College for All or College at All? Exploring a Future New Paradigm in Higher Education

Recorded live at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, this session featured Kathleen deLaski, Founder and Board Chair of Education Design Lab; Stig Leschly, President of the Postsecondary Commission; Diego Arambula, Vice President for Educational Transformation at the Carnegie Foundation; and Paul LeBlanc, Board Chair of Matter and Space. The conversation was moderated by Patrick Methvin, Director of Postsecondary Success and Pathways at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The session explored the evolving role of higher education in a rapidly changing world—and what it takes to move beyond outdated binaries about the value of college. Panelists examined how policy reform, innovative funding models, technology, and learner-centric design are reshaping the postsecondary landscape into something more inclusive, adaptive, and aligned with today’s complex realities. From institutional transformation to systemic redesign, the conversation offered bold ideas and real steps toward building a future-ready higher ed ecosystem.