Building Campuses That Keep Their Promises

Universities are navigating the most consequential leadership moment in a generation. Dr. Terri E. Givens helps presidents and senior leaders build the accountability systems their institutions need — grounded in mission, not compliance.

Your institution is being asked to lead clearly in a moment of unprecedented pressure. But the old playbook no longer works.

You’re here because the shifting landscape requires new tools that will allow your institution to stay true to your mission. You may be dealing with:

  • Pressure to dismantle or restructure DEI programs — without losing touch with vulnerable students and staff
  • Campus incidents that your leadership team handles inconsistently — losing the focus on care
  • Faculty and students who no longer trust that the institution means what it says
  • Retention numbers that haven’t moved despite years of investment in student supports
  • A new presidency — yours or an incoming one — with a culture to inherit and a community watching every move

The reality: Most universities are trying to solve a long term structural accountability problem with tools that are only effective in the short term — diversity trainings, compliance checklists, and consultants who leave before anything changes. You need a framework rooted in your institutional mission. One that builds accountability into the culture itself.

This opportunity is perfect for you if…

  • You’re a university president, provost, chief of staff, or senior administrator responsible for campus climate and institutional culture.

  • Your institution is mission-driven or faith-based — and you believe your values should show up in how the campus actually operates, not just in the mission statement.

  • You’re navigating a presidential transition — incoming, outgoing, or managing the interim — and you need trusted counsel from someone who understands the dynamics from the inside.

  • You’re tired of one-time workshops that don’t change behavior — and you want an embedded partner who stays accountable to outcomes alongside you.

  • You want a framework grounded in scholarship — not corporate HR language — that your faculty will actually respect.

  • You’re ready to build something that lasts — an institutional covenant that holds your campus accountable to the values it claims to hold.

Trusted by the world’s best organizations

How it Works

Step 1: Share Your Campus Challenge

Tell us about your institution, your current leadership situation, and the specific tension you’re trying to resolve. Whether it’s a presidential transition, a campus climate concern, or a need to rebuild trust — start there.

Step 2: Discovery Call

Terri or a member of her team will connect with you directly to understand your institution’s needs, culture, and readiness. This is not a sales call — it’s a genuine assessment of fit. 

Step 3: Strategy Session

If there’s a strong fit, Terri will schedule a one-on-one strategy session with you to map out a customized ANCHOR engagement for your institution — including scope, timeline, and success metrics.

Introducing the ANCHOR Framework

The ANCHOR Framework is a mission-integrated accountability system designed specifically for university leadership. It doesn’t replace your values — it builds systems that actually hold your campus to them.
Three Components:

  • The Campus Covenant — A binding institutional commitment to accountability, co-developed with students, faculty, and leadership

  • E2A (Expectation to Action) — A navigated communication system that ensures your leadership speaks clearly and consistently when it matters most

Recent Case Study

McGill University

Challenge: McGill University faced a moment of institutional reckoning: longstanding commitments to equity and inclusion had not translated into structural change, and the gap between stated values and lived experience was undermining trust across the campus community.

Solution: Working directly with the provost’s office, Terri designed and implemented a mission-aligned accountability structure — embedding commitments into departmental practice, coaching deans on consistent and courageous leadership, and building the institutional infrastructure to sustain progress beyond any single hire or initiative.

Impact: Black faculty representation grew from 12 to nearly 50. More importantly, the change was institutionalized — embedded in hiring structures, department leadership expectations, and mentorship systems that continue operating independent of external support. The work became part of the institution, not a temporary initiative.

Your campus deserves a leader who keeps their word. Let’s build the system that makes it possible.

Universities that last are the ones whose mission lives in their walls, not just their words. If you’re ready to build that kind of institution — and you want a thought partner who has done it from the inside — let’s talk.