What Comes Next for the Academic Enterprise?

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:

• Making sharper academic portfolio decisions amid financial and enrollment pressure
  • How do campus leaders decide which programs to grow, redesign, consolidate, or sunset? What forces are driving expansion of new models like shorter degrees and stackable credentials?
• · Preparing students and academic programs for an AI-transformed knowledge economy
  • How should universities adapt curricula, learning experiences, and faculty practices as AI changes the skills graduates need and the work they will enter?
• · Responding to intensifying political scrutiny and external accountability
  • How can provosts protect the academic mission, sustain public trust, and navigate shifting expectations around institutional neutrality, academic freedom, and student outcomes?
• · Building the institutional agility to move from strategy to implementation
  • What changes to resource allocation, data, and faculty engagement would help institutions act more quickly while maintaining academic quality and community support?

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 academic leaders today.

Sessions

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Attendance is limited to provosts. Registration for each session is limited to one attendee per institution.

• Wednesday, October 7, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
• Tuesday, October 20, 2026 | 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time