Building Together: Philanthropy’s Role in Reimagining Postsecondary Education

Higher education state and institutional leaders have faced tough decisions as longstanding components of our nation’s postsecondary system—including student aid structures, enforcement, research and data infrastructure, academic freedom, and agency capacity—have been materially altered. Priorities have been reset and, in some circles, how we talk about student success has changed. This upheaval presents an opportunity to reflect on what was working, what wasn’t working, and how our postsecondary system could be rebuilt, if not reimagined, to improve outcomes for all students.

This fireside chat brings together leaders from national postsecondary philanthropies — Archie Cubarrubia (ECMC Foundation), Michelle Asha Cooper (Lumina Foundation), and William F. L. Moses (Kresge Foundation) — for a candid, moderated conversation on reimagining higher education policy and practice. Technology's role as a potential ally, disruptor, or complication in this reimagining is up for consideration. The session is designed to surface honest diagnoses, embrace provocative solutions, and explore what it would take for philanthropy to think and act boldly in genuine partnership with those on the front lines in this moment.