Do you want to Change Higher Education for Good?

The need for change in this sector is why I'm launching this newsletter. After three years leading HEDx, bringing global thought leaders in higher education together, we have written the agenda for sector transformation toward equity. Now is the time for action. We can’t do this at HEDx alone and that's why I’m inviting you to join me.

By subscribing to this newsletter you can read about big ideas in higher education and share your own. Do you need a space to inform your journey, and encourage new thinking and purpose in equitable higher education? Do you want to learn? I do, so I encourage you to help me and actively provide feedback.

Are you fed up with too much talking and not enough action in the sector? The purpose of HEDx is to do more in changing higher education for good. You'll see that's the theme of this newsletter, our upcoming HEDx conference and our new book. The book is being released this month at the Universities Australia conference in Canberra, and launched at our HEDx conference in Melbourne on March 21.

Digging deeper into my why?

My why really dawned on me at the start of this year after a month spent with family in the UK. My dad passed away on January 11th at the age of 91, after a great life helping others, leading people and attending emergencies as a firefighter.??

We grew up living in a fire station and all of my family's friends were firefighter families. Attending emergencies, and dealing with them through teamwork was what I learnt growing up. I learnt it alongside my sister, who passed away 10 years ago, at the age of 56 after not having the luck and privilege I had growing up.??

I was privileged by being male, passing an early streaming exam at age 11, and being heterosexual. None of those should lead to privilege in higher education but they do. Do you want all in our society to have the same opportunity? I do and will work tirelessly to encourage that, particularly at a time of crisis in our sector.?

When the sector alarms are going off as they are now, I’m not waiting for permission, thinking of barriers, or leaving it for others.? It's what my dad and sister would expect and deserve. It’s what I’m doing.?Are you?

Why I do the HEDx podcast

I was grateful to Ant Bagshaw for encouraging me to express all of this on episode 100 of the HEDx podcast you can access here .

You can listen to all of the first 100 episodes and beyond including the recent one with Cate Gilpin of Welcoming Universities alongside Mohamed Omer. I love working on collaborations with leaders and people who matter to me.

Now is the most important time for change in global higher education to improve equity, diversity and inclusion. We know higher education changes lives. But we deny it to many and make it disengaging for most.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity occurring through global policy reviews, including in Australian higher education with an imminent Universities Accord.

But I believe the most critically important need in all global programs of change is the long-term culture, leadership, purpose and innovation agenda, created by our radical and revolutionary long-term visions and aspirations. We all need to think big, bold and brave. And most importantly to do something about it without waiting for permission. My dad wouldn’t have, and I’m not going to.

To make change happen requires a relentless and ongoing search for global examples of innovation best practice, in pursuing the goals of democratised access to higher education, sometimes from close at home. I’m going to invite us all to do that in this newsletter.

Some of the exemplary examples in the sector I have found so far include the University of Waterloo , Aston University, Surrey university,? Coventry University , Singapore Institute of Technology and Abu Dhabi University . Their leaders all feature at HEDx. And there's many others including:

• Arizona State University ’s charter to measure themselves by “who they include not exclude and how they support them to succeed” shows how an EdTech eco-system, online experimentation, and novel approaches to transnational education and partnerships make that possible.
• Best practices like Southern New Hampshire University ’s commitment to putting “students First” and overcoming limitations of “broken” public service systems as so brilliantly articulated by inspirational leader Paul le Blanc.
• Best practices such as Western Governors University 's commitment to applying innovative EdTech and innovation with a relentless focus on its purpose of transforming lives through activating talent into opportunity, as Scott Pulsipher describes expertly in his own newsletter.

Sharing the spotlight

My very first HEDx podcast episode guest was Debbie Haski-Leventhal , who wrote a great book on the Purpose-Driven University.? She has since published several more in her role at 澳大利亚麦考瑞大学 Business School and launched her own excellent newsletter. She calls herself a Professor of Purpose. I think we need more like her.

Last week I also loved chatting to Cate Gilpin and Mohamed Omer despite their sobering message about racism in universities. And last week I was joined by David Maguire, VC of University of East Anglia , and Andrea Burrows of Online Education Services (OES) to discuss why, how and to whom financial failures of universities will occur. If that is not a crisis and a fire needing to be put out I don't know what is.

What we're reading at HEDx

A new collaboration with OpenAI charts the future of AI in higher education

Repeatedly recognised as a leader in innovation, Arizona State University is continuing its mission to chart the future when it comes to artificial intelligence.?

Governor Healey Signs Executive Order Directing State Agencies to Institute Skills-Based Hiring

In her address to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) Governor Maura Healey announced an order for skills-based hiring practices for the state’s workforce.

?The Cliffs Of Higher Ed: Who’s Going Over And Why?

Much is being written about higher education’s dire straits, the headwinds they are facing, and the cliffs (enrolment, financial, existential) they are marching toward.? This piece by David Rosowsky caught my eye.

I hope in this newsletter you find inspiration from many best practice innovators to engage with and inform your journey in a sector undergoing transformation to be more equitable. What do you think needs to change? I'd love for you to share your ideas or actions with me.?

And I would love you to share this newsletter with your networks, follow HEDx on our socials and join me in action to Change Higher Education for Good. Start a discussion or come to one of our events. Life’s short, make the journey.