The Innovating Together Podcast

Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, and Doug Lederman, Editor and Co-Founder of Inside Higher Ed, speak with Dr. Javier Reyes, Interim Chancellor at the University of Illinois Chicago, one of the UIA's newest member institutions. Chancellor Reyes talks about his leadership style, expectations he's faced, lessons he's learning from the experience as interim, and how future administrators might best prepare for this kind of leadership. Topics include:

• The expectations vs. realities of accepting an interim position

• How higher ed administrators can and should be prepared for top leadership positions

• Why an interim chancellor is so much more than just a caretaker

• How Dr. Reyes will rethink his role as provost after his term as chancellor concludes

• Checking your own perceptions and ensuring that everyone is on the same page

Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, and Doug Lederman, Editor and Co-Founder of Inside Higher Ed, speak with Dr. Taylor Randall, President of the University of Utah, who was appointed to his current position in August 2021, and who brought his institution into the UIA. Dr. Randall talks about pragmatic optimism, setting expectations to manage transformation, reshaping curriculum based on student input, and how passion and creative tension can fuel positive change. Topics include:

• The leadership style that President Randall brings to the UIA
• 
Honoring obligation to stakeholders as a basis for innovation

• How to create a student-centric program
• 
Being guided by history and optimism

Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, and Doug Lederman, Editor and Co-Founder of Inside Higher Ed, speak with Dr. Paul LeBlanc, President of Southern New Hampshire University, who has served in his current position since 2003. Dr. LeBlanc talks about how he first introduced online education through disruptive innovation, what happens to schools that can't or won't evolve, the necessary discomfort of honesty in leadership, and personal stories as a critical tool in human connection. Topics include:


• Introducing technology to higher ed in the early days of the Internet

• Why some institutions are unable to succeed

• Challenges and benefits of owning the need for leadership course corrections
• 
Accepting opportunities that shouldn't be ignored
• Building a team through relational power