What Will Define the Future of Community College Operations?

Get a sneak peek at EAB’s annual analysis of the forces shaping higher education and share your perspective on how these factors influence your leadership and institution. During this discussion, we’ll preview key themes shaping our State of the Sector research and seek your input on topics such as:

• Redesigning work for a future with fewer people
  • As talent becomes harder to find and personnel costs rise, how should institutions redesign work rather than simply leave positions vacant? Which work should stop, and how should the remaining processes and roles change?
• Moving AI from experiments into campus operations
  • Where can AI and automation meaningfully improve how work gets done? What groundwork must be in place, and how should leaders determine whether these tools reduce costs, free staff for more valuable work, or improve service without creating unacceptable risk?
• Deciding where administrative work belongs
  • Which activities require local knowledge and control, and which would be more effective if handled centrally? When should institutions look beyond their own boundaries by sharing services with other institutions, using an outside provider, or automating the work?
• Funding transformation while meeting immediate budget demands
  • How can institutions pay for changes that require an upfront investment and may take years to produce results? How should leaders balance that long-term work against pressure to cut costs now and fund other priorities?

Join us to explore these and other consequential questions about the ever-evolving higher education landscape. Your input and feedback are essential in sharpening our analysis, and ensuring the State of the Sector addresses the most critical decisions confronting admin leaders today.

Session

Click the Register button to sign up.

Attendance is limited to Chief Business Officers, Chief Operating Officers, Chiefs of Staff. Registration is limited to two attendees per institution.

• Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time