Changing Higher Ed

In this podcast, Dr. June Parks , a licensed psychologist specializing in childhood trauma, discusses how the youth mental health crisis, has been exacerbated and accelerated by the pandemic. Parks explains why mental health challenges on college campuses affect all members of the community, how generational differences impact individuals' capacity to speak up about their own issues, and why menta...

Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Artem Gulish and Katherine Peltier Campbell, colleagues at Georgetown University, and co-authors of a recent report The Uncertain Pathway from Youth to a Good Job . In this podcast, they discuss the hurdles young adults face transitioning from school to a good job. Younger generations are taking longer to land good jobs than previous generations. In this conversatio...

Podcast Summary In this episode, Drumm McNaughton and Tom Netting unpack the complex and sweeping proposed changes that have been released by the Department of Education over the course of June and July of this year. This important discussion covers the recently proposed changes to Title IX in addition to the Department's notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding borrower defense to repayment...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Marvin Krislov, president of Pace University. Marvin is one of the few presidents still teaching classes, and his recent article discusses why compassion, community, and kindness are perfectly aligned with the goal of student success. Podcast Highlights All students at Pace University take a course called UNV 101, which eases them into the college ex...

Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Jayson Boyers, a first-generation student himself who is part of a new breed of higher education leaders hailing from the business community. As the president of Rosemont College, a very small liberal arts school in the greater Philadelphia area, Boyers is focused on innovative ways to meet student needs wherever they are. Podcast Highlights By looking at prospectiv...

In this podcast, Tom Netting and Drumm McNaughton discuss the issues debated in this year's Negotiated Rulemaking Process (NegReg) in depth. Netting provides his take on the major successes, implications of non-consensus, and other outcomes. In addition, they discuss other current legislation affecting higher education and upcoming changes to Title IX. Podcast Highlights During the process of Neg...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Allison Jegla and Richard Light, co-authors of a new book that offers no-cost to low-cost suggestions that just about anyone in higher education can use to improve their institutions. The book, Becoming Great Universities : Small Steps for Sustainable Excellence takes an optimistic approach to making big changes through small actions. Podcast Highlig...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Martha Larson, Energy Manager at Minnesota's Carleton College, about how colleges and universities can reduce their operating costs through the use of green technologies.   Podcast Highlights Martha Larson explains that higher education institutions have a responsibility to act as role models by changing carbon-intense behaviors and modernizing energ...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Michael Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, about his new article discussing the downturn in college enrollment rates – and why that trend might be a good thing. Podcast Highlights Over the course of the global pandemic in the past two years, nearly one million students that might have enrolled in higher graduation under normal ci...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Dr. Paul Alexander, president of Trinity Bible College and Graduate School, about Trinity's turnaround, which is a roadmap for a higher education institution turnaround. Podcast Highlights Build coalitions. Make sure relationships are preeminent. Everything happens out of those bonds. Make sure you craft the narrative, know how to share it and ensure...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Dr. Ashley Finley, Vice President of Research and Senior Advisor to the President for the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), where they talk about the study " On the Same Page? Administrator and Faculty Views on What Shapes College Learning and Student Success ." Podcast Highlights There's a difference between what faculty are...

Podcast Summary. Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Gerry Czarnecki, the recently retired chairman and longtime board member of National University System, about the changing role of the boards of trustees in higher education. Podcast Highlights Boards can no longer be rubber stamps. They need to ask difficult questions and analyze institutional data to help the institution make appropriate changes s...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Tom O'Reilly, president of Pine Manor College, about the College's efforts to change course financially and, once the pandemic emerged, to merge with Boston College in a way that honors their tradition of serving first-generation students. Podcast Highlights Leaders need to spend time creating a Plan A and a Plan B. Plan A goes into effect when thing...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Jim Bouse, Cirector for Enrollment Technology at the University of Oregon and former board chair of AACRAO, about using a holistic approach to enrollment management, especially in light of the enrollment cliff and the pandemic. Podcast Highlights Higher education is dealing with an accelerated rate of change because of the enrollment cliff and the pa...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Dr. Michael Horowitz, founding president of TCS Education System, about the system's expansion into healthcare and its use of technology to support student success. Podcast Highlights TCS has created its biggest project to date, the Kansas Health Science Center and its connected Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM). This effort is designed t...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Deb Maue, Senior Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing at Aurora University, discuss what has happened in 2021 and predict trends in higher education for 2022. Podcast Highlights Higher education's challenges in relation to enrollment cliff and funding were put on hold because of the federal stimulus funding. However, these still remain looming issues...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Dr. Stephen Standifird, President at Bradley University, about how the university's turnaround mentality is transforming its programs, financial reporting, governance, and leadership. Podcast Highlights By being customer-centric and asking prospective students what they want, higher education leaders can begin to redesign programs that attract enroll...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Dr. Dan Greenstein, chancellor of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education, about the system's change efforts to proactively deal with student enrollment declines and financial issues. Podcast Highlights Strategically integrating institutions can allow higher education systems to address declining enrollments and revenues through consolidating...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Mark Lombardi, president at Maryville University, about the institution's culture of innovation. Podcast Highlights Innovation in higher education involves starting with the end in mind, i.e., identifying the end point and ending date, and then allowing people to innovate with a focus on bringing the desired outcome into being. This approach requires...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, president at Amarillo College, about how to successfully transform a higher education institution to meet the needs of today's students in a way that that results in improved persistence and graduation rates. Podcast Highlights To successfully navigate the current environmental chaos, higher education institutions need to get...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Tom Netting, CEO at TEN Government Strategies, about the current issues being discussed by federal policymakers in Washington. Podcast Highlights The U.S. Congress is considering several packages. However, the names and vehicle for passage continue to change to get buy-in politically. Two Neg Regs are on the horizon in relation to student loans and i...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Dr. Michael B. Poliakoff, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), and Dr. Armand Alacbay, ACTA's vice president of trustee and government affairs, about the organization's new report, "The Cost of Excess," which analyzes the reasons and impacts behind the continual rising cost of higher education. Podcast Highlights Higher ed...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Dr. Roger Hughes, President at Doane University, about the knowledge, qualities and skills that higher education leaders need to have. Podcast Highlights Higher education leaders can come from a variety of backgrounds, including coaching. Leadership knowledge and skills can be transferred between different types of jobs. It's important to grow leader...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Dr. Melik Khoury, president of Unity College, about the institution's out-of-the-box thinking that is creating a new business model for higher education. Podcast Highlights Higher education is built on a traditional system that was developed by elite institutions. However, the model isn't sustainable for educating a broader group of students. College...

Podcast Summary Dr. Drumm McNaughton interviews Matt Scogin, president at Hope College, about the institution's Hope Forward program. Podcast Highlights Higher education leaders can look at innovation through creating new financial models that are not based on tuition. The Hope Forward model is designed to increase access to higher education while also not saddling students with significant studen...