Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, introduces an episode of the Innovating Together Podcast featuring her debate at the ASU+GSV Summit with Ryan Craig, Managing Director at Achieve Partners, about whether college is still worth it. Within the framework of Alex Grodd’s The Disagreement podcast, they talk about higher ed’s evolving role in society, the cultural narrative around economic mobility, infusing academic programs with job market awareness, and who ultimately benefits from college. Topics include:

• The broader value of college for an educated, informed society
• The argument for alternative models to higher ed Integrating apprenticeships in college curriculum
• The incongruity of equating college with businesses

Tune in to discover how opposing views about the value of college can find a surprising amount of common ground when evaluated by their real-world merits.

Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, introduces UIA Summit keynote speaker Tim Renick, Executive Director of the National Institute for Student Success, on the Innovating Together Podcast. Dr. Renick talks about the proven effectiveness of gathering and applying data, reshaping student success through predictive analytics, how proactive advising starts with efficient outreach, and how a completion grant program can close the equity gap for low-income students. Topics include:
 

• Deploying a data-driven fix for higher ed
• How predictive analytics changed the conversation around improving graduation rates
• A design thinking exercise showing the need for proactive advising models
• Completion grants increase low-income students’ chances of graduating
• Giving all students the tools for success

 
Tune in to learn how data is the key for scaling what works in higher education.
 

In this episode of the Innovating Together Podcast, host Bridget Burns spotlights one of the most inspiring leadership journeys in the University Innovation Alliance’s history: Dr. Ryan Goodwin. A member of the UIA’s inaugural Fellows cohort, Dr. Goodwin reflects on his evolution from a fresh post-grad working out of a closet office at UCF to now serving as Senior Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff in UCF’s largest division.

Listeners will hear how the UIA Fellows Program laid the foundation for Dr. Goodwin’s extraordinary career: shaping policy, leading advising reform, and helping UCF make student success its top strategic priority. His story illustrates the power of believing in people early, investing in collaboration, and the transformative impact of empowering others to lead. From pioneering one of the largest advising reforms in the country to cutting student-to-coach ratios in half and dramatically improving graduation rates, this conversation highlights how incremental, daily efforts can create breakthroughs.

Key Takeaways:

• Great change comes from consistent small steps, not one-time innovations.
• Investing in early-career professionals unlocks scalable, long-term impact.
• UIA’s Fellows Program is a powerful pipeline for future higher ed leaders.
• Cross-functional collaboration and bold risk-taking are essential to institutional transformation.
• Student success isn’t a strategy, it’s a culture.

“Transformation isn’t a single stroke of genius. It’s the daily intentional efforts to drive forward, to innovate, and to uplift those around you.” — Dr. Ryan Goodwin