2026 Presidential Roundtable for Public Institutions

Join EAB for our annual roundtable exclusively for college and university presidents in Washington, D.C. This is your chance to participate in confidential, high-level discussions focused on the most pressing challenges your institution is facing today.

Attendees from our 2025 roundtable shared that connecting with fellow presidents provided invaluable insights and perspectives:

• “The EAB Presidential Roundtable continues to serve my desire to have a place to discuss strategies, challenges and opportunities.“
• “A great and valuable use of my time, always inspiring and pragmatic, with discussions that flow openly among peers.”

View Our Past Agenda

Event Details

Audience: This session is limited to presidents or chancellors at public institutions. Registration is limited to one attendee per institution.

The presidential roundtable for private institutions can be found here.

For travel planning: The meeting will commence at 12:00 p.m. on January 27 and adjourn at 12:00 p.m. on January 28. EAB will host a dinner for attendees on January 27.

Further agenda details are forthcoming.

Please make your reservation at your earliest convenience, as space and rates are subject to availability. For alternative hotel information, contact us at [email protected].

Agenda

Across the two days, we will share new EAB research and analyses of key trends shaping the higher education sector. Preview key themes we will explore through presentations and discussions below.

Navigating Policy Shocks in a Highly Volatile, Politicized Environment

How can campus leaders pursue long-term strategy when up against near-term political crossfire and ideological fault lines?

• Up-to-the-moment policy news and projections for long-term sector impacts regarding affordability, research funding, DEI mandates, and academic portfolios and accreditation
• Risk assessment of emerging threats to institutional autonomy—from growing authoritarianism and anti-intellectualism to direct political interference—and related mitigation tactics
• Messaging strategies to manage divisive “wedge” issues and build trust with policymakers and the broader public

Repositioning for a Post-Growth Future of Fewer Students and Bigger Financial Stakes

What bold moves will separate thriving institutions from those facing slow decline in an era of shrinking demand?

• Financial health and risk indicators, analyses of enrollment and revenue winners (and losers) across segments, and best-bet strategies to offset revenue declines
• Assessments of non-traditional competitors—online mega-giants, for-profits, trade schools—reshaping market dynamics
• Frameworks to assess tradeoffs and ROI when deciding whether to sustain, scale, or scale back athletics investments
• Sector contraction forecast with decision frameworks to assess “healthy” vs. “unhealthy” consolidation and viability analyses of key pathways (e.g., state-mandated closures, M&A, consortia)

Preparing for—and Shaping—the AI-Driven Transformation of the Knowledge Economy

How can universities guarantee their relevance as AI reshapes the future of jobs and skills?

• Historical and projected economic trends influencing the knowledge sector, higher ed workforce, and consumer behavior
• Job creation and loss patterns, along with new indicators of job readiness
• Credential innovations and program designs that embed AI-era human skills, align with changing student and employer expectations, and bolster higher education’s value proposition

Reimagining the Student Experience for a Tech-Saturated, Socially Isolated, Purpose-Seeking Generation

What does it mean to support and prepare students for life in an increasingly unstable and hyper-digital world?

• Analysis of student preferences on AI, online learning, climate, activism, and credentials, and an examination of shifting student decision-making patterns in an age of information overload and influencer culture
• Strategies for delivering authentic, relationship-driven experiences Gen Z craves in the classroom and across campus
• Insights on tech’s lasting effects on identity, belonging, trust, and socioemotional readiness

Driving Cultural and Organizational Change in a Time of Sector Upheaval

What does effective leadership look like when the market demands agility and speed, but tradition demands consensus?

• Frameworks to articulate a clear strategic direction that both inspires and constrains ambitions
• Protocols for digestible financial communications and forecasts tailored to non-experts
• Approaches for facilitating meaningful dialogue on difficult topics in shared governance settings
• Upward management tactics to keep boards engaged on the most critical strategic concerns