Bridget Burns, Executive Director of the University Innovation Alliance, and Doug Lederman, Editor and Co-Founder of Inside Higher Ed, speak with Dr. Joseph Castro, Chancellor of the California State University System. Join us to hear his thoughts about listening to the people who depend on his leadership, the do's and don'ts of decision-making during a crisis, and the need to stay focused on the ongoing issues outside of any crisis. Topics include:

• Balancing the system's needs with the autonomy of individual campuses

• Being responsive to students' concerns and safety during the pandemic

• Factoring in flexibility and compassion while responding to a crisis

• Understanding the need to rethink and pivot based on current data

• The ongoing work of improving student success in higher ed

• The value of persistence, authenticity, transparency, and a good night's sleep


Bridget Burns, Executive Director of the University Innovation Alliance, and Doug Lederman, Editor and Co-Founder of Inside Higher Ed, speak with Dr. Kristina Johnson, President of Ohio State University. She talks to us about starting a new leadership job during the pandemic, how to improve public safety on and off campus, and the connection between student success and opportunity. Topics include:

• A year of public health restrictions

• Connecting with students

• Identifying the fundamental roots of increased crime

• Academic excellence with a focus on inclusion and equity

• The balance between team leadership and remaining a team player

• Fostering a climate of partnership

Bridget Burns, Executive Director of the University Innovation Alliance, and Derrick Tillman-Kelly, Director of UIA's Fellows Program and Network Engagement, speak with Dr. Bryan Brayboy, President’s Professor in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University. As senior advisor to the president, director of the Center for Indian Education, and co-editor of the Journal of American Indian Education, Dr. Brayboy discusses the challenges that indigenous students face in higher education, the efforts and missteps of institutions in addressing Native populations' needs, and the deep history of rights and responsibilities in U.S. democracy. Topics include:

• The burden of history and the misunderstandings that indigenous students are dealing with
• Land grant institutions and 21st-century land acknowledgment proclamations
• Good intentions and how they can miss the mark
• What it means to be in right relation
• How the Haudenosaunee (a.k.a. the Iroquois Confederacy) contributed to the basic structure of U.S. government