ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at several internal and external influencers of higher education institutions that may not initially come to mind when discussing power on a campus. It describes the power of these influencers and their potential impact on institutions. The use of external consultants in higher education has become common practice. Consultants are hired to assist institutions with marketing, fundraising, developing master plans, assessment activities, strategic planning, and hiring mid- to senior-level administrators among others. External consultants can oftentimes moderate that risk. If an actual change does need to take place, external consultants can be a great starting point as they can look at what is taking place more objectively than the staff do. The use of social media has transformed communications throughout the world and within higher education. From an institutional perspective, because of the responsibility and power these hiring managers have, it is important to train and support them through the process to hire staff or faculty.
