The Transformative Power of Connection, Inspiration, and Action
University Innovation Alliance (UIA)
Multi-campus laboratory for student success innovation improving outcomes for low-income, first gen & students of color
We know higher education must evolve to meet the needs of tomorrow’s students while navigating a barrage of challenges today. While strategy, innovation, and bold leadership often get the headlines, the true determinant of success often unfolds quietly in the background: the human element—energy, inspiration, and motivation. At the 2024 UIA National Summit , one truth became clear: burnout and disconnection stall innovation and change, while energy and inspiration propel them forward. ? Morale and motivation aren’t “nice-to-haves” or luxuries we can’t afford to prioritize. They are the?critical fuel for the engines of change. When people feel energized and supported, bold ideas take flight. Without that foundation, even the best strategies falter. ? Over the past decade, UIA has focused on scaling proven solutions, spreading innovation, and sharing lessons learned about overcoming resistance to change. This year’s Summit reinforced a vital reminder for our sector: beyond tools and strategies, change leaders need renewed energy and connection to sustain the hard work of transformation. Driving change requires more than innovation—it demands a framework that sustains the people leading it. At this year’s Summit, we prioritized three essential elements to achieve that goal:
These intentional convening design elements are not “extras”—they’re essential. ? Why This Matters: Bold leadership isn’t just about having a vision—it’s about sustaining action. And that requires a motivated community of changemakers ready to tackle higher education’s most pressing challenges. As public skepticism, political pressures, and burnout weigh heavily on our sector, investing in morale and community has never been more critical.?Students and society need us to lead with courage—and we can’t do that when we’re running on empty. ?
I am deeply proud of what we accomplished together with the UIA National Summit. The UIA central team, our campus liaisons, and our fellows came together to share generously, creating a truly transformative experience that one small institution leader said "was going to make the difference whether their institution made it or not."?The feedback we’ve received from the 75 campuses in attendance has been both overwhelming and inspiring. The most common sentiments were things like: ? “The Summit gave us the energy to take bold action for student success.” “We walked away with actionable strategies to improve equity, retention, and graduation rates.”
This experience reaffirmed a truth I hold dear:?To drive transformation, we have to take care of the people leading it. I believe student success innovation work is too important for us to let it be boring. This work should be collaborative, it should be inspiring, and frankly, we should make sure it's fun. ? Thank you to everyone who joined us, supported us, and helped make this Summit possible! ? With gratitude, Bridget
Bridget Burns CEO University Innovation Alliance
Network Updates ??
University of California, Riverside Chancellor Kim Wilcox has?announced his retirement ?at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. A founding board member of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA) and our current Vice Chair, Dr. Wilcox has been an instrumental leader and unwavering supporter of the UIA’s mission. We thank him for his transformative leadership and invite you to watch his inspiring reflections in a?recent Weekly Wisdom episode . Congratulations, Chancellor Wilcox, on a remarkable career! ?
UIA Network Expansion & Philanthropic Support: ?We were delighted to share our gratitude for nearly $3 million in philanthropic funding secured in the past six months to drive innovation and advance our strategic priorities. This support is pivotal to support the development of our new goals and planning for our next decade of impact. We were also thrilled to share about the incredibly dynamic cohort of seven new UIA institutions welcomed into the network since 2021, growing our impact to nearly 630,000 undergraduates, including 185,000 Pell Grant recipients.? ?
We are elated to welcome the University of Massachusetts Amherst as our newest member campus. With this addition, Chancellor?Javier A. Reyes ?joins our Board, alongside UMass liaisons?Carolyn Bassett, ?Associate Provost for Student Success, and Dr.?Farshid Hajir , Senior Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education. Welcome, UMass Amherst!
We are also excited to welcome?Dr. Stephen Freeland ?as the newest liaison from UMBC.?
Congratulations to Katherine Cole on her recent retirement. We are grateful to your service to students! ?
UIA Summit ??
We are thrilled with the energy and positive momentum we created together at the UIA Summit and can’t wait to see what teams accomplish! Here's a quick look at the event ?sizzle reel. UIA member campuses and UI Lab members can visit the University Innovation Lab to view Summit videos and materials, and engage in ongoing conversation in our Lab Forum. See the Lab’s 2024 National Summit page under the ‘Resources’ tab! ??
Learn With Us ??
Want more? Check out all of our weekly?blog p osts ?and?podcast?episodes .?
Must-Reads ??
What we’re learning about this month at the UIA:
Events to Put on Your Radar ??
January 4-7, 2025 CIC Presidents Institute San Antonio, Texas
January 22-24, 2025 AAC&U Annual Meeting: Reaffirming Higher Education’s Public Purpose Washington, DC?
January 27-30, 2025 CHEA/CIQG Annual Conference Washington, D.C.
January 29-31, 2025 AGB Foundation Leadership Forum Washington, D.C.
February 9-12, 2025 NASFAA Leadership & Legislative Conference & Expo Washington, D.C.
February 12-13, 2025 American Council on Education (ACE) Annual Meeting Washington, D.C.
March 3-9, 2025 SXSW EDU Austin, Texas
March 5-8, 2025 NADOHE Annual Conference Chicago, Illinois
March 15-19, 2025? NASPA Annual Conference - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education New Orleans, LA
March 24-26, 2025 UPCEA Annual Conference Denver, Colorado
March 30 - April 2, 2025 AACRAO Annual Meeting Seattle, Washington
Stuff we LOVE ??
A few recommendations to bring delight to your life:?
We’d like to leave you with this quote from Dr. Michael Sorrell , President at Paul Quinn College , from his keynote at our 2024 National Summit.
“You cannot do great things by settling into the status quo. That’s not where greatness lies…You have to be willing to take risks. You have to be willing to push the envelope. That is where greatness lies.”
With generous thanks to our sponsors