AT: I’m very much looking forward to our conversation. You’ve had an interesting career and tackled some fascinating challenges. You have more than 20 years of experience working in higher education, but it hasn’t all been ivy-covered walls. Let’s start with where higher education life began for you: National Louis University, where you were executive director of legal affairs. What drew you to academia?

MJ: After graduating from law school, I had the opportunity to work in various positions and fell in love with higher education law. My interest in higher education law led me to work for National Louis University in Chicago, a pioneer in early childhood education. I was essentially called the “Mikey” of National Louis University because my supervisors often came to me whenever someone needed something done outside their scope of expertise or interest—I would be the one that would try to accomplish new things and then like it.^[1] I loved the opportunity to cut my teeth on new and exciting things and work on different types of projects. One of my first compliance challenges was developing new compliance protocols working with a team comprised of academics, security, student affairs, and other representatives from the Path to Academics, Community and Employment program.^[2] Subsequently, I also helped develop National Louis University’s Title IX policies and protocols after the Department of Education issued its 2011 “Dear Colleague Letter,” mandating compliance by all higher ed institutions receiving federal financial assistance.^[3]

AT: There are many compliance jobs in higher education, but it’s not an industry for everyone. What would you tell someone considering a career in higher education? 

MJ: Very true. Higher education compliance requires a person with a specific skill set and mentality. I would tell someone interested in compliance that you need a lot of patience if you want to be effective. You cannot approach compliance with a “your way or the highway” mentality. If you are interested in starting a compliance career in higher education, there can be many opportunities. Even if you do not have a legal background, there is plenty of room in the higher education space for those aspiring to gain a foothold in the industry and join the chorus of compliance professionals or work in another area of our sector.

To build a culture of compliance, I like to use what I call my “crawl, walk, and run” approach. First, you introduce the concept of change (crawl), then discuss with your stakeholders how the change can occur (walk), propose ideas, and then set a plan for implementing the ideas (run). Your original idea can, at times, create compliance challenges or concerns; however, once you have a solid plan and buy-in from all stakeholders, you must set firm deadlines to move forward. Second, one needs to consider how you approach deadlines for intense compliance requirements, and the answer is very carefully. At the beginning of each project, I like to conduct a calibration meeting with stakeholders and update them with a weekly check-in to ensure we meet our goals. I tend to infuse humor and engagement in these meetings to make the load feel a little lighter. If this type of approach is interesting to you, you may be a good fit for compliance, but how do you really know if compliance is a great fit for you? Does your heart beat a little faster when you work on or volunteer for compliance projects? Pay attention to the signs, and you’ll realize you are in the right room.