2025 EAB Presidential Roundtable

12:00 p.m.
Guest Arrival and Registration
Lunch Provided

12:30 p.m.
Welcome and Introductions

1:00 p.m.
Unpacking the Crisis of Public Confidence in Higher Ed
What Critics Get Wrong (and Right) About the Value of a Degree

Colleges and universities are facing no shortage of challenges this fall, ranging from election-year polarization and culture wars to growing skepticism about higher ed’s relevance. In this session, we will explore the growing disconnect between the broader public and higher ed. We’ll dig into the underlying drivers of stakeholder perceptions, along with the evolving expectations of prospective students and parents, employers, donors, and policymakers.

2:15 p.m.
Table Discussions: Implications Across the Sector

• Where have you felt the most pressure this year and from which constituency group?
• What messages have and have not resonated in conversations about your institution’s impact?

3:00 p.m.
The Modern Anchor Institution
Driving Undeniable Economic Impact and Reclaiming the Public Good Mantle

Facing growing skepticism about higher ed’s relevance, colleges and universities must go beyond traditional community engagement efforts and instead reorient their core institutional and academic strategy around social and economic impact. By embracing an outside-in approach that is “anchored” around the needs and priorities of key external constituencies, colleges and universities will be best positioned to compete for future students, revenues, and public support. This session will explore lessons from effective anchor institutions, including ways to:

• Move recruitment and readiness efforts upstream to build a college-going pipeline
• Integrate next-generation skill development into the curriculum at scale
• Drive real-world impact by scaling community-centric research and scholarship
• Catalyze mutually beneficial economic development through cross-sector collaboration
• Measure and articulate your impact on critical regional priorities

5:30 p.m.
Dinner

8:00 a.m.
Breakfast

8:30 a.m.
Financial Sustainability and Organizational Transformation
Building the Models, Strategies, and Change Management Muscles to Weather a Challenging Competitive Climate

Even colleges and universities in favorable financial positions are proactively seeking ways to become lean, financially resilient institutions amid strained higher ed budgets. In this session, we will share real-world case studies of institutions that have successfully transformed their administrative structures.

10:15 a.m.
Meeting the AI Moment
Academic and Operational Investments From the Frontier

AI presents colleges and universities with an unprecedented opportunity to reimagine nearly every aspect of how they teach students and run their operations. Attendees will get to choose from the following tracks:

• Academic: Curricular and student-facing AI innovations
• Operational: AI’s impact on processes, roles, and technology

11:30 a.m.
Forward Action Planning
Bringing Insights Back to Campus

12:00 p.m.
Adjournment