“Navigating the Storms: Leadership
in Times of Campus Climate Crises”

Creating Agile Structures for an Agile University: “New” Ways of Leading Institutional Change and Innovation in a VUCA World

In a rapidly changing higher education landscape, many leaders still cling to the status quo, resisting meaningful and lasting innovation. This session invites leaders to rethink institutional change by combining top-down direction with bottom-up creativity, guided by Agile management principles. Participants will explore a new framework for change and discuss how shifting mindsets, challenging assumptions, and separating the roles of “leader” and “changemaker” can empower institutions to adapt and thrive.

The President and Their Constituents: Navigating Financial Challenges in an Environment of Shared Governance
Colleges facing long-term financial strain often struggle to make necessary changes amid shared governance and competing stakeholder interests. This case study highlights how three presidents successfully restored financial stability, with support from their boards and shared governance structures. While strategies vary by institution, common lessons from these successes can be applied across sectors and types of financial challenges.

Rethink Your Investments: Aligning Campus Dollars to the Modern Learner
Learner preferences and behaviors in higher education have shifted dramatically in recent years, making the traditional linear journey and age-based definitions obsolete. Today’s “Modern Learner” seeks institutions that align with their evolving expectations and values. Success depends on reaching learners with the right message, in the right place, at the right time. This session will explore strategies for aligning campus investments to meet Modern Learner needs and build a sustainable financial future for higher education.

Embracing “Un-leading” by Subverting Ego Towards Building a Strong Institution
Subverting ego in leadership can positively impact organizational health, team dynamics, and individual vitality in academic settings and beyond. By setting aside personal pride and self-importance, leaders can prioritize institutional goals, inspire hope, and foster future leaders. This session explores the elements and challenges of ego, as well as strategies for building strong relationships and cohesive teams through intentional mentorship. Using case scenarios, situational judgment exercises, and organizational psychology research, presenters will guide attendees in self-assessing ego-driven behaviors and understanding their ripple effects. Participants will leave with practical strategies to provide guiding leadership that supports growth for both individuals and organizations.

Leading Beyond Screens: Developing Effective Virtual Leaders

This session brings leaders and developers together to explore leadership development opportunities and challenges in a virtual environment, while sharing best practices, tools, and technologies, and fostering collaboration and networking to create meaningful learning experiences for associates.

Bridging the Gap: Leadership, Policy, and the Strategic Future of Higher Ed

In higher education, compliance is often seen as restrictive, but when paired with transformational leadership, it can become a strategic asset. This session examines how aligning institutional goals with regulatory realities fosters ethical governance and strengthens strategy. Through real-world examples, we will explore how data-driven decisions, cross-functional collaboration, and a culture of integrity can turn compliance into a driver of institutional effectiveness. Participants will gain practical insights for leveraging policy to enhance adaptability, accountability, and mission-driven outcomes.

Relational Strategy in Action: Designing a Culture of Care Across Students, Staff, and Systems
Amid institutional uncertainty and burnout, Post University has implemented a campus-wide relational strategy to embed proactive care into student experiences, faculty development, and remote workforce culture. This unified care ecosystem integrates mental health support, emotional literacy, and leadership development through a shared framework of relational presence. The session will detail a multi-layered implementation model, including the shift from outsourced crisis response to an internal, values-aligned system. Attendees will gain scalable tools and strategies for creating integrated care systems within their own institutions.

Using Concept Mapping, Backward Design, and a Library of Metrics to Develop an Institutional Strategic Plan
Creating a strategic plan with effective metrics is a major challenge for university administrators. In this session, Dr. Glynn will demonstrate how concept mapping can connect institutional goals directly to measurable outcomes. He will also show how a comprehensive metrics library can be used in reverse to develop goals and objectives through backward design. Participants will learn how linking this process to an institutional model can clarify purpose and improve communication with stakeholders.

Navigating shifts: Leveraging change models to lead forward
This interactive session introduces practical models to help educators lead effectively during times of transition. Participants will explore frameworks for guiding teams, fostering supportive cultures, and building resilience, then apply them to their own contexts. Attendees will leave with strategies for adaptive leadership, team alignment, and navigating ongoing or unexpected challenges.

Staying Steady When It’s Stormy: Leading with Emotional Intelligence
Campus leaders face increasingly complex, emotionally charged challenges, often without tools to address the human side of leadership. This session examines how Social and Emotional Intelligence can foster compassionate, steady leadership in times of crisis. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, participants will explore what it means to lead with awareness and integrity when stakes are high. Attendees will reflect, connect, and leave with tools to respond to campus disruptions with greater clarity and confidence.

Thriving in the Presidency: Strategies from Women and Gender-Diverse Leaders
With support from the ECMC Foundation, HERS conducted a qualitative study involving nearly 30 women and gender-diverse individuals who are current or former college presidents, along with executive coaches who support them. The study aimed to uncover strategies these leaders use to thrive in their roles. In this session, key findings from the analysis of the data—conducted by higher education researchers Pamela Eddy and Raquel Rall—will be presented. A panel of women college presidents will then offer their insights and reactions to the results, along with strategies that they themselves employ to thrive in their roles.

Demystifying University Boards: A Practical Guide to Board Governance and Strategic Partnership
Understanding university board governance is critical for institutional success, yet often feels opaque to administrators. This session will clarify core structures, fiduciary responsibilities, and decision-making processes that drive effective boards. Participants will learn best practices for board composition, committee structures, and collaboration during both stable and crisis periods. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for preparing materials, communicating effectively, and leveraging board expertise to turn governance into a strategic partnership.