Changing Higher Ed

  The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is changing higher education in ways many institutions still have not fully accounted for. Title IV loan limits change on July 1, 2026. Accreditation reform is next. Together, those developments are forcing institutions to confront graduate funding pressure, cost structure, program design, student demand, and the pace of institutional change. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Andy Vaughn, President and CEO of Alliant International University and one of three higher education representatives on the 2025 Negotiated Rulemaking RISE Committee, about how OB3 is changing higher education and what institutions need to do now to keep up. In part 2, the focus shifts from federal policy itself to the larger institutional consequences of those changes and the kind of leadership response they now require. Drawing on his experience in higher education operations, institutional leadership, marketing, and negotiated rulemaking, Vaughn explains why graduate education faces the greatest immediate disruption under the new law, why private lending will not solve every student access problem, and why accreditation reform must be part of any serious affordability discussion. He also outlines Alliant's Project Evolve, a multi-part strategy designed to address funding access, innovation, differentiation, growth, and long-term sustainability. This episode is especially relevant for presidents, boards, cabinet leaders, enrollment leaders, and anyone responsible for strategic planning in a period when higher education can no longer afford to move slowly while the environment changes around it. Some of the Topics Covered: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is reshaping higher education beyond a typical policy cycle Why graduate and professional programs face the greatest immediate pressure What tighter loan limits mean for student access and private lending Why accreditation reform matters to cost, innovation, and program design How student expectations and employer demand are shifting at the same time as federal policy Why higher education's resistance to change has become a strategic liability How Project Evolve is positioning Alliant to respond to permanent structural change Real-World Examples Discussed Alliant's modeling of how many graduate students may not qualify for private loan replacement options The institution's effort to expand private loan access while exploring additional funding approaches The need for institutions, accreditors, and the Department to work together if graduate education costs are going to come down New campus investments, including Alliant's Sacramento campus and Phoenix nursing campus The long-term wind-down of three small branch campuses that no longer fit the future model Alliant's decision to enter this period of uncertainty with zero debt and greater room to invest strategically Three Key Takeaways for Higher Education Leadership These changes are permanent. If institutions think a last-minute Hail Mary is coming, it is not. The structural federal changes Congress enacted and the Department responded to are here to stay. Do not underestimate your planning process. It is late, but it is not too late. Institutions that have not started changing to prepare for federal shifts, changing demand, and what the next generation of students wants can still begin now and make meaningful change. Plans matter, but execution matters more. Higher education has a habit of creating attractive strategic plans that sit on a shelf. Goals need to be measurable, and one person needs to own each goal so there is clear accountability and regular follow-up. This episode provides a practical look at how one university leader is preparing for permanent federal change while also addressing the deeper market and operational pressures reshaping higher education. For institutions that need to move from policy awareness to institutional action, this is a useful framework for what that work can look like. Read the article: https://changinghighered.com/2026-title-iv-changes-how-higher-education-can-adapt-obbba/ #HigherEducation #HigherEducationPodcast #GraduateEducation #StrategicPlanning #EnrollmentStrategy  

Higher education has spent years hearing that affordability, student debt, and public skepticism are putting pressure on colleges and universities. What is different now is that those pressures are shaping federal action in ways that will directly affect Title IV funding, graduate program financing, accreditation reform, and institutional decision-making before July 1, 2026. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Andy Vaughn, President and CEO of Alliant University and one of three higher education representatives on the 2025 Negotiated Rulemaking RISE Committee, about what the latest Neg Reg signals for colleges and universities and why institutions that have not started preparing are already behind. Drawing on Vaughn's firsthand experience in federal rulemaking and Dr. McNaughton's strategic perspective on higher education leadership, this conversation examines why this round of Neg Reg is different from prior cycles, why the One Big Beautiful Bill changed the operating landscape, and why the next major pressure point is likely to be accreditation reform tied to cost and value. The discussion also explores what these changes mean for graduate programs, why institutions need to involve faculty early in redesign decisions, and how leaders should be thinking now about financing, delivery costs, and institutional relevance in a rapidly changing environment. This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, provosts, CFOs, trustees, graduate enrollment leaders, and others responsible for institutional planning, financial sustainability, and academic strategy in a time of federal change. Topics Covered: Why this Neg Reg is different from prior negotiated rulemaking cycles How the One Big Beautiful Bill changed the Title IV and regulatory landscape Why student debt is the political driver, but cost of delivery is the deeper issue Why the accreditation Neg Reg is likely to focus on cost, value, and specialty accreditors How graduate and professional programs may be affected by financing gaps Why institutions should be modeling risk and redesigning programs before July 2026 Why faculty and program leaders need to be involved early in institutional response How AI is shifting from a compliance concern to a program quality and workforce issue Real-World Examples Discussed How Alliant began tracking Title IV changes before the bill passed and started preparing early Why some graduate programs may face private lending gaps with no strong historical baseline Examples of specialty accreditor requirements that can lock in delivery costs, including supervision expectations, program length, and student-to-faculty ratios The institutional challenge of lowering tuition when accreditation structures still drive high-cost delivery Why some institutions are still treating AI primarily as a containment issue instead of a graduate-readiness issue Three Key Takeaways for Higher Education Leadership Institutions should treat these federal changes as structural, not temporary, and plan accordingly. The real issue is not just tuition pricing. It is the cost of delivering programs under current academic and accreditation structures. Colleges and universities that start redesigning early, especially with faculty involved, will have more options than those that wait for the pressure to become financial damage. Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/2026-neg-reg-and-title-iv-changes-in-higher-education/ #HigherEducation #HigherEducationPodcast #NegReg

New data from Lumina Foundation and Gallup's Aligning Education and Work: What Employers Say Higher Education Must Deliver shows that employers still value college degrees — but have serious concerns about whether graduates are ready to use them. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Courtney Brown, Vice President of Impact and Planning and Chief Data and Research Officer at Lumina Foundation, about what 2,000 employers told Gallup about higher education, why public confidence in colleges has collapsed from 60% to one-third of Americans in a decade, and what institutional leaders must do about it. Brown also discusses Lumina's new national goal: 75% of Americans in the labor force holding a credential of economic value by 2040, up from a current baseline of 43%. Topics Covered: What the new employer data shows about degree value, skills readiness, and preparation gaps Why public confidence collapsed and which concern ranks first, second, and third among those losing faith Why current students report dramatically different experiences than the general public perceives The 43 million stopped-out Americans and why the system failed them Why today's students are not a nontraditional population to accommodate around the margins What Lumina's new credentials-of-value framework measures and why attainment without economic value is no longer sufficient Three Key Takeaways for Leadership: Stop playing defense and lead with evidence. Transparency about outcomes builds credibility. Defensive posturing does not. Treat the skills gap as a question, not a verdict. Investigate what specific skills are missing before restructuring curriculum. Redesign for the students who are enrolling, not the ones who were. Flexibility, mental health support, and advising connected to career outcomes are completion infrastructure, not amenities. Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/2026-lumina-gallup-report-aligning-education-and-work/ #HigherEducation #WorkforceReadiness  #LuminaFoundation #HigherEdStrategy #ChangingHigherEdPodcast

AI in higher education is no longer just a technology issue. The larger question is whether colleges and universities will redesign learning so students develop judgment, critical thinking, and decision-making skills in a world where AI can already generate summaries, essays, and plausible answers on demand. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with France Hoang, Founder and CEO of BoodleBox, about how higher education leaders can think more clearly and more strategically about AI. Hoang explains why AI should be used to augment human capability rather than replace it, and why educators matter even more in a world where AI can get students only part of the way. Drawing on examples from the classroom and across campus operations, Hoang outlines how colleges can move from AI independent to AI enabled and eventually toward AI native models of learning and work. He also explains why colleges need to redesign assignments, rethink pedagogy, and focus more intentionally on the development of domain expertise, reflection, and higher-order thinking. This episode is especially relevant for presidents, provosts, boards, CIOs, and academic leaders who need to make decisions about teaching, student support, workforce preparation, and institutional implementation in an AI-enabled environment. Topics Covered Why AI is forcing higher education to rethink what students should learn when AI can already do much of the visible academic work Why AI often produces a B-minus answer and why domain expertise still matters How the loss of routine entry-level work may weaken the apprenticeship path for graduates Why colleges need to redesign assignments around judgment, application, and reflection How faculty can use simulations, case studies, and human-AI collaboration in the classroom What AI independent, AI enabled, and AI native mean for institutional strategy How AI can support advising, counseling, and career services without replacing human connection Why AI adoption is as much a training, culture, and change-management issue as it is a technology issue Real-World Examples Discussed A marketing course at Point Loma where students build an AI assistant from their own class notes and use it in case studies and simulations A writing program at Pikes Peak State College where students compare their own writing with AI-generated writing and reflect on the differences A reimagined history assignment that uses role-based simulation instead of a traditional reading-and-essay model Institutional examples that show how colleges can move toward more applied, AI-enabled, and AI-native learning environments Three Key Takeaways for Higher Education Leaders Leaders need to know where their institution currently sits on the AI continuum, from AI independent to AI enabled to AI native. AI adoption is as much a training and human resource issue as it is a technology issue, so institutions need to invest in people as much as platforms. A culture of innovation, experimentation, and collaborative implementation will outperform a purely top-down rollout. This episode offers a practical framework for higher education leaders who want to move beyond AI policy and think more seriously about how learning, assessment, student support, and institutional strategy need to change when AI can already do much of the lower-level work. Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/ai-in-higher-education-teaching-human-judgement/ #HigherEducation #ArtificialIntelligence #HigherEducationPodcast

Jeff Dinski helped start Cold Pizza at ESPN, the morning show that eventually became First Take. On a daily show, ratings are everything. You either produce something people want to watch, or you do not last. He carried that discipline into edtech, and it is the lens through which he looks at higher education: are you really giving students what they need, or are you producing what is convenient for you?   In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Jeff Dinski, Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer at Ellucian, the largest edtech company in the world serving roughly half of all U.S. colleges and universities, dig into the structural forces behind higher education's confidence crisis, what Workforce Pell Grants will actually change, and what institutional strategy has to look like from here.   This conversation is especially relevant for presidents and boards who want a clear-eyed, outside-in read on what students are demanding, where the federal policy environment is heading, and which institutions are best positioned to adapt.   Topics Covered:   •       Why the confidence crisis has bipartisan roots and why neither political party has done higher education any favors •       Why student pathways are becoming individualized and what that means for program design and delivery •       Real examples of institutions where undergraduates do actual corporate work, not fetch-coffee internships, as part of their degree programs •       What Workforce Pell Grants will fund for the first time and which institutions are best positioned to benefit •       Why the DBA vs. research PhD distinction matters for building workforce-aligned faculty pipelines •       The Silicon Valley master's program model: tenured faculty for foundational content, industry adjuncts for advanced applied coursework •       Why smaller private institutions face the steepest challenges and what community colleges are doing right •       Two strategic tenets every president and board should act on now   Real-World Examples Discussed:   •       Programs where freshmen through seniors do real corporate job functions as part of their degree requirements •       A Silicon Valley master's program that deliberately splits teaching between tenured faculty and cutting-edge industry practitioners •       Business schools' long-standing use of practitioners alongside academics as a model the broader curriculum can adopt •       Ellucian's Journey platform, built to help institutions launch and scale non-degree and continuing education programs   Three Key Takeaways for Leadership:   1.    Experiment with non-degree courses now. Workforce Pell Grants will fund new program types at scale and institutions with existing capacity will be first to benefit. 2.    Find workforce partners you trust. Aligning curriculum with employer needs requires real relationships with real hiring managers, not assumptions about market demand. 3.    Create conditions for faculty innovation. The early adopters already exist at most institutions. Find them, support them, and let their demonstrated impact bring others along.   This episode offers a practical, outside-in perspective on the structural choices facing higher education and a concrete framework for how institutions can respond before circumstances force their hand.   Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/higher-education-disruption-workforce-pell-student-as-consumer/   #StudentSuccess #HigherEducation #HigherEducationPodcast #WorkforceDevelopment #EdTech

Accreditation is often treated as a compliance cycle, but SACSCOC is signaling a faster-moving, more transparent operating posture that will affect how institutions plan change, document quality, and explain outcomes to the public. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Stephen L. Pruitt, President of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), about substantive change reforms, standards revision planning, outcomes transparency, and what institutional leaders should be watching right now. Topics Covered Substantive change reforms approved in December, including eliminating more than half of existing categories, shifting others to presidential review, and reducing approval times to as little as one week Why SACSCOC is emphasizing student benefit as a decision lens for institutional change The vice president liaison model and how it supports institutional navigation of SACSCOC processes The planned three-member rapid response team concept and when it may be used Law or Lore and why written requirements versus institutional assumptions can create unnecessary friction Standards revision planning, including public drafts and how feedback is incorporated The dynamic public-facing dashboard planned for spring and what it may make more visible Torch Awards and how outcomes signals relate to public trust and accountability Workforce alignment, affordability pressure, and the pathways from high school through postsecondary to careers Credit transfer as a public trust issue and why it is often perceived as a money grab Serving working adults as a design requirement, not an add-on Real-World Examples Discussed Georgia film-industry growth and the need to stand up new majors and degrees quickly Gwinnett Tech's advising approach that helps students sequence coursework to earn certificates along the way Workforce shifts such as autonomous trucking pilots and how programs could expand beyond a single credential to broader skills Three Key Takeaways for Higher Ed Leadership Faster change pathways increase the value of disciplined internal governance and clean documentation of readiness. Student benefit and measurable outcomes are becoming a more visible way institutions will need to justify change and demonstrate quality. Transparency tools and outcomes signaling will influence how stakeholders judge institutional credibility, affordability, and workforce relevance. Read the transcript https://changinghighered.com/sacscoc-accreditation-substantive-change-standards-2026/ #Accreditation #SACSCOC #HigherEducation #HigherEducationPodcast

Higher education's public trust problem is not something presidents can fix with better messaging. In this conversation, AAC&U President Dr. Lynn Pasquerella describes a structural squeeze on institutional independence that shows up as academic freedom fights, curriculum mandates, and growing skepticism about higher education's value. In episode 300 of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Pasquerella about why liberal education is often misunderstood, why academic freedom is inseparable from institutional autonomy, and why presidents and boards need to treat this moment as a governance and mission issue, not a temporary political cycle. Pasquerella explains how these pressures tend to escalate incrementally, why institutions lost control of the public narrative, and what it takes to rebuild credibility through community anchoring, transparency, and a renewed public-good case for higher education. This conversation is especially relevant for institutional leaders navigating legislative interference, polarized stakeholder environments, and the operational consequences of eroding trust. Topics Discussed Why academic freedom and institutional autonomy erode incrementally What Supreme Court precedent signals about academic freedom and university self-governance Why liberal education is about intellectual freedom, not partisan ideology How higher education lost the public narrative and why marketing is not the solution Moral distress and moral injury in the presidency under coercive mandates Belonging uncertainty, cognitive bandwidth, and the institutional impact of student wellbeing Community anchoring as the practical path to rebuilding trust How institutions can reimagine learning without abandoning rigor Real-World Examples Discussed Legislative interference that dictates curriculum and constrains shared governance. The closure of a college as a community-level loss, not only an institutional event. How belonging signals show up later as persistence, completion, and learning outcomes. Why transparency about tradeoffs affects institutional credibility How community advisory input can keep programs aligned with civic and workforce needs. Three Key Takeaways for University Presidents and Boards Treat academic freedom and institutional independence as a board-level governance priority, because erosion is gradual and easy to normalize. Rebuild trust through consistent community presence and usefulness, not positioning statements. Address belonging and wellbeing as institutional effectiveness variables, because belonging uncertainty reduces cognitive bandwidth and performance. Read the transcript and the accompanying post: https://changinghighered.com/moral-distress-belonging-presidential-leadership-in-higher-ed/ #HigherEducation #HigherEducationPodcast #AcademicFreedom #PublicTrust #LiberalEducation

Free speech on campus is not an abstract constitutional issue—it's a governance challenge for presidents and boards. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton is joined by Dr. Sean Stevens, Chief Research Advisor at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), to examine the current state of campus free speech and what institutional leaders must do to protect open inquiry under increasing political and social pressure. Drawing on FIRE's national research and campus speech databases, Stevens outlines the sharp rise in government-involved attempts to sanction speech, the growing prevalence of self-censorship among faculty and students, and the structural pressures reshaping intellectual life on U.S. campuses. The conversation moves beyond partisan framing and focuses on leadership responsibility: preserving disciplined pluralism, reinforcing institutional neutrality, and ensuring that students graduate prepared to engage competing ideas with rigor and intellectual humility. Some of the key topics covered in this episode include: The increase in campus speech sanction attempts involving government actors Faculty and student self-censorship trends and what the data reveals Why exposure to competing perspectives is an educational obligation Institutional neutrality as protection for viewpoint diversity The distinction between protected speech and prudent speech in the social media era Practical steps presidents and boards can take to strengthen expressive rights policies Three Takeaways for University Presidents and Boards: Defend expressive rights consistently—even when doing so is politically uncomfortable. Leadership credibility depends on principled application. Recognize that sustained political and social pressure can narrow intellectual culture—and counter that contraction intentionally. Preserve disciplined pluralism as a core academic value. Students must be able to hear, analyze, and argue competing perspectives without fear. This episode provides a strategic lens for higher education leaders navigating campus speech controversies while protecting the fundamental mission of scholarship and inquiry. Listen now or read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/free-speech-in-higher-education-fire-on-institutional-integrity-and-mission/   #HigherEducation #FreeSpeech #CampusLeadership #AcademicFreedom #BoardGovernance #ChangingHigherEdPodcast

Higher education is under mounting pressure to prove its value. But the data institutions need to respond already exists — most are just not using it strategically. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Melba Amissi, Chief Customer and Operations Officer at the National Student Clearinghouse, about how the Clearinghouse's cross-institutional data can help college presidents and boards navigate the accountability, affordability, and workforce alignment challenges reshaping higher education. Drawing on a career in financial services, fraud analytics, cybersecurity, and operational transformation, Amissi brings an outsider's perspective to higher ed — one grounded in measurable outcomes and data-driven decision-making. She and Dr. McNaughton explore why institutions must embrace non-linear student pathways, improve credit mobility, strengthen employer partnerships, and lead with transparency to maintain public trust and institutional viability. This conversation is especially relevant for institutional leaders grappling with how to demonstrate return on investment, serve the growing stop-out population, and align programs with workforce needs in a rapidly shifting political and economic landscape. Topics Covered: The National Student Clearinghouse's role beyond compliance reporting — as a strategic benchmarking and analytics resource Why 42 million adults with some college and no credential represent both a challenge and an opportunity How credit mobility and articulation agreements affect enrollment competitiveness The Workforce Pell negotiated rulemaking process and its implications for program design Why workforce alignment should be an "and," not an "or" alongside liberal education How the FAFSA will now warn students about institutions with poor earnings-to-cost outcomes The rising Higher Education Price Index and its compounding effect on institutional costs Real-World Examples Discussed: Franklin University's articulation agreements with over 1,400 institutions, enabling five-minute credit evaluations for transfer students Paul Quinn College's work-integrated model partnering students with Southwest Airlines and other employers Tennessee's statewide talent pipeline that maps graduate competencies directly to employer needs Microsoft's partnership with Miami-Dade College community colleges to build cybersecurity workforce programs Oregon's systemwide credit transfer framework as a model for state-level interoperability Three Key Takeaways for Leadership: Transparency is a survival strategy — proactively share graduation rates, employment outcomes, and student debt data to build trust and stay ahead of regulatory mandates. Align programs with workforce needs through employer partnerships, stackable credentials, and continuous program assessment to demonstrate measurable ROI. Demonstrate real impact — show students, families, and stakeholders the tangible outcomes of your institutional strategies. Bonus Takeaway from Dr. McNaughton: Embrace diverse and non-linear student pathways. The traditional four-year linear journey is no longer the norm — institutions must design systems that serve students from all walks of life and keep the focus on student outcomes. This episode offers a data-grounded look at why higher education's most urgent challenges — cost, accountability, and public trust — require leaders who are willing to use the information already at their disposal to drive strategic change. Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/racking-stop-outs-transfers-and-roi-across-the-full-student-journey/ #HigherEducation #HigherEdROI #HigherEducationPodcast #StudentSuccess #WorkforceAlignment 

Agile change management in higher education is no longer optional. Institutions are navigating continuous disruption from AI, shifting student expectations, workforce pressures, and internal cultural resistance. The challenge leaders face is not how to implement change once, but how to build the institutional ability to adapt continuously. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Christine Janssen Founder and CEO of Edstutia, an immersive learning company focused on adult learning, about why higher education must move from traditional change models to an agile, iterative approach to leadership, teaching, and institutional strategy. Drawing on her experience in both higher education and entrepreneurial environments, Janssen explains why institutions struggle when they treat change as a project rather than an operating condition. McNaughton and Janssen outline how agile thinking, faculty adaptation, and a willingness to experiment have become essential leadership capabilities for presidents, boards, and faculty alike. Some of the Topics Covered: ·      Why traditional change management models no longer match today's environment ·      How agile, iterative approaches help institutions adapt faster than governance cycles ·      Why AI is exposing weaknesses in traditional teaching and assessment methods ·      The role of faculty culture as both a barrier and a solution to meaningful change ·      Why preparing students for uncertainty requires faculty to be comfortable with it ·      How institutions risk becoming the "yellow cab" in a world expecting "Uber-level" responsiveness Real-World Examples Discussed: ·      How AI forces faculty to redesign assignments and assessment methods ·      Why student evaluations often measure the wrong outcomes ·      How other industries were disrupted by ignoring customer expectations ·      Examples of leaders who prioritize faculty development and innovation Three Key Takeaways for Higher Education Leadership 1.     Institutions must change how they think about change before they can change behaviors. 2.     Faculty partnership and professional development are essential to institutional adaptability. 3.     The greatest risk to higher education is waiting to see what others will do. This episode offers higher education leaders a practical framework for understanding why many institutional struggles stem not from isolated issues, but from an outdated approach to change itself. Read the transcript:  https://changinghighered.com/agile-change-management-for-higher-education-leaders/   #HigherEducation #ChangeManagement #HigherEducationPodcast    

In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Jeff Meade, Founding Director of the Every Quinnite is an Entrepreneur program at Paul Quinn College, about how the institution has embedded entrepreneurship into the operating model of the college itself. Rather than treating entrepreneurship as an elective or a business school track, Paul Quinn uses it as a structural solution to some of higher education's biggest challenges: workforce readiness, student engagement, institutional costs, and student debt. As one of only eight federally recognized work colleges in the United States, Paul Quinn requires all resident freshmen and sophomores to work on campus in meaningful operational roles. By junior and senior year, students transition into paid positions with corporate partners such as Southwest Airlines and Goldman Sachs. At the same time, every freshman completes a required entrepreneurship course during summer bridge, and students begin building and pitching real venture ideas that can receive seed funding from the college. Jeff explains how this model allows the college to lower tuition by redesigning its business structure, how corporate partnerships create a true workforce pipeline rather than traditional internships, and how entrepreneurship is used to teach students to become entrepreneurs of their own lives. This conversation is especially relevant for institutional leaders looking for practical ways to improve workforce readiness, reduce student debt, strengthen retention, and break down academic silos without adding new programs or increasing costs. Topics Covered: How the federal work college model changes both student engagement and institutional costs Why Paul Quinn lowered tuition by changing its operating model rather than increasing discounting How campus work transitions into paid corporate roles for juniors and seniors The required summer bridge entrepreneurship course for every freshman How student ventures are integrated into multiple academic disciplines The role of faculty leadership development through supervising student workers Why partnerships, both external and internal, are central to the model How a seed fund is designed to be self-sustaining through student venture revenue Real-World Examples Discussed: A student learning grant research and development by working directly in the entrepreneurship department Students working in enrollment management and representing the college at recruitment events Corporate partners sponsoring pitch competitions and hiring students into paid roles Students earning income that both offsets tuition and builds professional experience Freshmen pitching business ideas based on problems they see in their own communities Three Key Takeaways for Leadership: Partner with other institutions, corporations, and entrepreneurs rather than trying to build everything internally Design entrepreneurship and experiential learning models to be self-sustaining, not cost centers Make entrepreneurship universal across the student body so it becomes part of the institutional DNA Dr. McNaughton's Bonus Takeaway: Partnerships must exist internally across departments as well as externally to prevent silos and fully integrate the model This episode provides a clear example of how entrepreneurship can function as an institutional design strategy, not just a curricular offering. Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/entrepreneurship-to-redesign-college-operating-model/    #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #WorkforceReadiness #Entrepreneurship

Workforce readiness, hands-on learning, and flexible credentialing are no longer peripheral conversations in higher education. They are central to how institutions are being judged on value, relevance, and outcomes. In this episode of Changing Higher Ed podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Jarred McNeely, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Sonoran Desert Institute, about how applied, skills-based education can be delivered beyond traditional campuses without sacrificing rigor or quality. McNeely shares how SDI redesigned hands-on instruction for distributed learners by moving labs into students' homes, rethinking assessment around demonstrated competence, and investing heavily in faculty training and support. The conversation explores what these approaches mean not just for trade and technical programs, but for institutions across higher education facing increasing pressure around cost, completion, and workforce alignment. This episode is especially relevant for presidents, provosts, and academic leaders evaluating how applied learning, credential flexibility, and faculty systems can evolve to meet today's student realities. Topics Covered Why hands-on learning does not require centralized labs How lab kits, video-based assessment, and staged progression support skill development What it takes to train and support faculty in distributed, applied programs How simulation and practicum models expand access without lowering standards Why stackable credentials better align with real career movement The role of critical thinking and problem identification in applied education Three Key Takeaways for Presidents and Boards Learning should be assessed by demonstrated competence, not physical presence Faculty training and support systems are the primary drivers of instructional quality Flexible, stackable credentials reduce student risk while supporting long-term engagement Read the transcript or extended show summary: https://changinghighered.com/reduce-student-debt-risk-improve-employability/ #HigherEducation #WorkforceDevelopment #AppliedLearning #HigherEdLeadership #ChangingHigherEd  

Empathy is easy to talk about and harder to practice when the pressure is high. In higher education, leaders are often navigating conflict, fatigue, and urgency, which is exactly when empathy gets misread as weakness instead of treated as a leadership competency. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Laura Parson, Associate Professor at North Dakota State University and founder of The Empathy Classroom, about building empathy as a practical skill leaders can use without surrendering standards or authority. Parson breaks empathy down into usable behaviors, including perspective-taking, emotional self-management, and question framing that reduces defensiveness. The discussion also addresses "empathy light," when leaders perform empathy for external outcomes instead of practicing it authentically, and why that approach erodes trust. This conversation is especially relevant for institutional leaders who want stronger communication, better decision follow-through, and a healthier leadership culture in environments where people are stretched thin and reactions run hot. Some of the Topics Covered What empathy is as a competency and how it differs from sympathy Why empathy does not require agreement or abandoning standards How to reduce defensiveness through better questions and language choices Self-other distinction and why absorbing others' emotions accelerates burnout Mindfulness and emotional literacy as leadership tools "Empathy lite" and how performative empathy undermines trust How leaders can develop empathy through practice, role play, and scenario rehearsal Real-World Examples Discussed Reframing accusatory "why" questions into curiosity-based questions that invite explanation The "waves" metaphor for managing constant emotions as a senior leader without burning out An executive's post-meeting reset ritual to physically "shake off" emotional residue Using breath work or box breathing after emotionally charged interactions Three Key Takeaways for Higher Education Leadership Model empathy visibly so others understand what it looks like in your environment. Listen, demonstrate that you heard what was said, and reinforce it through action. Treat perspective-taking as a discipline by learning to see issues through multiple stakeholder lenses. Read the extended show summary or transcript:  https://changinghighered.com/empathy-in-higher-education-leadership/   #HigherEducation #HigherEducationLeadership #EmpathyInEducation

In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Dan Predoehl, assistant dean of Extended Learning and director of the Emeritus Institute at Saddleback College, one of the nation's highest-performing community colleges. The conversation focuses on why enrollment challenges persist even at strong institutions and how treating enrollment as a shared responsibility—rather than a system with clear executive ownership—creates fragmentation across admissions, student services, academics, and outcomes. Dr. Predoehl explains the Chief Enrollment Management Officer concept and why a cabinet-level role is increasingly necessary to align enrollment strategy with institutional mission, student success, and long-term viability. Drawing on experience across community colleges and four-year institutions, the discussion examines how enrollment, retention, completion, workforce alignment, and equity outcomes are shaped by leadership structure—not just tactics. Topics Covered: Why enrollment is a system, not a department How diffused responsibility undermines retention and completion The limits of presidential oversight without executive enrollment ownership How workforce alignment strengthens enrollment strategy Why open access increases the need for strategic focus The role faculty partnership plays in sustainable enrollment management Three Key Takeaways for Higher Education Leaders: Enrollment outcomes reflect system design, not individual office performance Retention, completion, and workforce alignment are core enrollment responsibilities Institutions risk long-term instability when enrollment lacks clear executive ownership This episode is especially relevant for presidents, provosts, enrollment leaders, and senior administrators looking beyond short-term fixes toward structural solutions to enrollment pressure. Read the transcript and extended show summary: https://changinghighered.com/chief-enrollment-management-officer-in-higher-education/ #HigherEducation #EnrollmentManagement #HigherEducationPodcast

Institutional transformation in higher education is often described in broad terms. At Stevens Institute of Technology, Dr. Nariman Farvardin describes transformation in operational terms: disciplined strategic planning, academic realignment, and year-after-year execution systems that produced what Dr. Drumm McNaughton calls the Stevens Miracle. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Nariman Farvardin, President of Stevens Institute of Technology, about how Stevens achieved sustained success since he became president in 2011. Under Dr. Farvardin's leadership, undergraduate applications increased 294%, enrollment grew approximately 75%, research funding increased 199%, and the university invested more than $500 million in campus improvements. Stevens also reports first-year retention approaching 96%, graduation rates near 90%, and approximately 97% of graduates employed or in graduate school within six months. Dr. Farvardin explains the institutional "secret sauce" behind those results: an inclusive strategic planning process that builds ownership across faculty, staff, students, administrators, and trustees, paired with execution discipline that keeps the plan active through regular progress reporting, annual written results, and objectives letters that tie leadership goals directly to strategic priorities. He also walks through Stevens' academic realignment, including the SUCCESS curriculum, which ensures every student graduates with foundational exposure to five areas: artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, sustainability, and data science. The discussion also covers student support structures that reinforce student experience and outcomes, including the first-year experience model delivered in 45–47 sections annually, with faculty serving as coaches for small groups of students. Topics Covered How Stevens used inclusive strategic planning to build campus-wide ownership and momentum Why execution systems matter more than a polished strategic plan document How Stevens keeps the strategic plan active through regular updates, annual reports, and objectives letters What the SUCCESS curriculum is and why it represents academic realignment, not a one-off initiative The five technology areas every Stevens graduate is exposed to through SUCCESS How the first-year experience course operates at scale and why it supports retention How Stevens operationalized student-centered service so student issues are owned, not deflected Why transparency and shared responsibility improved faculty engagement with change How Stevens uses honesty about what did not work to keep planning credible What presidents and boards should focus on if they want transformation that holds over time Real-World Examples Discussed: A leadership execution model that breaks strategy into smaller goals, distributes them across divisions, and updates them annually through objectives letters A first-year experience structure delivered in 45–47 small sections (20–25 students each) with faculty serving as ongoing coaches A student support expectation that staff "own" the student's problem until it is solved, instead of sending students office-to-office Three Key Takeaways for University Presidents and Boards  A well-designed strategic plan paired with disciplined execution is essential, even when it requires difficult and unpopular decisions A strong, functional relationship between the president and the board is critical to sustaining momentum and leadership effectiveness Trust-based working relationships between leadership, faculty, and staff are required for long-term success and leadership sustainability Read the transcript or extended show summary: https://changinghighered.com/stevens-tech-strategic-planning-transformation/ #HigherEducation #StrategicPlanning #UniversityLeadership #BoardGovernance #StudentSuccess

Higher education enters 2026 under conditions that are no longer hypothetical. In this 8th annual end-of-year episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton is joined by Tom Netting of TEN Government Strategies to review how the predictions made at the end of 2024 played out during the 2025 operating year and what those outcomes mean for institutional planning in 2026. Rather than offering speculative forecasts, this episode uses 2025 as a calibration year. When predictions materialize, they remove ambiguity. They clarify which pressures are structural, which risks persist, and which leadership assumptions are no longer defensible. For presidents, boards, and senior leadership teams preparing for 2026, this conversation provides a grounded planning context based on conditions already in motion. Topics Covered What 2025 confirmed about federal policy instability, accountability, cost pressure, enrollment volatility, and governance risk Why the Department of Education is likely to remain in place through 2026 and why its continued existence should not be mistaken for stability How redistribution of authority across federal agencies increases compliance complexity for institutions Where student loans are likely to move within the federal system and why institutions face growing exposure to borrower outcomes Why broad student debt forgiveness remains unlikely and what limited relief options may realistically emerge How accountability is shifting toward program-level scrutiny and the implications for academic realignment Why accreditation reform remains unsettled and why leaders should treat accreditation as a strategic risk factor Workforce Pell expansion, quality oversight challenges, and the risk of fraud and abuse in short-term credentials The growing role of states in accountability as federal capacity contracts Research funding as political leverage and the planning risk created by funding uncertainty Polarization as an operational challenge affecting enrollment, safety, governance, and public trust Technology, AI, cybersecurity, and NIST compliance as board-level responsibilities Enrollment, demographic decline, cost escalation, and financial pressure entering the 2026 planning cycle Mergers, closures, and structural collaboration as necessary adaptation strategies Key Planning Judgments for 2026 The Department of Education will persist but continue to shrink and fragment Student loans will move further away from the Department, increasing institutional exposure Accountability pressure will intensify, particularly at the program level Accreditation reform will remain unresolved beyond 2026 Workforce Pell will expand, bringing both opportunity and heightened oversight risk Research funding will remain politically vulnerable Cost pressure will continue to drive consolidation and closures Technology and cybersecurity will demand sustained leadership attention This episode is especially relevant for presidents and trustees navigating compressed decision timelines, thinner margins for error, and declining tolerance for ambiguity. The focus is not prediction for its own sake, but clarity about the forces institutions must plan around as they enter 2026. #HigherEducation #HigherEd2026StrategicPlanning #HigherEducationPodcast

In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Ashley Finley, Vice President of Research and Senior Advisor to the President at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), about the findings of the 2025 AAC&U Employer Survey and what they reveal about employer expectations for higher education. Based on nearly 20 years of longitudinal research, the 2025 survey challenges many of the dominant public narratives about the value of college. Employers continue to express strong confidence in higher education, place equal importance on workforce preparation and citizenship, and increasingly emphasize adaptability, judgment, and civic capacity as core professional requirements. Dr. Finley explains how employers view civic skills as workplace competencies, why mindsets and dispositions are now baseline expectations rather than "soft skills," and how AI is reshaping what it means to be prepared for an uncertain future. The conversation also addresses generational differences among employers, the growing role of microcredentials, and why institutions must model the agility they expect from graduates. This episode is especially relevant for presidents, trustees, provosts, and senior leaders navigating political pressure, workforce alignment, and questions about institutional value. Topics Covered: What the 2025 AAC&U Employer Survey reveals that public narratives often miss Why employers see preparing informed citizens and a skilled workforce as inseparable goals How civic skills, including constructive disagreement, translate directly to workplace success Why motivation, resilience, initiative, and self-awareness are now baseline hiring expectations How employers think about AI readiness beyond simple tool proficiency Which student experiences increase hiring likelihood beyond internships How employers evaluate the credibility and value of microcredentials and certificates Generational shifts in employer expectations and what they signal for the future Three Takeaways for University Presidents and Boards: Institutions must communicate learning outcomes more clearly, including mindsets and dispositions, so students can articulate who they are becoming, not just what they know. Career-relevant experiences extend far beyond internships; leadership roles, campus employment, and community engagement carry significant employer value and are often more scalable. Agility must be modeled institutionally. Employers value adaptability, and colleges and universities cannot promote it in students while resisting change themselves. Bonus Takeaway from Dr. McNaughton: Employers continue to value higher education and the four-year degree, despite political rhetoric and cost-driven narratives suggesting otherwise. This disconnect presents both a risk and an opportunity for institutional leaders. This conversation offers data-grounded insight into how employers actually view higher education—and what leaders can do to align strategy, communication, and culture with those expectations. Read the full transcript: https://changinghighered.com/strategic-insights-2025-aacu-employer-survey/ #HigherEducation #HigherEducationLeadership #AACU #EmployerSurvey #WorkforceReadiness #ChangingHigherEdPodcast

Higher education communication is no longer a marketing function. It is a strategic discipline shaped by political pressure, governance risk, and real-time public scrutiny. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with David Maffei, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Americas at Staffbase, about how university presidents and boards must rethink how communication functions inside their institutions under today's crisis-driven conditions. Drawing on more than two decades of enterprise and higher education communications leadership, Maffei explains why internal communication now determines external credibility, why preparedness is the defining variable in crisis response, and how fragmented communication structures quietly undermine institutional trust. The discussion also explores how technology and AI amplify leadership discipline rather than replace it, and why presidential communication can no longer be delegated. This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, boards, and senior leadership teams navigating political pressure, public scrutiny, and rising expectations for transparency, alignment, and trust. Topics Covered Why internal communication now drives external brand credibility How crisis preparedness exposes governance strength or weakness Why internal notification must come before public announcements How political pressure reshapes presidential communication risk Why communication is now a core presidential competency The role of ego management in institutional leadership How siloed communication tools fracture institutional alignment Why unified board and presidential signaling protects credibility How technology and AI magnify leadership discipline Why communication is now embedded inside strategy, not downstream from it Three Takeaways for Higher Ed Leadership Preparedness determines whether crisis strengthens or destabilizes trust. Internal communication discipline now shapes external credibility in real time. Unified signaling between presidents and boards is no longer optional. This episode offers practical, governance-level insight into why communication performance is now inseparable from institutional performance — and how higher education leaders can protect credibility under sustained pressure. Read the transcript or extended show summary: https://changinghighered.com/higher-education-communication-strategy-crisis/ #HigherEducation #HigherEducationPodcast #UniversityLeadership #HigherEdCommunication 

Higher education is facing a growing disconnect between public perception and the realities of campus life. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Peter Murphy Lewis, CNN political analyst, filmmaker, and director of People Worth Caring About, about how institutions can reclaim their narrative and rebuild trust through authentic human stories. This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, trustees, and senior leaders navigating public skepticism, political pressure, and communication environments where external voices often define higher education's story. Some of the Topics Covered The forces driving negative public narratives about higher education How political rhetoric and social media distort campus realities Why families respond more strongly to human stories than to data or institutional claims How student and faculty voices build credibility across audiences Ways to adapt a single story for parents, prospective students, legislators, and alumni The importance of short-form storytelling for modern communication channels The CARE framework (Confront, Amplify, Reshape, Evergreen) for building narrative strategy Real-World Examples Discussed How the documentary model helps institutions show their value through lived experience Using student and faculty stories to counter assumptions about campus culture Why a 45-second authentic clip can strengthen trust more than a polished statement How major industries changed public perception through narrative work (e.g., Formula One's "Drive to Survive") Three Takeaways for Higher Education Leaders Talk about the elephant in the room. Talk about it through a story — show, don't tell. Eat that elephant one bite at a time. You can start tomorrow with your cell phone or an intern. One day at a time. One bite at a time. Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/reclaiming-the-higher-education-narrative/   #HigherEdLeadership #InstitutionalStrategy  #HigherEducationPodcast

Higher education leaders are being asked to innovate faster than their institutions are built to move. This episode of Changing Higher Ed explores how presidents and boards can change that. Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Erika Liodice, Executive Director of the Alliance for Innovation and Transformation (AFIT), about how institutions can strengthen their innovation capacity through futures thinking, cross-sector insight, and structured team-based planning. Topics Covered: How futures thinking helps leaders anticipate demographic, workforce, and technology shifts Why innovation efforts fail without planning discipline and shared vision How AFIT institutions use cross-sector learning to improve student experience and operations What VR, AI, and immersive environments reveal about modernizing curriculum and applied learning How team-based learning accelerates decision-making and supports strategy execution Why a long-horizon strategy must be paired with near-term planning cycles How leaders can strengthen coordination across academic, student services, and operational units Three Key Takeaways for Higher Education Leadership: Presidents and boards must anchor innovation in a future-oriented view of trends—environmental scanning, demographic forecasting, and technology signals should shape planning decisions. Innovation succeeds when the right teams plan together. Cross-functional alignment and shared ownership accelerate execution and prevent fragmented efforts. Institutions should treat innovation as an operational discipline tied to strategy, not a series of isolated pilots. Clear priorities, resource pathways, and coordinated leadership are essential. Recommended For: Presidents, trustees, senior leadership teams, and academic and operational administrators responsible for strengthening institutional resilience, planning capacity, and innovation strategy. Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/innovation-in-higher-education-adapt-foresight-planning-afit/ #HigherEducation #InnovationInHigherEd #HigherEducationPodcast