Plenary Sessions

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.