Navigating Political Uncertainty in Higher Education: A Strategic Approach to Success 

I recently had the opportunity to offer a keynote address related to building inclusive learning environments. During the session, I asked the audience to consider the reality that the state of our politics is making education super weird (that’s a technical term).   The growing polarization in U.S. politics has profound implications for higher education, especially in how we approach teaching, learning, and the role we play as educators. The narrative of education as “neutral” no longer serves us. In truth, every decision we make in the classroom—whether about curriculum, assessment, or treatment of students—has political dimensions. We must challenge the misconception of neutrality and embrace the fact that the classroom is where we actively shape the future of our students, exposing them to diverse perspectives and critical thinking skills that prepare them for the complexities of the world. By contrast, when campuses are “neutral”, we inadvertently support the transition from a society that appreciates facts to a society that believes all opinions are valid regardless of facts. A transition that fuels the degradation of human capital rather than advances it.   We must intentionally create spaces where students, faculty, and staff can engage with diverse perspectives, question the status quo within […]

Beyond the Acronym: Evolving DEI For Meaningful Change 

Over the past year, there have been a number of think pieces and declarations related to the need to maintain DEI as integral to the success of campuses. While many of these well-written and impactful statements offer a myriad of reasons we continue to need DEI programs, effective approaches to maintain these programs beyond “fight for the right to say/keep DEI” are harder to come by. We demand courageous leadership (as if DEI professionals haven’t always operated with courage) and then we define that courage as the willingness to put out a statement affirming their values and/or affirm that they will continue to say DEI. But if we’re being honest, that has always been the problem we’ve never addressed: allowing DEI to simply be platitudes and virtue signals, as if the words people say in public are always translated into meaningful action. And even when the words are truly courageous, the reality is that courage without a strategy is either ineffective or reckless.  As we transition from “fact-checking” to “community notes”, it is imperative that we infuse diverse experiences and perspectives within the overall lived experience. We must help everyone around us think critically about sources of knowledge and the […]

Knowing Yourself As a Leader 

Leadership has always been an endeavor laden with challenges—both the good kind that enables you to grow, and the difficult kind that stretches you. This year will certainly be no exception and is likely to test leaders, both formal and informal, at all levels. Given this climate, how do you not get stuck just reacting instead of intentionally leading? How do you prepare for what you don’t know is coming?    It might feel like there’s too much happening to focus on how you show up as a leader, and that other things should take priority—but this is exactly the time to lead, and leadership is the way forward. Throughout the year, Academic Impressions will highlight essential skills for leading in the moment, no matter the circumstances. We’ll focus on such skills as knowing yourself as a leader, making decisions amid uncertainty, and managing disruption fatigue, to name a few. You may not be able to predict every challenge, but you can build the skills to navigate them—keeping yourself and your teams moving forward.     Learning how you show up—both in normal and times of stress Some of the biggest pitfalls that can trip you up as a leader might […]

Resilient Leadership: How to Navigate Stress and Chaos with Clarity and Purpose 

In times of stress and chaos, leadership is often put to the ultimate test—and that is certainly an apt description of what’s happening in higher education these days. Faculty and staff are looking to their leaders for direction, stability, and reassurance at a time when leaders themselves are struggling to make sense of the flood of executive orders and guidance coming out of Washington, D.C.   Practicing resilient leadership provides the tools for navigating uncertainty with intention, clarity, and flexibility. There are a number of strategies that leaders can employ to not only guide their teams effectively but to also sustain their own well-being along the way.    Embracing the Difficult Realities As we react to unprecedented executive orders that are attacking higher education on any number of fronts, it can be easy to react with dismay, pessimism, or even denial. Neither reaction is helpful.  Jim Collins wrote about the “Stockdale Paradox,” in which he referenced the experiences of Admiral Stockdale, a prisoner of war (POW) in the Vietnam War. The Admiral had reflected on his impressions of those who survived and those who didn’t, and he shared that the survivors were those who embraced the very difficult and real circumstances […]

IngenioUs Leadership in Action: The Power of Unleashing Human Experience and Potential 

“When doing what we most love transforms us into the best possible version of ourselves and hints at even greater future possibilities, the urge to explore becomes a feverish compulsion.” -Steven Kotler1   Leadership in higher education goes beyond operational management—it is about creating a culture that inspires every individual to unleash their full potential. Over five seasons of the IngenioUs podcast, I’ve interviewed over 100 college and university presidents, uncovering key themes that show how exceptional leaders shape environments where human experience and potential can truly flourish.  In this first article of a new blog series, I explore a foundational theme: the transformative power of leadership that prioritizes people and a human-centered culture.  The stories in my latest book Ingenious Leadership reveal a powerful truth: the most impactful leaders are those who embrace authenticity, cultivate emotional intelligence, foster inclusion, and develop others to achieve their full potential.      Embrace Your Story: Authenticity as Leadership Strength Mary Dana Hinton, President of Hollins University, exemplifies the transformative power of owning one’s narrative. Growing up in the American South, Hinton often felt marginalized. Initially, she believed she needed to conform to traditional leadership norms to succeed. However, her journey toward educational equity revealed […]

Three Self-Defeating Habits of Leaders

One of the great gifts of working in higher education is that you get to work with leaders who are mission driven. Almost no leader I work with was motivated by climbing the ladder. They were motivated by their research, by working with students, by contributing to a purpose bigger than themselves. Over time, their desire to contribute and their skill have led them to opportunities to lead at higher levels. And in each of these roles, they bring with them their positive intentions, ready to make a difference.   Unfortunately, positive intent doesn’t by itself equate to positive impact. In fact, there are times when leaders’ best intentions — paradoxically — lead to worse results. How can this be? Very simply their desire to make a positive impact and contribution leads them to spend their time in ways that on the surface make sense, but that in the end actually work against them.   Here are the three most common behaviors I see that start from good intentions, but that end with a negative impact on the leader, their team and the task at hand:    1. Disproportionate Focus on Dissenters  Perhaps the most common pitfall I see is the one […]

Customer Service and Navigating the Enrollment Cliff: Strategic Insights for Institutional Leaders

As we face the pressing reality of the enrollment cliff, it’s crucial for leaders in higher education to adapt and innovate. Recent closures of nearly ten institutions in New York State since June 2023—such as Cazenovia College, Medaille College, The College of St. Rose, and Wells College—underscore the fragility of smaller, private schools, but this trend is not likely to stay isolated and compels us to examine the reasons behind students’ migration and identify strategic opportunities to enhance retention, both from a grassroots vantage point and from a systemic, and institutional perspective.   Higher education leaders can focus on what they can control: cultivating an exceptional student experience that highlights the unique strengths and distinct identity of their institutions. While factors such as geographic location may be outside their influence, strategic actions can emphasize what makes their campuses stand out. Forbes highlights a significant shift in student preferences, with many choosing to relocate from colder climates to warmer regions and moving from smaller, regional institutions to larger public universities, drawn by the promise of enhanced resources and opportunities. This increased competition, coupled with shifting public opinion about the value of a higher education degree, presents challenges for smaller institutions. However, by […]

Many Faculty Misunderstand What Enhancing Customer Service Means in the Classroom, and You May, Too 

As a senior administrator in higher education for decades, I spent a great deal of time creating programs and policies that would enhance the student experience. This seemed natural, and it was done in pursuit of boosting student satisfaction and retention. As an instructor, however, reconciling “student satisfaction” within my classroom was not as straightforward. My goal as an instructor was to provide information and build knowledge for students, despite the fact that sometimes the outcome was disappointing for both of us. Since students pay for classes, but not grades, there was never an expectation that students would be universally satisfied.  Enhancing the student experience and customer service on campus is often delegated to administrators and staff who develop policies, procedures, and programs for students that will act as guardrails at the edge of the enrollment cliff. However, many discussions over the years surrounding this important topic have often purposely steered away from the classroom— as though classrooms are shrouded under an invisibility cloak and are not up for discussion when it comes to customer service.  On one occasion, I was meeting with a mixture of administrators and faculty, and I shared my belief that we needed to examine our […]

We Gave 20 Provosts a Set of LEGO® Bricks to Play with. Here’s What Happened.  

Last fall, Academic Impressions launched our inaugural summit for Provosts. Held for 20 participating Provosts, the summit’s focus was on how Provosts can lead in the face of increasing ambiguity and complexity, a topic for which there is a lot more “talk” than “walk.” We wanted to show Provosts that there are proven strategies for doing so, and in particular, for engaging their teams in hard conversations when stakes are high.   This is even more important because most senior teams avoid talking about the really hard topics—like allocating scarce resources, cutting programs, etc. At many of the institutions we work with, Deans are more likely to lobby the Provost privately rather than to voice candid opinions in team meetings. But not only does this pattern make it much harder for the Provost to make effective decisions, it also isolates decisions with the Provost and ensures that Deans can easily absolve themselves of any responsibility.  What’s more, when the hard issues are only raised in one-on-one meetings, Deans and Vice Provosts don’t get to see the whole picture. The underlying mental models and assumptions that drive decisions can’t be challenged. And it reinforces a zero-sum mindset where there are only winners […]

Are Students Customers? It Doesn’t Matter.

For the last several years, there has been debate about whether students in higher education should be considered to be “customers.”  I have heard various arguments over the years against this viewpoint, including ideas against that point of view, like, “students aren’t customers, they don’t pay for grades.” As well as, in favor, “students are customers because they are paying for a service.” Recently, I read a thread on Reddit suggesting that some feel that college students aren’t customers, but actually the product of higher education. Still more posit that the products delivered in higher education are the experiences offered and degrees conferred. Either way, what is crystal-clear is that there isn’t consensus in this debate. But does it matter? The fact remains that debating this topic won’t solve the challenges of increasing student satisfaction, retention, and helping to mitigate the enrollment cliff—in fact, the debate likely exacerbates these issues. Today’s generation of students want to be attended to and cared for, and enhancing customer service is pivotal in this regard (Inside Higher Ed, 2023). This doesn’t mean that they want to be coddled—just valued and heard—regardless of whether or not we consider them to be customers. Perhaps this is most […]