Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, and Doug Lederman, Editor and Co-Founder of Inside Higher Ed, speak with Michael Rao, President of Virginia Commonwealth University. He talks about VCU joining the UIA, positivity among like-minded leaders, the benefits of shared experience and data, and the importance of maintaining an affirmative, human tone. Topics include:

• The broader mission of higher ed institutions and their leaders

• Previous experience with and future hopes for collaboration between presidents

• His strategy for minimizing partisan politics on the university board

• How he plans to announce VCU's new membership in the UIA


Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, and Doug Lederman, Editor and Co-Founder of Inside Higher Ed, speak with James Kvaal, U.S. Under Secretary of Education. He talks about leadership at the federal level, understanding the perspectives of advocates from outside the government, and the critical details of what it takes to be an effective communicator. Topics include:


• Emulating the best qualities of high-profile leaders with whom he's worked

• How nonprofit sector experiences improved his effectiveness as a federal appointee

• How education policy happens

• The future of American higher ed that he'd like to see

• The difference between what we say and what others hear

Bridget Burns, Executive Director of the University Innovation Alliance, and Doug Lederman, Editor and Co-Founder of Inside Higher Ed, speak with Dr. Michael Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College. He talks about adapting to the long haul of the pandemic, best practices for focusing on and pursuing what truly matters to an institution and the ed sector at large, and identifying the path forward that will benefit the most people. Topics include:

• Finding a North Star to guide his institution through ongoing challenge

• How a crisis can shape decision-making for both administrators and students

• What it means for an institution to "win" in higher education
• Words of faith and encouragement that can be applied at many levels