You have to have a culture that embraces, supports, and is committed to these students and their success. The second key element is having the people who are committed to the culture. Once you have that platform, then you can start to think about programs. That’s the mindset we’ve brought to this.
Weekly Wisdom Live Event Series
Weekly Wisdom is an event series that streams live on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn on Mondays. Each event also becomes a podcast episode. Every week, the UIA joins forces with Inside Higher Ed and talks with a sitting college president or chancellor about how they're specifically navigating the challenges of this moment. These conversations are filled with practicable things you can do right now by unpacking how and why college leaders are making decisions within higher education. These episodes will also leave you with a sense of optimism and inspiration.
We know now the world is much more complicated than we thought. Historic institutions that are non-adaptive are going to have difficulty adjusting to these kinds of high-speed changes. We need to instill the ability to adjust and keep performing our mission as a core part of what we do.
Michael Crow
This is the time when American higher education understands that our strength as a country will be inextricably tied to our success in bringing people from all backgrounds into the problem solving as we face the future.
Freeman Hrabowski, III
We’ve got a lot of important work to make sure that our institutions come through this pandemic and get stronger, at the same time that we address the issues that are right in front of us around systemic racism.
Mark Becker
If you start to address what’s important to people, I think people are going to take you seriously, regardless of if you’re in a room with them, or if you’re doing it virtually.
Frank Dooley
You’ve got to be willing to have courage to have these open and frank discussions, you’ve got to put yourself in a position to foster these kinds of discussions, and sometimes, more often than not, you will listen to your constituency and they will have the better solutions.
Harold L. Martin, Sr.
Bridget Burns, Executive Director of the University Innovation Alliance, and Doug Lederman, Editor and Co-Founder of Inside Higher Ed, speak with Dr. Becky Johnson, Interim President of Oregon State University. She talks about effectively assuming a leadership role during a pandemic, not being driven by worst-case scenarios, and keeping an eye on the future while handling the current situation. Topics include:
- The value of staying calm and thinking instead of instantly reacting
- Assessing situations and concerns to better address the realities of the moment
- Projecting confidence and ensuring continuity
- Staying focused on the push for equity in higher ed
- Building an effective team and guiding future leaders toward their ideal roles
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 addressing equity gaps 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 diversity 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