Galvanizing Sector Change

The upcoming, nearly sold-out UIA National Summit brings an essential part of our theory of change to life. We’re not just focused on improving our own campuses or driving innovation for UIA students—we’re here to galvanize and spark change across the entire sector. Our goal is to make it standard for campuses to collaborate on shared challenges, redesigning how institutions serve students so that every student can succeed in life.

We operate as a national lab for student success innovation. Not just for our benefit, but to share what we learn so others don't have to start from scratch. We want to shift our sector’s values and mindset away from isolated efforts to real collaboration.The future demands that higher education stop operating as thousands of separate institutions, all trying to solve the same problems in different places. Our challenges are shared, and innovation becomes far easier when we work together. We believe our collaborative approach can be replicated. What’s needed now is a seamless way to connect people around shared challenges (hence the Summit in our 10th year). Collaborative, high-impact innovation has fueled our success, and we hope to inspire more networks, partnerships, and alliances. 

Try and bring at least one other person with you. Attending conferences alone rarely leads to real change. You need a thought partner to strategize and take action when you return. Change isn’t a solo effort—it requires cross-functional teamwork to navigate daily challenges and transitions. Two can make a team, but don’t expect to implement solutions alone. Set yourself and your campus up for success by coming prepared.

We also think it's critical to acknowledge what we don’t know.  Like everyone in higher ed, we’re still figuring out how to improve economic and social mobility for all students. Some institutions have made progress on measuring mobility, but the real challenge is improving it for every student, regardless of background.

That’s why we’re kicking off the UIA Summit with Raj Chetty, a literal genius on social mobility. We want everyone aligned on tackling the big questions about the value of higher education and its impact on graduates’ lives. Our success—as a sector, as institutions, and as a country—depends on facing these challenges together.

I hope you'll join us in this work,

Bridget

Ps. U.S. Department of Education Undersecretary James Kvaal is a closing speaker!