It’s not too late to learn from higher education experts and leaders from across the country! 

The 2020 Higher Education Leadership Symposium may be a wrap, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to join nearly 650 attendees and learn what’s ahead for higher education from New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo and other leaders!

Covid may have stopped higher education conferences, but it has accelerated everything else in your world. Now is the perfect time to look beyond your spring semester and ensure your institution is ready to succeed in a post-Covid world.

Click on any of the session titles below to view the roundtable sessions on demand!


The 2020 Higher Education Leadership Symposium agenda

KEYNOTE SPEAKER                 December 1, 2020                  1:00 pm EST

The digital backbone: How leading institutions are harnessing technology to thrive in the post-COVID higher education landscape

Jeffrey Selingo, New York Times best-selling author, speaker, and former editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education

[Link no longer available after 12/8]

 


ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

Unlocking institutional efficiency to fulfill your mission while reducing overhead and expense

PANELISTS:

– Barb Sands, CFO, Greenville University

– Donna Nance, Vice President of Finance and Administration, Texas Wesleyan University

– David S. Hunter, PhD, Executive Director of Transition Services, Dynamic Campus

The coronavirus pandemic only accelerated the challenges many higher education institutions are facing related to demographic trends, growing student debt, workforce readiness pressures, alternate accreditation models and more.

In order to succeed in the near future, colleges and universities have to reshape their institutions by quickly identifying and eliminating overhead and expense without hampering their ability to fulfill their mission for all their stakeholders.

This roundtable session will discuss best practices and share discrete, real-world approaches small private institutions are taking today to ensure their universities are prepared to thrive, no matter what the future holds.


Transforming your institution into the Campus of the Future

PANELISTS:
– Joy Fehr, President, La Sierra University
– Terry Keller, Provost, Lourdes University
– David Massey, Chief Information Officer, Lourdes University

The digital transformation of higher education is fully underway, cultivating “new practices that reflect today’s technology-enabled and technology-driven world,” by EDUCAUSE’s definition.

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated and reshaped the way colleges and universities of all sizes think about, invest in and deploy technology to meet the changing needs of students of all ages, but peeling back the grand visions and proclamations, what does the “campus of the future” really look like from a pragmatic perspective?

In this roundtable session, three higher education leaders at small, private universities share how they are digitally transforming their institutions today to ensure their relevance, value and success, regardless of how fast or disruptive the future may be.


Recruiting, enrollment and retention in the “next normal”

PANELISTS:
– Suzanne Davis, J.D., President, Greenville University

– William “Chip” Hinton, Director of Admissions, University of Mary

– Julie Wilson, Senior ERP Analyst, Dynamic Campus

It’s fair to say it’s never been harder to attract and retain the right students for your institution. That’s due to:
– Limited standardized testing data and campus tour availability.
– Increased uncertainty among high school students and their families.
– A lack of engagement indicators and in-person opportunities with your current students.

At the same time, the pressure’s never been more intense, especially for smaller private institutions that are heavily reliant on tuition and residential models to meet financial goals and ensure the mission of the institution continues.

In this roundtable, leaders from small, faith-based institutions in the Midwest discuss how they are finding, attracting and keeping students in the current volatile—and increasingly digital—environment.


Addressing racial injustice by minimizing the digital divide

PANELISTS:

– Dr. Mary Ann Gawelek, President, Lourdes University

– Dr. Colwick Wilson, Provost, Oakwood University

– Doug Allen, Chief Information Officer, Oakwood University

The coronavirus pandemic not only highlighted America’s longstanding racial inequalities, it also exposed and expanded the digital divide in education. As higher education quickly pivoted to remote learning in the spring, many students and families lacked the devices and access to basic broadband internet connectivity necessary for successful remote learning.

This panel will discuss how covid-19 is impacting higher education students of color, and what colleges and universities need to do to ensure existing racial inequalities aren’t worsened by the pandemic and resulting policies as the pandemic continues into its third semester and beyond.


Faith-based institutions: How to survive in today’s environment

PANELISTS:
– Monsignor James P. Shea, President, University of Mary
– Dondi E. Costin, Ph.D., President, Charleston Southern University
– Richard “Chip” Hinton, Director of Admissions, University of Mary

At a time when all of higher education is facing a number of headwinds, industry pundits have predicted that small, private, faith-based institutions may be under the greatest strain in the years to come.

And yet, some of these institutions are thriving while many universities large and small are trying to survive. What attracts students to a faith-based education in an increasingly secular society? How does institutional leadership maintain Christian values in an era of tighter budgets?

The roundtable brings together two incredibly thoughtful and compelling leaders of thriving faith-based institutions to tackle these questions and share some of the best practices that are helping their institutions and students succeed in today’s challenging environment.