). Implementing a comprehensive student affairs assessment program. In T. Banta, E. Jones & K. Black (Eds.), Designing Effective Assessment.
  • Varlotta, L. (2009). California State University, Sacramento, assessment case study. In M. Bresciani, M. Gardner & J. Hickmott (Eds.), New Directions for Student Services, 127, 87-94.
  • Castillon, V. & Varlotta, L. (2009). Implementing a comprehensive student affairs assessment program. In T. Banta, E. Jones & K. Black (Eds.), Designing Effective Assessment: Principles and Profiles of Good Practice (pp. 201-205). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • Varlotta, L. (2007). VP creates foundation for evidence-based decision making. Student Affairs Today, 10, 8.

Reforming Curricula with High-Impact Pedagogies

  • Varlotta, L. (2008). Teaching students how to talk about, think about, and do community. NASPA Journal, 45, 327-349.
  • Varlotta, L. (2001). Using postmodern feminism to reconceptualize “citizenship” and “community.” In C. Outcalt, S. Faris & K. McMahon (Eds.), Developing Non-Hierarchical Leadership Programming.
  • Varlotta, L. (2000). Service as text: making the metaphor meaningful. Michigan Journal for Community Service Learning, 7, 76-84.
  • Varlotta, L. (1997). A critique of service-learning’s definition, continuums, and paradigms: a move towards a discourse-praxis community. Educational Foundations, 2, 53-85.
  • Varlotta, L. (1997). Confronting consensus: investigating the philosophies that have informed service-learning’s communities. Educational Theory, 47, 453-476.
  • Varlotta, L. (1997). Invoking a university’s mission statement to promote diversity, civility, and free speech. NASPA Journal, 34, 123-133.
  • Varlotta, L. (1996). Service-Learning: a catalyst for constructing democratic progressive communities. Michigan Journal for Community Service-Learning, 3, 22-30.

Lori E. Varlotta