Plenary Sessions
Get Inspired by Visionary Leaders
Our plenary sessions will feature dynamic thought leaders in higher education sharing actionable insights and powerful ideas to elevate your leadership. These plenary presentations will leave you energized and equipped with strategies you can implement right away. Stay tuned as we reveal our inspiring speakers and their thought-provoking topics—this is the heart of the conference you won’t want to miss!
Opening Plenary – Thursday, October 2, 2025, 5:00-6:00 PM
How Much "Me" Should I Be? Reflecting on Authenticity and Values in Higher Education Leadership
Presented By Dr. Kimberly Griffin, Dean and Professor, University of Maryland
As we become leaders, we think a lot about what to do, but perhaps less than we should about who we are. Books and workshops often focus on leadership tactics and strategies, but we rarely receive guidance or structured opportunities to think about the connections between what is important to us and how we lead. In this plenary, we’ll explore and practice identifying, understanding, and leaning into your authentic self as you engage in leadership, highlighting how self-reflection can promote clarity and coherence in your work, particularly when navigating challenging times.
Know your presenter:
Dr. Kimberly Griffin is Dean of the College of Education and Professor of Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy at the University of Maryland. She is an educator, researcher, and leader who aims to promote access, equity, and justice in higher education. Griffin is driven by education’s ability to make an impact in schools and communities and has worked throughout her career to maximize the connection between research and practice. Her most recent scholarship focuses on mentorship and increasing diversity and equity in graduate education and the faculty, and she is co-author of the 3rd edition of On Being a Mentor (with W. Brad Johnson). For the past four years, she has been named one of the 200 most influential education scholars by Education Week and is a fellow of the American Educational Research Association.
Closing Plenary – Saturday, October 4, 2025, 9:00-10:00 AM
Leadership in a Time of Crisis
Presented By Brian Rosenberg, Visiting Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Higher education is facing perhaps the most challenging time in its history. To existing challenges related to the economic model, demographics, and technology have been added unprecedented political and legal pressures. What does it mean to be an effective leader during an era of turbulence? What changes might help secure the future of the industry? In this closing plenary, Brian Rosenberg draws on decades of leadership experience and scholarship to explore how higher education leaders can navigate complexity with clarity, courage, and purpose. Attendees will walk away with a deeper understanding of the systemic forces shaping the future of higher education, practical strategies for leading through uncertainty, and a renewed sense of resolve to make bold, necessary changes within their institutions. This session will leave participants with not only questions to ponder but also tools and perspectives to lead more effectively in the face of ongoing disruption.
Know your presenter:
Brian Rosenberg is currently Visiting Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. From 2003 until 2020, he served as the 16th President of Macalester College. He is the author of “Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Resistance to Change in Higher Education (2023), a frank and often provocative book in which he draws on decades of experience to expose the entrenched structures, practices, and cultures that inhibit meaningful postsecondary reform. His articles on higher education appear regularly in The Chronicle of Higher Education and have also appeared in publications including The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. He serves as Senior Advisor and Director at the African Leadership University and as a member of the board of the Teagle Foundation. Prior to arriving at Macalester, he served as Dean of the Faculty at Lawrence University and as Professor and Chair of the English Department at Allegheny College.