EdUp Insights

Bryan Alexander is an internationally recognized futurist, author, and thought leader focused on the future of higher education. He is a senior scholar at Georgetown University, where he teaches in the Learning, Design, and Technology program, and is widely known for helping institutions understand how technology, demographics, economics, and culture intersect to shape what comes next in postsecondary education. Bryan is the author of several influential books, including Peak Higher Ed: How to Survive the Looming Academic Crisis, Academia Next, and Universities on Fire, which examine enrollment trends, student debt, public trust, climate risk, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. He is also the creator and host of the Future Trends Forum, a long‑running global dialogue bringing higher education leaders together to explore possible futures. Known for blending historical insight with forward‑looking analysis, Bryan’s work challenges colleges and universities to confront difficult realities while imagining more resilient and student‑centered paths forward.

Rick Staisloff is a nationally recognized leader in higher education finance and strategy and the founder and senior partner of rpk GROUP, a consulting firm focused on helping colleges and universities build financially sustainable business models. With more than two decades of experience across public and private institutions, state agencies, and legislative bodies, Rick has been a leading voice in reframing how higher education leaders think about cost, value, and return on investment. His work with organizations such as the American Council on Education, the Association of Governing Boards, NACUBO, and major foundations has helped shape a new language and set of metrics around affordability and long-term sustainability. Drawing on his background as a former campus CFO and policy analyst, Rick brings a practical, data-informed approach to guiding institutional leaders through complex change while keeping mission and student success at the center.

In this special edition of Ed Up Authors Insights, Chuck and Mike reflect on their long‑standing partnership and the ideas behind their latest book—one that tackles some of the most difficult and under‑examined challenges facing higher education today.

No Confidence explores the growing frequency of faculty no‑confidence votes, what drives them, and what they signal about leadership, shared governance, and institutional trust. Drawing on decades of experience as university presidents, policy leaders, and scholars, the conversation moves beyond headlines to focus on context, causes, and constructive paths forward.

Key themes include:• Leadership during sustained institutional crisis
• The evolving role of shared governance
• Financial pressure, transparency, and trust
• Why difficult conversations are necessary for the future of higher education

This episode is both candid and hopeful—grounded in reality, but focused on solutions and learning rather than blame.

Jason Montgomery is a Partner at Husch Blackwell and a former NCAA investigator with extensive experience working both on campus and at the national level. Throughout his career, he has helped colleges and universities navigate NCAA enforcement, eligibility, compliance, and complex regulatory challenges, bringing a practical, systems‑level perspective shaped by years inside athletics departments and the NCAA, with a strong focus on accountability and institutional integrity. TaRonda Randall is Senior Counsel at Husch Blackwell and brings deep experience at the intersection of collegiate athletics, compliance, and equity. A former Division I student‑athlete, she has worked inside athletics departments, at the NCAA National Office, and now advises institutions on NCAA governance, NIL, Title IX, and student‑athlete welfare—grounding her work in lived experience and a clear commitment to strengthening how colleges support athletes and campus communities.

Dr. Sara Goldrick‑Rab** is a nationally recognized sociologist, author, and leading voice on college affordability and student basic needs. She is best known for founding the **#RealCollege movement**, which has transformed how higher education understands food insecurity, housing instability, and financial precarity among students. Through her research, writing, and policy engagement, she has helped shift conversations from student “resilience” to institutional responsibility. Dr. Goldrick‑Rab is the author of the influential book *Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream* and continues to work closely with college leaders, faculty, and policymakers to make higher education more humane, equitable, and accessible for today’s students.

Dr. Kevin R. McClure is a nationally recognized scholar, writer, and speaker focused on leadership, finance, and workplace culture in higher education. He serves as a professor of higher education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where his work centers on how colleges—particularly regional public universities—can build more sustainable, people‑first institutions. Widely known for translating complex higher‑ed challenges into accessible, practical insights, McClure’s research and commentary have appeared in venues such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, along with national conferences, podcasts, and leadership workshops. His scholarship and public voice emphasize organizational care, faculty and staff well‑being, and the structural changes needed for colleges and universities to thrive in an era of financial pressure, burnout, and transformation.

Brian Rosenberg is a former college president, higher education scholar, and widely respected commentator on institutional leadership and change. He is President Emeritus of Macalester College, a Visiting Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Senior Advisor to the African Leadership University. Drawing on decades of experience as a faculty member, dean, and president, Rosenberg is best known for his incisive analysis of why higher education resists change, articulated in his book Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Resistance to Change in Higher Education (Harvard Education Press). His work blends lived leadership experience with cultural and structural critique, offering a candid, thoughtful perspective on governance, presidential leadership, and the future of colleges and universities.

Dr. Karen Weaver is a nationally recognized scholar and practitioner at the intersection of intercollegiate athletics, higher education leadership, and public policy. She serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and is the Academic Director of the Collegiate Athletics for Senior Campus Leaders certificate program. A former Division I and III coach and athletics administrator, Dr. Weaver brings more than four decades of experience helping presidents, boards, and campus leaders navigate the governance, finance, and cultural challenges shaping college sports today. Her work focuses on aligning athletics with institutional mission and values, and she is the author of a forthcoming book from Johns Hopkins University Press on what campus leaders need to know about the future of college athletics.

Dr. Hass brings deep experience and a national perspective on higher education leadership. She currently serves as President of the Council of Independent Colleges, representing hundreds of institutions committed to access, innovation, and student success. Her career spans faculty leadership, the presidency, and system‑level advocacy—grounded in a clear commitment to mission‑driven higher education.

In this conversation, Dr. Hass shares thoughtful insights on leadership, institutional value, and what it takes to guide colleges and universities through complexity and change—while staying focused on students and purpose.

An important listen for anyone thinking about the future of higher education and the leaders shaping it.

John Thelin is a nationally respected historian of higher education and Professor Emeritus of Higher Education and Public Policy at the University of Kentucky. He is widely known for bringing historical perspective to today’s most pressing issues in higher education, including college access, affordability, governance, and the role of athletics. Over a distinguished academic career, John has authored several influential books, including A History of American Higher Education, Going to College in the Sixties, and Games Colleges Play, which examine campus life, institutional culture, and the evolution of college sports. His work is frequently cited by scholars, policymakers, and journalists, and he is a sought‑after voice for understanding how the past shapes the future of American colleges and universities.

If you want, I can also tailor this specifically for college athletics, NIL conversations, or a higher‑ed leadership audience.