3 takeaways from EAB’s Senior University Leaders’ Roundtable

Co-hosted with the University of Birmingham, EAB’s recent roundtable gathered senior university leaders to tackle the sector’s many challenges across two days of discussing, debating, and sharing best practices. Sessions focused on:

1. Evolving trends impacting student success
2. How senior university leaders build trust through authentic and agile leadership
3. Current campus initiatives and future challenges facing the sector

Read below for a recap of the event and ways to activate some of the insights on your campus.

1. Evolving trends impacting student success

Today’s students are less prepared, expect more support, and need a clear return on their investment—factors increasingly influencing enrolment and persistence decisions.

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  Opportunity

  Institutions that excel in personalisation and proactive support improve retention and enhance their reputation for delivering tangible value.

EAB experts recommended various tactics, including:

• Address academic readiness by implementing small yet impactful initiatives to help students adapt to university-level expectations, such as clarifying assignment goals and classroom norms
• Use analytics to provide data-driven support by proactively identifying and addressing diverse student needs while fostering a sense of belonging
• Embed career support throughout the curriculum and promoting long-term career success

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  Next step

  Register for EAB’s Student Success Priorities Webinar Series with events on financial health, career development, and multicultural inclusion.

2. How senior university leaders build trust through authentic and agile leadership

University leadership teams struggle under the tyranny of the urgent, which can hinder agility, strain campus relations, and stall change initiatives.

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  Opportunity

  Senior management teams can better navigate disruption and accelerate decisions by avoiding ‘thinking in polarities’ and adopting an intentional, self-aware leadership approach.

EAB experts recommended various strategies, including:

• Foster trust through open, transparent, and frequent communication around strategic priorities, institutional finances, and challenging topics
• Build an institutional mindset by providing clear governance structures, incentivising innovation, and elevating leadership potential within academic units
• Keep governing bodies proactively informed and aligned at the appropriate strategic altitude

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  Next step

  Complete the leadership agility diagnostic and organise an EAB-facilitated interactive workshop with your senior leadership team.

3. Current campus initiatives and future challenges facing the sector

Inefficient academic offerings and administrative operations place significant strain on resources and impede growth in an already challenging financial landscape.

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  Opportunity

  Making tough financial decisions and enhancing academic and operational efficiency creates capacity for innovation and future growth.

Existing and upcoming EAB research can support institutions to:

• Drive revenue growth by maximising the existing programme portfolio, leveraging data to evaluate offerings, reduce inefficiencies, and focus resources on high-impact programmes
• Implement immediate, short-term, and long-term cost containment and operational efficiency strategies to strengthen financial sustainability

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  Next step

  Accelerate your international strategy, refine your TNE portfolio, and vet new or existing programmes using global market insights.

Rachel Wallace

Associate Director, Research

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