Fresh From the UIA (Inside Higher Ed)

Casey Sacks, President of BridgeValley Community and Technical College, discusses the view on the ground versus the big picture, her personal leadership journey, some of her proudest accomplishments, strategies for decision making, and the power of both information and knowledge.

Charles Welch, President and CEO of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, discusses what inspired him to work in the education sector, leadership’s unique perspective, painful decisions for the good of the institution, and the value of authenticity and lived experience.

Dr. Shonda Gibson discusses what America needs from higher education, the challenges and rewards for a major university system, how to best serve returning students, and humility and perspective as leadership attributes.

Lisa Vollendorf, President of SUNY Empire State, discusses what shaped her as a leader, higher ed’s tendency toward elitism, how leaders and institutions can grow through traumatic events, and the value of being present and making the best possible impact.

Bridget Burns of the University Innovation Alliance and Doug Lederman of Inside Higher Ed discuss pitching scalable ideas from a place of commonality, respecting the time and interest of leaders at other institutions, owning and remediating mistakes, and speaking with a collective voice.

Garnett Stokes, President of University of New Mexico, discusses the mindset of accepting new leadership challenges, the responsibilities of institutional leaders as employers, required skills for effective leadership, and navigating the small world of higher ed.

Chris Howard, EVP and COO of Arizona State University, discusses how leadership is more than a title, what a president actually does, an early lesson from the military, and three books that helped him define his role.