Systemic Change to Promote the Public Purposes of Higher Education Using the Change Leadership Toolkit

Friday, January 23, 2026

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM East Coast USA Time

Location: Catholic University - Level M1

Primary Presenter(s)

Susan Elrod

Former Chancellor and Professor Emeritus
Indiana University South Bend
South Bend, Indiana, United States

Co-Presenter(s)

Edward Aboufadel

Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Grand Valley State University
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Alyssa Crittenden

Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States
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Elizabeth Holcombe

Senior Research Associate
University of Southern California
Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Now more than ever, higher education leadership is change leadership. With both internal issues, such as revenue shortfalls, enrollment declines, and leadership turnover, and external pressures, such as threats to academic freedom and equity, research funding declines, and an erosion of public support, weighing heavily on institutional leaders, the public purpose of higher education has never been under greater threat. Researchers at the USC Pullias Center for Higher Education created the Change Leadership Toolkit to provide leaders with the tools they can use to sift through the complexities and develop a strategic pathway forward. In this session, we will present a brief overview of the toolkit, then engage a panel of change leaders who will provide new insights into how the toolkit helped them make progress in leading their campus through these difficult times. Participants will leave with a better understanding of systemic change and how to lead their campuses through it.