Changing Higher Ed

In this episode of the podcast, two-time former president of the University of South Carolina, Harris Pastides, shares his experiences and beliefs about what it takes to lead an institution of higher education in the 21st century. Throughout his remarkable career, Pastides has led with a student-centered approach, a willingness to show his own humanity, and a commitment to making himself accessible and available to students and faculty alike. His leadership style transcends the skill sets that once defined a qualified, capable university president. By leaning into his own authenticity instead of following any kind of conventional playbook, he has cultivated meaningful relationships with thousands of students based on trust, compassion, openness, and shared values. Podcast Highlights As a first-generation student, Pastides’ formative experiences broadened his perspective and led to a core belief in the fundamental sameness of human beings. His focus on the shared humanity among all individuals has been a hallmark of his student-centered leadership style. In times of tragedy, there is no playbook for how to lead. In the aftermath of a tragic incident on campus, Pastides responded with authentic humanity and compassion first, connecting deeply with a grieving campus community before spearheading initiatives and campaigns to protect all students and campus residents. Skills like financial management and strategic planning, while important, are not the only key qualifiers for leadership in higher education. Leaders of today and tomorrow must show their integrity and values to build trust-based relationships with their constituents over time. Pastides’ human-centered, student-first approach to leadership has enabled the University of South Carolina to become number one among honors colleges in the United States, as well as the top-ranking institution in student freshmen experience. #HigherEdLeadership #HigherEdPodcast #TheChangeLeader To read the full show notes, visit: https://changinghighered.com/21st-century-leadership-in-higher-education-insights-for-success/ Resources Dr. Drumm McNaughton provides leadership consulting for higher ed institutions. To find out more about his services and read other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website, https://changinghighered.com/. The Change Leader’s Social Media Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/ Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com  

In this episode, Brandon Busteed explores the dramatic and positive shift taking place in people's perceptions of education technology and online learning. A recent poll showed that Americans have increasingly positive opinions about the quality of online education, with 47% saying that online learning is just as good as in-person education. Even more impressively, a growing percentage – 8%, up from 3% just one year ago – believes that the quality of online education is even better than in-person modalities. Podcast Highlights 55% of Americans say that online education is just as good or better than traditional in-person education. The COVID-19 pandemic forced educators to transition to online modalities faster than they would have otherwise, which has improved both the quality and accessibility of higher education. Positive opinions about the quality of online education are not restricted to students; these views were consistent across all groups. The transition to virtual learning environments benefits many students who learn differently, including those who are shy, reluctant to engage in classroom discussions, or need to review materials more than once to absorb new information. While leaders may perceive online education as a threat to their institutions, there is more opportunity than risk, and online education may enable institutions to deliver on their value propositions better than before. To read the full show notes, visit: https://changinghighered.com/changing-perceptions-quality-of-online-education #OnlineEducation #HigherEd  #HigherEdConsulting #BrandonBusteed Resources Dr. Drumm McNaughton, Consultant for higher ed institutions. To find out more about his services and read other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website, https://changinghighered.com/ The Change Leader’s Social Media Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/ Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com

In this episode, Drumm McNaughton and Mike Goldstein, Managing Partner at Tyton Partners, discuss the emerging trend among colleges and universities to engage in very different kinds of partnerships than what we have seen in the past. As many schools struggle to generate sufficient revenue, mergers and acquisitions are becoming more common, especially among smaller schools. Goldstein explains how taking a wider and more creative approach when considering potential partners may enable dissimilar institutions and organizations to complement and enhance one another. Institutions of higher education can benefit from looking beyond traditional models of what works to find new possibilities for synergistic transactions in the form of mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships. Podcast Highlights Mergers between similar institutions may be hindered if those similarities include problems that created the need for a partnership in the first place. Schools may benefit most from partnering with different types of institutions whose strengths enhance and complement their own. While a small school may fear losing its identity by merging with a larger institution, leaders should remain focused on the primary goal of remaining operational to continue serving their students. Examples of creative mergers and partnerships between dissimilar institutions demonstrate how thinking outside of the box can lead to better outcomes. To read the full show notes, visit https://changinghighered.com/opportunities-higher-ed-partnerships-mergers/  Resources Dr. Drumm McNaughton is an international consultant for higher ed institutions. To find out more about his services and read other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website, https://changinghighered.com/. The Change Leader’s Social Media Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/ Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com Keywords: #HigherEdPartnershipsandMergers #changinghighered #thechangeleader 

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 mental health should be a primary concern for leaders in higher education. Podcast Highlights Student mental health issues directly impact persistence, and academic performance, and ripple throughout communities of higher education. Generational differences affect the willingness and ability of individuals to discuss mental health issues and may inhibit younger and older generations from relating to such issues – despite the possibility that they may have shared similar experiences. Leaders and board members of institutions must implement robust systems to support the mental wellness of students and adults on campus. Providing flexibility for faculty, staff, and other members of the campus community is one of many ways leaders can offer help. In addition to stressors that have long persisted in higher education, such as financial anxiety and the pressure to succeed, students today face unique challenges related to technology, the climate crisis, deep divisions within their communities, and numerous impacts of the global pandemic. To read the full show notes of this podcast, visit: https://changinghighered.com/mental-health-matters-colleges-universities/ Resources Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a consultant to Higher Education Institutions and CEO of The Change Leader, a Higher Education Consulting Firm dedicated to helping institutions of higher learning succeed. To find out more about his services and read other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website, https://changinghighered.com/. The Change Leader’s Social Media Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/ Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com   Keywords: #HigherEducation #StudentMentalHealth #HigherEdPodcast

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 conversation, Gulish and Campbell discuss the causal factors and hurdles for young people and consider the additional disparities created by race, class, and gender.  Podcast Highlights Graduating students take longer than previous generations to get what Gulish and Campbell define as “a good job,” which enables them to pay back student loan debt and generate wealth over time. The causal factors that prevent young adults from getting good jobs until their 30s include the rising costs of higher education, disparities in access to valuable work experience while in school, and a division between career counseling and student mentorship at many institutions. Differences in gender, race, socio-economic status, and other factors cause some groups to find good jobs earlier than others. The onus is on institutions of higher education to fill the gaps that perpetuate inequality. To read the full show notes, visit: https://changinghighered.com/hurdles-landing-a-good-job-for-americas-youth/ Resources Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a consultant for higher ed institutions and CEO of The Change Leader Higher Education Consulting firm. To find out more about his services and read other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website, https://changinghighered.com/. The Change Leader’s Social Media Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/ Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com #HigherEducation #HigherEdConsulting #ChangingHigherEd

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 (BDR), public service loan forgiveness (PSLF), and other critical issues left over from Neg Reg 2022. Podcast Highlights As Title IX hits its 50th anniversary, the Biden administration is working hard to fortify protections for vulnerable students, including alleged victims of all types of sex-based discrimination and abuse. Netting discusses the implications of newly proposed changes to several key issues related to student loan debt, which were not resolved during Neg Reg. Taken together, all the proposed changes emanating from Washington indicate that the Biden administration is heavily focused on protecting vulnerable students and making student borrowers whole. Many issues discussed during Neg Reg remain unresolved, and more notices of proposed rulemaking are expected soon. Visit our website to read the complete podcast show notes. Resources Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a Higher Education consultant providing strategic and transformational consulting services for higher ed institutions. To find out more, visit his firm’s website.  The Change Leader’s Social Media Links LinkedIn: Drumm McNaughton LinkedIn: The Change Leader Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com

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 experience by teaching ways to manage stress and other fundamental skills. The university strongly aligns itself with its mission of student success by not only offering resources for overall wellness but continuously working to make those resources known through strong advising and peer mentorship. The compassionate approach taken by Krislov has proved itself to be effective, and student graduation and persistence rates at Pace are on the rise. Visit our website to read the complete podcast show notes. Resources Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a Higher Education consultant providing strategic and transformational consulting services for higher ed institutions. To find out more, visit his firm’s website.  The Change Leader’s Social Media Links LinkedIn: Drumm McNaughton LinkedIn: The Change Leader Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com

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 prospective students as whole people apart from their GPAs, Rosemont has been able to effectively target students who are likely to be most successful at their school. With increasing speculation about how small colleges will survive in today’s changing economy, Boyers is using skills from his business background to differentiate, build a strong identity, and seek out students that match the school’s mission. Through strong relationships and partnerships with employers, and with different teaching modalities, Rosemont is positioned to meet the needs of students wherever they are, which is helping to fill educational and skills gaps that ultimately strengthen the workforce. Visit our website to read the complete podcast show notes. Resources Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a Higher Education consultant providing strategic and transformational consulting services for higher ed institutions. To find out more, visit his firm’s website.  The Change Leader’s Social Media Links LinkedIn: Drumm McNaughton LinkedIn: The Change Leader Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com Keywords: #HigherEdBusinessModel #thechangeleader #higheredpodcast

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 Reg 2022, 16 total issue papers were discussed. A total of six issues achieved consensus among both committees. Each issue contained extensive detail and included implications for many types of institutions, which created friction and led to a failure to achieve consensus on several hot-button issues. Key beneficial changes were achieved on behalf of incarcerated students and on other fronts, some of which were expected to succeed, and others that came as a surprise.   Visit our website to read the complete podcast show notes for: Washington Update: Neg Reg 2022 Implications for Higher Education Policy | Changing Higher Ed 111 with Guest Tom Netting      Resources Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a Higher Education consultant providing strategic and transformational consulting services for higher ed institutions. To find out more, visit his firm’s website.  The Change Leader’s Social Media Links LinkedIn: Drumm McNaughton LinkedIn: The Change Leader Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com  

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 Highlights While others dove into new skills or hobbies during the COVID-19 pandemic, Allison retreated to her childhood home in Michigan. Richard sat at home in Cambridge, and the two co-authored the new book, Becoming Great Universities: Small Steps for Sustainable Excellence. With enrollment rates falling and the enrollment cliff coming, colleges and universities must innovate to stay viable. The suggestions provided by Jegla and Light offer small steps to change for the better. Jegla and Light created the book to present a forward-thinking approach based on a shared love of higher education. The suggestions offered in their book are intended for colleges and universities of all sizes, not just those with lots of money and other resources. To read the full show notes for this podcast visit: "Becoming Great Universities: Insights from the Authors" on our website. Resources Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a consultant for higher ed institutions. To find out more about his services and read other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website, Changing Higher Ed. The Change Leader’s Social Media Links Dr. Drumm McNaughton on LinkedIn  Twitter: @thechangeldr  Email: podcast@changinghighered.com Keywords: #changinghighered #thechangeleader #higheredpodcast