Changing Higher Ed Dr. Drumm McNaughton

In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Bruce Dahlgren, CEO of Anthology and trustee at Stetson University, explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education. They discuss the parallels between human and AI development, address ethical concerns, and provide actionable recommendations for college and university leaders looking to integrate AI effectively.
 
Podcast Overview
 
Understanding AI's Learning Process and Addressing Concerns
§  AI systems, like humans, accumulate knowledge and experiences to grow smarter over time.
§  Natural language models like GPT now draw upon neural networks with over 1.7 trillion parameters, enabling sophisticated outputs.
§  Occasional "hallucinations" in AI outputs are a result of drawing upon mismatched patterns and will decrease with more data exposure.
§  Proper data, training, and policy frameworks can mitigate risks of AI misuse in higher education.
 
Piloting AI as a Faculty Productivity Tool
§  AI-powered "design assistants" streamline course preparation, saving faculty significant time.
§  94% of faculty in a pilot study reported substantial time savings using AI assistants.
§  Faculty remain in control, reviewing and approving AI outputs before use.
§  Time saved allows faculty to dedicate more energy to working directly with students.
 
Developing a Proactive AI Policy Framework
§  University leaders should craft clear AI policy frameworks defining supported tools, guardrails, and benefits to students.
§  Gathering input from faculty senates, administrators, and trustees helps develop policies with broad support.
§  The goal is to help faculty build practical, adoptable policies and frameworks.
 
Empowering Staff and Administrators with AI
§  AI can predict enrollment likelihood, target personalized communications, and boost yield.
§  Demographic analysis helps universities understand the demand for new programs or facilities.
§  AI chatbots provide 24/7 student assistance while machine learning optimizes campus operations.
 
Three Key Recommendations for Higher Ed Leaders
 Immerse yourself in new AI technologies and consider applications across all university functions. Use shared governance to surface concerns, build consensus, and codify responsible AI usage policies. Leverage technology to drive student success and support their growth and development.  
By embracing AI as a performance tool thoughtfully and transparently, with the student experience at the center, colleges and universities can significantly improve institutional performance and student outcomes. The synergies between human and computer intelligence pave the way for incredible advancements in the years ahead.
 
Read the transcript on our website → https://changinghighered.com/ai-as-a-performance-tool-to-benefit-higher-ed/
 
About the Guest
Bruce Dahlgren is a seasoned technology executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience. As Chief Executive Officer at Anthology, Bruce leads our diverse team of higher education and technology experts to empower our clients with innovative solutions and services. He strongly believes in the importance of a company’s purpose and how organizations can serve the greater good.
 
About the Host
Dr. Drumm McNaughton is the CEO of The Change Leader consulting firm and consultant to higher education institutions specializing in accreditation, governance, strategic planning, and mergers. To learn more about his services and other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website: https://changinghighered.com/.
 
#AIinHigherEd #HigherEducation #TheChangeLeader

In Part 2 of this series, Drumm McNaughton, F. Joseph Merlino, and Deborah Pomeroy dive deeper into the strategies and approaches for driving transformative change in higher education, focusing on preparing teachers for the 21st century. They share valuable insights and real-world examples drawn from their extensive research and practical experiences.
Key Discussion Points
Change Theory and the Process of Change:
·       Understanding change theory and the process of change is crucial for driving transformative change in higher education.
·       Change must be driven by a meaningful purpose owned by all stakeholders.
·       Transformative change takes time, requires support, space for experimentation, and acceptance of mistakes as part of the learning process.
Aligning Change with Core Identity, Mission, and Legacy:
·       Ensuring that the desired change aligns with the institution's core identity, mission, and legacy is vital for successful transformation.
·       The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) serves as an excellent example of aligning change with core identity and mission.
The Role of Service Learning in Pedagogy and Research:
·       Service learning plays a crucial role in transforming teacher preparation programs and enhancing both pedagogy and research.
·       Partnerships between universities and high schools reveal a rich, reciprocal relationship where professors learn as much from teachers as teachers learn from them.
·       Service learning enriches research, enabling professors to explore new ideas and change their conceptual frameworks within and across disciplines.
Rethinking Tenure and Promotion:
·       The traditional allocation of weight in tenure and promotion may need to be reconsidered to address changing demographics and challenges in higher education.
·       Recognizing the importance of faculty engagement with the community and the potential for service learning to enhance both pedagogy and research.
Bridging the Gap Between High School and Higher Education:
·       Collaborating with high school teachers to develop critical thinking skills and willingness to engage with novel problems among incoming students.
·       Aligning with the findings from the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) studies on employer expectations for essential life skills.
·       Learning from the example of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, in bridging the gap between high school and higher education.
The Importance of External Facilitators in the Change Process:
·       The role of external facilitators in providing a neutral perspective, navigating institutional dynamics, and lending credibility to the change process.
·       The value of a presidential onboarding process conducted by an external facilitator for presidents appointed from outside the institution.
Three Key Takeaways for University Presidents and Boards:
·       Understand change theory and the process of change, recognizing that change must be driven by a meaningful purpose owned by all stakeholders.
·       Ensure that the change aligns with the institution's core identity, mission, and legacy.
·       Navigate the challenges of establishing networks and building trust, whether appointed from within the institution or coming from the outside.
The insights shared in this two-part series serve as a valuable guide for university presidents, boards, and executive leadership seeking to drive meaningful change in higher education.
 
Read the transcript on our website: https://changinghighered.com/transformative-change-models-in-higher-ed-p2/
 
About Our Podcast Guests
F. Joseph Merlino is the President of the 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education, and the co-author of a new book, New Era-New Urgency: The Case for Repurposin

Transforming Teacher Preparation for the 21st Century In this two-part series, university presidents and higher education leaders gain valuable insights into the complex challenges of upgrading teacher preparation for the 21st century and strategies for driving transformative change.
In Part 1, Drumm McNaughton is joined by F. Joseph Merlino and Deborah Pomeroy as they identify and analyze the dilemmas (the Four Quandaries) impacting higher education institutions today.
Key Discussion Points
The Four Quandaries Facing Higher Education Presidents:
·       Mission vs. Revenue: Balancing the historic mission of providing transformative education with the increasing emphasis on job readiness and financial sustainability.
·       Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Integration: Overcoming the challenges posed by disciplinary silos and hierarchical systems to foster innovation and problem-solving.
·       Addressing College Access and Equity: Ensuring access and equity while maintaining academic excellence in the face of shifting demographics and disparities in student preparedness.
·       In-State vs. Out-of-State Students: Navigating the financial benefits of admitting out-of-state students while fulfilling the responsibility to serve in-state students effectively.
Transformative Change in Higher Education:
·       Adopting a goal-oriented approach that considers the unique context and quandaries of each institution.
·       Engaging stakeholders at all levels, including top-down, middle-out, and bottom-up strategies, to ensure the sustainability of transformative initiatives.
·       Confronting existing conceptions and practices by exposing educators to evidence that challenges their assumptions and beliefs.
Three Key Takeaways for University Presidents and Boards:
·       Understand change theory and the process of change, recognizing that change must be driven by a meaningful purpose owned by all stakeholders.
·       Ensure that the change aligns with the institution's core identity, mission, and legacy.
·       Navigate the challenges of establishing networks and building trust, whether appointed from within the institution or coming from the outside.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where Drumm McNaughton, F. Joseph Merlino, and Deborah Pomeroy share examples, practical insights, and actionable strategies for addressing these challenges and driving transformative change in higher education.
Read the transcript on our website: https://changinghighered.com/four-quandaries-facing-higher-ed-presidents/
About Our Podcast Guests
F. Joseph Merlino is the President of the 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education and the co-author of a new book, New Era-New Urgency: The Case for Repurposing Education. For 35 years, he has served as the principal investigator or director of many National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, and U.S. Agency for International Development projects. He was a co-PI on a six-year project to study transformative STEM change in six higher education institutions. Based on this past research, he has been working in Egypt for the past 12 years, where he directs a $24M project to design five new undergraduate STEM teacher preparation programs involving 180 new courses in 5 universities. He oversaw the development of 21 new model Egyptian STEM high schools based on 11 Grand Challenges. He has a BA in Psychology from the University of Rochester and an MA in Education from Arcadia University.


Deborah Pomeroy, EdD, is an associate professor emeritus of science education at Arcadia University. After three years in scientific research, she shifted to a career in science education and taught high school science for 19 years in Fairbanks, AK. During that time, she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching. Following her high school teaching career, she completed a doctorate at t

Cesar Santalo, Dean of the College of Communications and Design at Lynn University, shares how he applies design thinking to drive innovation and change in higher education.
The interview provides insights into how design thinking can transform universities to meet future demands through empathy, experimentation, and engaging all stakeholders in the process of innovation. Cesar's unique background as an artist/designer is leveraged to inject fresh thinking into academia.
Overview
The core principles of design thinking he discusses include:
Empathy - dive deep to understand the problem from the perspective of all stakeholders.

Problem definition - distill insights into a clear, actionable problem statement.

Ideation - brainstorm many creative ideas without judging.

Prototyping - create rough prototypes to test and learn from.

Testing - put prototypes into the real world for feedback, then iterate. He provides examples of design thinking's successful implementation at Lynn, including:
Using it to develop their 2025 strategic plan by interviewing over 650 stakeholders. 

Injecting design thinking into Lynn 101 and Citizenship courses so students gain self-awareness.

Creating the Pulse Agency, where students solve real business problems for clients.

Moving quickly to create an NFT museum during the NFT boom. Cesar emphasizes the importance of stakeholder engagement, collaboration across disciplines, and creating job-ready graduates through practical learning experiences and internships.
Key Takeaways for Higher Ed Leaders:
Don't be afraid of failure! Go big or go home. Foster an environment where people feel happy and faculty feel their voices are being heard.

Allow faculty to live on the edge. Listen to them and empower them.

Create partnerships with local businesses that hire your students, provide internships, and bring equity to higher education. Read the podcast transcript on our website →
About Our Podcast Guest
Cesar Santalo, Dean of the College of Communication and Design, is an award-winning visual communications professional, artist, animator, and educator with over 20 years of experience. He has taught at prestigious institutions such as Miami Dade College, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and the University of Miami, covering subjects ranging from traditional and digital drawing to project budgeting and advanced animation. 
Santalo's impressive portfolio includes collaborations with Telemundo/NBC Universal on the Quibi project, as well as roles at Univision, where he served as art director for corporate marketing, promotions, and digital content. His artistic contributions have graced live performances for the Latin Grammy's, Premio Lo Nuestro, and renowned artists like Calle 13, Carlos Vives, Cirque du Soleil, and Marc Anthony. Santalo's pursuit of a doctorate at St. Thomas University and his Six Sigma Green Belt certification demonstrate his commitment to continuous improvement.
Cesar Santalo on LinkedIn →
About the Host
Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a higher education consultant specializing in governance, accreditation, strategic planning, change management, and mergers. To learn more about his services and other thought leadership pieces, visit his firm’s website: https://changinghighered.com/.
The Change Leader’s Social Media Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/ Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com

In this episode, we welcome Dan Oppenheimer, Director of Public Affairs for the UT Austin College of Liberal Arts, to discuss Civil Discord, a recent conference at UT Austin that brought together scholars and writers from across the political spectrum for a series of moderated arguments on issues of great public significance. 
Key Points Overview:
Civil Discord was a unique collaboration between three academic entities in Austin: UT Austin College of Liberal Arts, the School of Civic Leadership, and the University of Austin. The conference aimed to model civil discourse and connect across scholarly, political, partisan, and ideological lines.

The conference featured five panels on topics such as colorblindness in America, the true founding of America (1619 or 1776), anti-racism in universities, the future of liberalism, and whether higher education is broken beyond repair. Each panel had a moderator and speakers representing different perspectives.

Oppenheimer shares advice for universities looking to host similar events, including retaining control over the process while being open and transparent, giving enough time for planning (ideally a year), and being prepared for unexpected political confrontations.

There is a shared interest across political lines in expanding the space for free speech and academic freedom on campus. Events like Civil Discord provide an opportunity for different sides to provide cover for each other and work towards this common goal.

Oppenheimer emphasizes the importance of modeling civil discourse and disagreement in a controlled setting, as it helps university leaders prepare for the high-stakes politics that may come at them unexpectedly.  
Transcript:
The full transcript of this episode can be found on the Changing Higher Ed website. https://changinghighered.com/civil-discord-bridging-ideological-divides-in-higher-ed/
About our Guest Daniel Oppenheimer is Director of Public Affairs for the UT Austin College of Liberal Arts. He is also the author of two books: "Exit Right: The People Who Left the Left and Reshaped the American Century" and "Far From Respectable: Dave Hickey and His Art." He has written for the Washington Post, Texas Monthly, Boston Globe, Slate.com, The Point, Washington Monthly, Guernica, The New Republic, Tablet Magazine, and Salon.com. He received an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University.
  About the Host Dr. Drumm McNaughton is a consultant to higher education institutions in governance, accreditation, strategy and change, and mergers.
 
#CivilDiscord #HigherEducation #HigherEdChallenges

In this Washington Update, we welcome back our frequent guest and public policy expert, Tom Netting, president of TEN Government Strategies, who joins us to discuss the latest developments in higher education policy coming out of Washington. McNaughton and Netting dive into the significant revisions to Title IX regulations, detailing the implications for higher education.
Podcast Overview: Revised Title IX Regulations: Unpacking the Changes Expansion of Definitions: The new regulations have broadened the definition of sexual harassment to encompass "unwelcome sex-based conduct," a shift from the previously narrower "severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive" standard.

Adjustments in Adjudication Standards: Institutions are now mandated to use the "preponderance of the evidence" standard for determining cases of sexual harassment, moving away from the "clear and convincing" evidence standard unless absolutely necessary.

Elimination of Live Hearings: The updated regulations remove the requirement for live hearings, aiming to reduce the potential retraumatization of victims during the adjudication process. FAFSA Corrections and Their Impact on Enrollment The discussion extends to the recent corrections made to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and their potential impact on student enrollment:
Resolution of FAFSA Issues: After significant updates, the FAFSA system aims to facilitate smoother enrollment processes, which could help stabilize enrollment figures that were feared to decline due to previous errors.

Congressional Oversight: The upcoming hearing with Secretary Cardona will focus on these FAFSA updates, reflecting the critical attention these corrections are receiving at the governmental level. Developments in Student Loan Debt Relief The episode also covers the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on student loan debt relief, emphasizing its importance and controversy:
State Legal Challenges: The NPRM has faced lawsuits from 15 states, highlighting the contentious nature of the proposed student loan debt relief measures.

Public Comment Period: Stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the public comment process, open until May 17th, to help shape the outcome of these significant financial relief efforts. Enhancements to Program Integrity and Institutional Accountability Further discussion points include the negotiations affecting financial aid administration and compliance:
Modifications in Resource Management: Proposals suggest that students might need to opt-in to receive resources such as textbooks and other materials, potentially changing how educational expenses are managed.

Ongoing Negotiations: The complexities of these discussions could deeply influence how institutions administer student loans and maintain compliance with federal standards. State Authorization and Accreditation for Online Education The conversation also explores adjustments to state authorization and accreditation processes for online education providers:
Regulatory Simplification: Proposed changes aim to simplify compliance across different states, potentially easing the operational burden on institutions offering online programs. Three Key Takeaways for University Presidents and Boards Immediate Review and Adjustment to Compliance Measures: With the new Title IX regulations set to take effect soon, institutions must review and possibly revise their current policies and procedures promptly.

Active Participation in Public Comment Opportunities: Leaders should ensure their institutions engage in the NPRM discussion, particularly around student loan debt relief, to influence policies that directly affect their students and operational structures.

Preparation for Upcoming Accreditation and Authorization Changes: Universities offering online courses must prepare for the expected changes in state authorization and accreditation standards, ensuring compliance and minimizing disruption to