10 Ways for Higher Education Leaders to

Meet this Moment

High-impact strategies for university leaders to navigate today's challenges and create meaningful change on and beyond campus.

1. Prioritize and Reward Inquiry Over Activism

Commit to and reward truth-seeking curiosity by prioritizing intellectual risk-taking and discovery over resistance.

  • Foster dialogue across differences.
  • Support events with intellectually diverse speakers.
  • Offer courses on media literacy.

2. Combat ‘Truth Decay’

Counter the trend of valuing opinions over facts by rebuilding intellectual rigor and evidence-based discourse.

  • Teach students to be discerning consumers of information.
  • Model data-informed investigation.
  • Recognize disinformation campaigns.

3. Seek to Understand, Not Persuade

Disarm polarization by genuinely listening to and learning from divergent points of view.

  • Listen more than you talk.
  • Find and build on common ground.
  • Exchange resources that span different perspectives.

4. Use Experiential Learning

Teach democracy by assigning hands-on, graded projects that give weight not only to the interpretation of readings but to the application of theory to practice.

  • Incentivize service-learning projects.
  • Reward community-based research.
  • Support university-community partnerships.

5. Elevate Grassroots Efforts

Encourage rigorous student-faculty research by reinforcing shared academic values that build campus understanding and solidarity.

  • Host faculty-student research symposia and teach-ins.
  • Support well-organized student-led responses to current events.
  • Sponsor relevant research fellowships.

6. Streamline Decision-Making

Be timely and remain relevant by acting with urgency, demonstrating flexibility, and streamlining bureaucracy that blocks innovation.

  • Update governance for expedited responses.
  • Establish rapid-response teams.
  • Use Values Impact Assessments (VIAs).

7. Diversify Funding Sources

Build financial resilience by growing alternative revenue streams in an era of uncertain federal and state support.

  • Cultivate philanthropic support.
  • Grow industry partnerships.
  • Explore new grant opportunities.

8. Build Inter-Institutional Coalitions

Create strength-in-number coalitions by partnering with other institutions to amplify your voice and share resources.

  • Issue joint statements on key issues.
  • Coordinate multi-university campaigns.
  • Host multi-campus webinars.

9. Leverage the Legal System

Uphold long-existing academic freedoms by using courts and counsels to check executive overreach.

  • Convene regional or system-level General Counsels to review current and emerging policies.
  • File amicus briefs in key lawsuits.
  • Mobilize state system counsels to assert state-level protections.

10. Take Strategic, Ongoing Steps

Shift and challenge under-or misinformed public narratives by educating policymakers, and engaging in thoughtful, impactful public activities.

  • Coordinate op-eds, podcasts, and infographics.
  • Create testimony toolkits for leaders.
  • Partner with local media to cover “all sides” of the story.