Panels & Breakout Sessions

Additionally, this year’s Superconvening featured panel discussions that addressed challenges and opportunities for system-level leaders, including:

Practical Pivot: Federal Perspective

Public higher education is navigating an era of unprecedented policy shifts, with rapid changes to federal funding, regulations, and priorities reshaping the landscape. This panel brought together experts from the media, higher education, and philanthropy to discuss how systems can adapt to evolving federal policies while maintaining their core missions. Attendees gained a deeper understanding of the current federal policy landscape and learned how to position their systems and institutions for resilience and success in this dynamic environment.

Jessica Todtman, Interim President & Chief Operating Officer, National Association of Higher Education Systems, Scott Jaschik, Founder, Inside Higher Ed,

Melanie Gottlieb, Executive Director, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Zainab Okolo, Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy & Government Relations, Jed Foundation,

Chuck Welch, President and CEO, American Association of State Colleges and Universities

Elevating Higher Education Systems: Insights from the Front Line

Public higher education systems play a critical role in driving student success, economic mobility, and national prosperity. In this dynamic panel, four former system heads—each with a legacy of bold leadership—shared firsthand insights from their experiences at the helm of multi-campus systems. Panelists discussed strategies for leveraging scale, fostering collaboration across institutions, and driving innovation to meet the evolving needs of students and communities. The discussion reflected on the complexities of system leadership and lessons learned and provided practical advice to the system leaders of today and tomorrow.

Nancy Zimpher, Special Advisor to the President, National Association of Higher Education Systems, Jim Johnsen, Vice President of Executive Search, Greenwood Asher and Former President, University of Alaska System,

Jim Page, Chancellor Emeritus, The University of Maine System, Daniel Greenstein, Managing Director at Baker Tilly and former Chancellor, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education

Is College Worth It?: Tackling Higher Ed's Biggest Challenges

Colleges and universities face a two-headed dragon: a broken narrative and, in many ways, a broken product. Systems have a unique ability to meet this moment at an unprecedented scale by addressing head-on the major challenges that lie ahead. From leveraging artificial intelligence to leveling up faculty in the classroom, planning for the demographic cliff, and meeting the needs of the modern economy, we ended Superconvening 2025 with perspectives from leaders across business and higher education to answer that pivotal question: what’s next?

David Belsky, Founder & CEO, Good Rebellion, Phaedra Boinodiris, IBM Consulting’s Global Leader for Responsible AI, IBM, Brendan Kelly, President, Arkansas State University System,

Jonathan Gyurko, President and Co-Founder, ACUE, Rob Magliaro, Head of Education & Workforce Partnerships, Grow with Google

Attendees Can't Stop Raving About It

Jessica Todtman, Interim President & Chief Operating Officer, National Association of Higher Education Systems

What's Next?

Additionally, we are thrilled to announce new initiatives with systemness remaining at the center of this work:

NASH Leadership Academy

NASH launched its Leadership Academy, a new initiative designed to equip higher education leaders with the skills and strategies needed to navigate today’s complex challenges. This program empowers system leaders to think strategically, adapt quickly, and collaborate effectively across institutions. Through personalized leadership plans, individual coaching, peer support, and real-world problem-solving, participants gain the expertise to drive meaningful change and harness the power of systemness. Led by experienced system leaders and scholars, the academy builds a strong community of practice to foster lasting transformation. Learn More about the Academy's first offering, the Systemness Program.

NASH TIER

NASH launched Training Individuals for Economic Readiness (TIER) in February to support NASH members in addressing local labor needs by enabling the economic and social integration of new Americans and those on the path to American citizenship. TIER will work directly with systems and states to be responsive to local needs, providing solutions including stakeholder convenings, policy recommendations, continuing education, scholarships, talent development, and technical expertise. Learn more about TIER and how it's already making an impact in our communities

‘College is Worth It’ Campaign

Building on the success of CIWI2, the third iteration of NASH’s national marketing campaign will again harness the power of influencer marketing to drive a national conversation about the true value of a college degree. This next phase will shift focus beyond FAFSA, centering on personal stories that highlight how higher education transforms lives, opens career opportunities, and leads to long-term financial and personal success. In addition to external funding, NASH member systems will once again have the opportunity to participate. Let us know if your system or partner organization is interested in being a part of CIWI.

Systems Benchmarking Tool

NASH members frequently request information on peer systems to compare across areas such as organizational structure, student enrollment and outcomes, and system policies. NASH is developing a Systems Benchmarking Tool for comparing and contrasting public higher education systems that will benefit not only members but also education policymakers and stakeholders. Expected in fall 2025, the benchmarking tool will be paired with National Student Clearinghouse data to enable insights related to disaggregated transfer student outcomes, degree completion outcomes, and labor outcomes.

See you next year!

Your NASH Team