Higher Education Forum 2025
“Is Higher Education Leadership Possible?”
That question was at the center of the Academy's fourth annual Higher Education Forum in Aspen, Colorado. The cross-sector meeting included more than one hundred higher education experts and leaders, including leaders from Academy Affiliate institutions, Academy members, and attendees from higher education institutions, professional associations, philanthropy, business, law firms, and journalism.
Over three days in June, attendees discussed the desire to lead, the difficulties of higher education leadership, and campus priorities. Areas of focus included student readiness for work and the world, artificial intelligence and values in higher education, the changing legal and policy landscape, building equitable and ambitious educational systems, polarization on campus, financing, housing, governance, cultural institutions, national security, and academic-industry partnerships.
The Academy’s work was referenced and represented throughout the Forum. Panelists discussed the work underway by the Commission on Opportunities After High School to ensure that students have multiple routes to success, can thrive and find rewarding jobs in an ever-changing global economy, and are empowered to actively engage in society. Other relevant Academy work included the report on equity and inclusion, “Leading for a Future of Higher Education Equity: Transforming Supreme Court Challenges into Opportunities for Positive Change.”
(Learn more about the Forum at the Academy here.)
