Higher education enters 2026 under conditions that are no longer hypothetical. In this 8th annual end-of-year episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton is joined by Tom Netting of TEN Government Strategies to review how the predictions made at the end of 2024 played out during the 2025 operating year and what those outcomes mean for institutional planning in 2026.

Rather than offering speculative forecasts, this episode uses 2025 as a calibration year. When predictions materialize, they remove ambiguity. They clarify which pressures are structural, which risks persist, and which leadership assumptions are no longer defensible. For presidents, boards, and senior leadership teams preparing for 2026, this conversation provides a grounded planning context based on conditions already in motion.

Topics Covered

• What 2025 confirmed about federal policy instability, accountability, cost pressure, enrollment volatility, and governance risk

• Why the Department of Education is likely to remain in place through 2026 and why its continued existence should not be mistaken for stability

• How redistribution of authority across federal agencies increases compliance complexity for institutions

• Where student loans are likely to move within the federal system and why institutions face growing exposure to borrower outcomes

• Why broad student debt forgiveness remains unlikely and what limited relief options may realistically emerge

• How accountability is shifting toward program-level scrutiny and the implications for academic realignment

• Why accreditation reform remains unsettled and why leaders should treat accreditation as a strategic risk factor

• Workforce Pell expansion, quality oversight challenges, and the risk of fraud and abuse in short-term credentials

• The growing role of states in accountability as federal capacity contracts

• Research funding as political leverage and the planning risk created by funding uncertainty

• Polarization as an operational challenge affecting enrollment, safety, governance, and public trust

• Technology, AI, cybersecurity, and NIST compliance as board-level responsibilities

• Enrollment, demographic decline, cost escalation, and financial pressure entering the 2026 planning cycle

• Mergers, closures, and structural collaboration as necessary adaptation strategies

Key Planning Judgments for 2026

• The Department of Education will persist but continue to shrink and fragment

• Student loans will move further away from the Department, increasing institutional exposure

• Accountability pressure will intensify, particularly at the program level

• Accreditation reform will remain unresolved beyond 2026

• Workforce Pell will expand, bringing both opportunity and heightened oversight risk

• Research funding will remain politically vulnerable

• Cost pressure will continue to drive consolidation and closures

• Technology and cybersecurity will demand sustained leadership attention

This episode is especially relevant for presidents and trustees navigating compressed decision timelines, thinner margins for error, and declining tolerance for ambiguity. The focus is not prediction for its own sake, but clarity about the forces institutions must plan around as they enter 2026.

#HigherEducation #HigherEd2026StrategicPlanning #HigherEducationPodcast

In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Ashley Finley, Vice President of Research and Senior Advisor to the President at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), about the findings of the 2025 AAC&U Employer Survey and what they reveal about employer expectations for higher education.

Based on nearly 20 years of longitudinal research, the 2025 survey challenges many of the dominant public narratives about the value of college. Employers continue to express strong confidence in higher education, place equal importance on workforce preparation and citizenship, and increasingly emphasize adaptability, judgment, and civic capacity as core professional requirements.

Dr. Finley explains how employers view civic skills as workplace competencies, why mindsets and dispositions are now baseline expectations rather than "soft skills," and how AI is reshaping what it means to be prepared for an uncertain future. The conversation also addresses generational differences among employers, the growing role of microcredentials, and why institutions must model the agility they expect from graduates.

This episode is especially relevant for presidents, trustees, provosts, and senior leaders navigating political pressure, workforce alignment, and questions about institutional value.

Topics Covered:

• What the 2025 AAC&U Employer Survey reveals that public narratives often miss

• Why employers see preparing informed citizens and a skilled workforce as inseparable goals

• How civic skills, including constructive disagreement, translate directly to workplace success

• Why motivation, resilience, initiative, and self-awareness are now baseline hiring expectations

• How employers think about AI readiness beyond simple tool proficiency

• Which student experiences increase hiring likelihood beyond internships

• How employers evaluate the credibility and value of microcredentials and certificates

• Generational shifts in employer expectations and what they signal for the future

Three Takeaways for University Presidents and Boards:

• Institutions must communicate learning outcomes more clearly, including mindsets and dispositions, so students can articulate who they are becoming, not just what they know.

• Career-relevant experiences extend far beyond internships; leadership roles, campus employment, and community engagement carry significant employer value and are often more scalable.

• Agility must be modeled institutionally. Employers value adaptability, and colleges and universities cannot promote it in students while resisting change themselves.

Bonus Takeaway from Dr. McNaughton:

• Employers continue to value higher education and the four-year degree, despite political rhetoric and cost-driven narratives suggesting otherwise. This disconnect presents both a risk and an opportunity for institutional leaders.

This conversation offers data-grounded insight into how employers actually view higher education—and what leaders can do to align strategy, communication, and culture with those expectations.

Read the full transcript: https://changinghighered.com/strategic-insights-2025-aacu-employer-survey/

#HigherEducation #HigherEducationLeadership #AACU #EmployerSurvey #WorkforceReadiness #ChangingHigherEdPodcast

Higher education communication is no longer a marketing function. It is a strategic discipline shaped by political pressure, governance risk, and real-time public scrutiny.

In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with David Maffei, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Americas at Staffbase, about how university presidents and boards must rethink how communication functions inside their institutions under today's crisis-driven conditions.

Drawing on more than two decades of enterprise and higher education communications leadership, Maffei explains why internal communication now determines external credibility, why preparedness is the defining variable in crisis response, and how fragmented communication structures quietly undermine institutional trust. The discussion also explores how technology and AI amplify leadership discipline rather than replace it, and why presidential communication can no longer be delegated.

This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, boards, and senior leadership teams navigating political pressure, public scrutiny, and rising expectations for transparency, alignment, and trust.

• Why internal communication now drives external brand credibility
• How crisis preparedness exposes governance strength or weakness
• Why internal notification must come before public announcements
• How political pressure reshapes presidential communication risk
• Why communication is now a core presidential competency
• The role of ego management in institutional leadership
• How siloed communication tools fracture institutional alignment
• Why unified board and presidential signaling protects credibility
• How technology and AI magnify leadership discipline
• Why communication is now embedded inside strategy, not downstream from it

1. Preparedness determines whether crisis strengthens or destabilizes trust.
2. Internal communication discipline now shapes external credibility in real time.
3. Unified signaling between presidents and boards is no longer optional.

This episode offers practical, governance-level insight into why communication performance is now inseparable from institutional performance — and how higher education leaders can protect credibility under sustained pressure.

Read the transcript or extended show summary: https://changinghighered.com/higher-education-communication-strategy-crisis/

#HigherEducation #HigherEducationPodcast #UniversityLeadership #HigherEdCommunication

Accreditation is becoming one of the clearest pressure points for colleges and universities. Federal expectations are shifting, public skepticism is rising, and accreditors are preparing for changes that will affect how institutions demonstrate quality, mission alignment, and student success. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Nasser H. Paydar, President and CEO of CHEA, about how these forces are converging—and what presidents and boards need to do now to stay ahead of the next wave of accreditation demands.

This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, trustees, and senior leaders who rely on accreditation as both a quality framework and a strategic tool.

Topics Covered:

• How accelerating federal expectations and negotiated rulemaking will affect accreditors and institutions
• Why transparency and accessible program information have become central to public trust
• How demographic pressures, financial strain, and uneven completion rates intersect with accreditation expectations
• Why boards and presidents must link student success metrics directly to strategy and resource decisions
• How CHEA is working with regional and programmatic accreditors to align expectations and strengthen peer review
• The growing importance of global quality assurance partnerships, including CHEA's agreement with ANQAHE
• How AI, technology adoption, and workforce alignment are influencing accreditation priorities

Real-World Issues Discussed:

• Institutions where advising, transfer, and unclear program costs undermine student outcomes
• Campuses are struggling to adapt learning and assessment practices to AI-driven environments
• Boards that cannot provide effective oversight without clear student success indicators
• The risk institutions face when transparency gaps erode public confidence

Three Key Takeaways for Leadership:

• Leaders must treat student success as the organizing principle for institutional strategy and accreditation readiness.
• Institutions that respond quickly to evidence, policy trends, and accreditation expectations will protect autonomy and maintain stability.
• Boards and presidents must align governance, mission, and transparency to rebuild trust and guide institutions through uncertainty.

Read the transcript or the extended show summary: https://changinghighered.com/student-success-through-higher-education-accreditation-chea/

#HigherEdLeadership #Accreditation #StudentSuccess #HigherEducationPodcast

Higher education is facing a growing disconnect between public perception and the realities of campus life. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Peter Murphy Lewis, CNN political analyst, filmmaker, and director of People Worth Caring About, about how institutions can reclaim their narrative and rebuild trust through authentic human stories.

This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, trustees, and senior leaders navigating public skepticism, political pressure, and communication environments where external voices often define higher education's story.

• The forces driving negative public narratives about higher education
• How political rhetoric and social media distort campus realities
• Why families respond more strongly to human stories than to data or institutional claims
• How student and faculty voices build credibility across audiences
• Ways to adapt a single story for parents, prospective students, legislators, and alumni
• The importance of short-form storytelling for modern communication channels
• The CARE framework (Confront, Amplify, Reshape, Evergreen) for building narrative strategy

• How the documentary model helps institutions show their value through lived experience
• Using student and faculty stories to counter assumptions about campus culture
• Why a 45-second authentic clip can strengthen trust more than a polished statement
• How major industries changed public perception through narrative work (e.g., Formula One's "Drive to Survive")

1. Talk about the elephant in the room.
2. Talk about it through a story — show, don't tell.
3. Eat that elephant one bite at a time. You can start tomorrow with your cell phone or an intern. One day at a time. One bite at a time.

Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/reclaiming-the-higher-education-narrative/

#HigherEdLeadership #InstitutionalStrategy #HigherEducationPodcast

Higher education leaders are being asked to innovate faster than their institutions are built to move. This episode of Changing Higher Ed explores how presidents and boards can change that. Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Erika Liodice, Executive Director of the Alliance for Innovation and Transformation (AFIT), about how institutions can strengthen their innovation capacity through futures thinking, cross-sector insight, and structured team-based planning.

Topics Covered:

• How futures thinking helps leaders anticipate demographic, workforce, and technology shifts
• Why innovation efforts fail without planning discipline and shared vision
• How AFIT institutions use cross-sector learning to improve student experience and operations
• What VR, AI, and immersive environments reveal about modernizing curriculum and applied learning
• How team-based learning accelerates decision-making and supports strategy execution
• Why a long-horizon strategy must be paired with near-term planning cycles
• How leaders can strengthen coordination across academic, student services, and operational units

1. Presidents and boards must anchor innovation in a future-oriented view of trends—environmental scanning, demographic forecasting, and technology signals should shape planning decisions.

2. Innovation succeeds when the right teams plan together. Cross-functional alignment and shared ownership accelerate execution and prevent fragmented efforts.

3. Institutions should treat innovation as an operational discipline tied to strategy, not a series of isolated pilots. Clear priorities, resource pathways, and coordinated leadership are essential.

Presidents, trustees, senior leadership teams, and academic and operational administrators responsible for strengthening institutional resilience, planning capacity, and innovation strategy.

Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/innovation-in-higher-education-adapt-foresight-planning-afit/

#HigherEducation #InnovationInHigherEd #HigherEducationPodcast

Accreditation trends and expectations are shifting under rising accountability pressures, financial constraints, and increased scrutiny of student outcomes. This episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast features Maria Toyoda, President and CEO of the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), in a strategic conversation with Dr. Drumm McNaughton about how institutions can strengthen accreditation readiness and support stronger student success.

This episode is essential for presidents, provosts, trustees, and senior leaders responsible for accreditation, mission alignment, evidence systems, governance oversight, and long-term institutional resilience.

• How WSCUC evaluates institutional effectiveness, learning outcomes, and mission alignment
• The post-pandemic readiness gaps shaping student progression and support needs
• Program-level earnings, debt, default rates, and transparency expectations
• How institutional evidence must reflect the students served
• Financial pressures affecting academic quality, resource planning, and program viability
• Expectations for continuous improvement and documented assessment cycles
• The role of governance in sustaining accreditation and institutional credibility

• The Key Indicator Dashboard and how program-level data informs institutional planning
• Program earnings and debt trends affecting default risk after the repayment restart
• How military-connected learner documentation informs competency evaluation
• Institutions balancing support structures with financial pressures and staffing constraints
• Mission drift and its impact on planning, budgeting, and academic decision pathways

1. Institutions must understand their students clearly and align academic design, support systems, and assessment with documented learning needs.
2. Program-level debt, earnings, and completion patterns should drive decisions about program viability, financial planning, and long-term strategy.
3. Continuous improvement requires evidence-based action; leaders must ensure that learning assessment results lead directly to curricular and support refinements.

Read the transcript or the extended show summary: https://changinghighered.com/how-wasc-is-shaping-the-future-of-accreditation-and-student-success/

#HigherEdLeadership #Accreditation #WSCUC

Improving how teaching happens in the classroom is one of the most effective ways to increase student retention, stabilize tuition revenue, and strengthen institutional reputation—yet most universities don't manage it strategically.

In this episode of Changing Higher Ed, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with David Gooblar, Associate Professor at the University of Iowa and author of The Missing Course, about how teaching quality has fallen outside institutional oversight and what presidents and boards can do to make it a core part of strategic leadership.

They explore how governance structures, incentive systems, and faculty preparation create a blind spot that limits progress on student success. Gooblar and McNaughton outline what leadership can do to realign teaching, strategy, and accountability to improve learning and institutional performance.

Topics Covered:

• Why first-year GPA, driven by classroom experience, predicts retention and completion.

• How tenure and incentive systems discourage teaching innovation.

• The leadership role in integrating pedagogy into strategic and financial planning.

• Practical ways to invest in teaching infrastructure and faculty capacity.

• How governing boards can hold institutions accountable for the conditions that enable great teaching.

Why It Matters: When institutions manage teaching with the same rigor as finance and enrollment, they see measurable gains in persistence, lower cost per graduate, and stronger mission credibility. Teaching quality is not just a faculty concern—it's a leadership lever for institutional performance.

Three Takeaways for University Presidents and Boards:

1. Make teaching measurable and managed. Track instructional quality alongside financial and enrollment metrics.

2. Align incentives with institutional goals. Reward teaching innovation in evaluation and promotion.

3. Invest in the conditions for learning. Fund the infrastructure and faculty capacity that make engagement and feedback possible.

Read the full episode summary and transcript: https://changinghighered.com/real-cost-of-overlooking-teaching-quality-in-higher-ed/

#HigherEdLeadership #StudentSuccess #HigherEducationPodcast

Free speech on college campuses has become one of higher education's most volatile and defining challenges. In this episode, Dr. Drumm McNaughton talks with Dr. Sean Stevens, Chief Research Advisor at FIRE—the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression—about findings from FIRE's newly released College Free Speech Rankings and the state of academic freedom, the growing political pressures on universities, and how presidents and boards can protect open dialogue in today's divided climate.

Topics Covered:

• Why FIRE expanded its mission beyond higher education and no longer stands for "Foundation for Individual Rights in Education."

• How FIRE's College Free Speech Rankings and Scholars Under FIRE survey measure tolerance and academic freedom nationwide.

• What the data shows about declining political tolerance among students and faculty.

• How government pressure is influencing faculty terminations and speech policies.

• The role of leadership in maintaining consistent, transparent free speech policies.

• Examples from Vanderbilt and Dartmouth showing how structured dialogue programs improve campus discourse.

Three Takeaways for University Presidents and Boards:

1. Establish and Communicate Bright Lines – Define clear speech policies and enforce them consistently across all viewpoints.

2. Stand Firm in Times of Controversy – Uphold principles of free expression even when political or donor pressure mounts.

3. Promote Civic Dialogue and Intellectual Diversity – Support programs that help students and faculty engage constructively across ideological divides.

Read the transcript or extended show summary: https://changinghighered.com/free-speech-on-college-campuses-fire-report/

#HigherEducation #FreeSpeech #FIRE

Host Dr. Drumm McNaughton welcomes Dr. Harrison Keller, president of the University of North Texas and former Texas commissioner of higher education.

This episode of the Changing Higher Ed podcast helps higher education presidents, boards, and senior leaders rethink how to connect institutional mission with workforce readiness. It explores how institutions can better align employer partnerships, faculty innovation, and experiential learning to ensure graduates gain both economic and civic value from their degrees.

Listeners will hear how the University of North Texas is translating statewide strategy into campus-level change—showing what's possible when leadership, faculty, and employers collaborate to strengthen outcomes for students and the workforce alike.

Keller shares how Building a Talent Strong Texas redefined higher education's value proposition by tying attainment goals to time-to-value, graduate earnings, and measurable student outcomes.

He also discusses UNT's Texas Talent Accelerator, faculty externships, and cross-campus structures that link curriculum, research, and employer engagement.

Together, these efforts demonstrate how thoughtful strategy, data-informed planning, and shared governance can create lasting institutional and workforce impact.

• Measuring value through outcomes and earnings using time-to-value analysis
• Aligning programs with workforce needs through employer partnerships and data
• Texas Talent Accelerator: coordinated collaboration across institutions
• Faculty externships connecting academic insight and workforce practice
• Embedding civil dialogue and collaboration into student learning

1. Use outcomes and earnings data to guide academic and financial strategy.
2. Build employer partnerships that sustain workforce readiness.
3. Support faculty collaboration and innovation through aligned governance and incentives.

Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/aligning-higher-ed-with-workforce-needs-and-student-value/

#HigherEdLeadership #StrategicPlanning #WorkforceReadiness #StudentOutcomes #HigherEducationPodcast