University Innovation Alliance (UIA)

What happens when universities center student voices? Through the UIA Listening Lab, seven campuses engaged 448 students across 143 focus groups. Students shared challenges around technology, belonging, transparency, and navigating resources—and in doing so, shaped how university leaders think about student success. The Listening with Empathy playbook provides a framework for campuses to adopt empathy-centered focus groups that surface insights, build trust, and drive real transformation. 📘 Download the playbook: https://listen.theuia.org/ #HigherEdLeadership #StudentSuccess #InnovatingTogether

“We innovate together, and, in the process, we learn how to adapt ideas. And we give away everything we learn.” Our CEO, Dr. Bridget Burns, is on The Kresge Foundation's PathBreakers podcast to talk about transforming how higher education tackles its most urgent challenges – not through competition, but through collaboration. Tune in to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/eeYxwk5w #StudentSuccess #HigherEdLeadership

Help us welcome Brie Mondragon, M.A., University of Colorado Denver’s newest UIA Fellow. UIA Fellows are emerging higher education leaders who shepherd their member institution’s involvement in the UIA. Throughout their time in the program, UIA Fellows engage in professional development to help them prepare for subsequent leadership positions guiding university transformation. In her role as the Senior Program Coordinator for Student Success Initiatives at CU Denver, she supports the design, implementation, and scaling of student success strategies, including the university's Early Action initiative and the utilization of Milo the Chatbot to increase students' sense of belonging and to proactively remove enrollment barriers. She is currently a PhD student in Education and Human Development with a concentration in Family Science. Her research interests focus on how familial funds of knowledge influence first generation children’s decision to pursue a degree in higher education, changes in familial communication patterns after the child goes to college, and the creation of new funds of knowledge through mentorship processes and the college-going experience in higher education settings. We're thrilled to be #InnovatingTogether with Brie!

This is a fantastic job leading a globally important institution with great momentum, a strong team, and widespread support at a time when you can create unbelievable impact. ISU is a founder of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA), and as such you would have the support of the UIA and the built-in learning community of our 18 other chancellors and presidents, plus you would step into a stable and thriving institution, this isn’t like other presidencies: President Wintersteen has been such a strong steward of ISU leaving the university in the strongest position possible, and Ames is a truly lovely place to live and raise a family. Come lead the future at Iowa State University !

“Learn, Thrive, and Graduate.” In this session from the UIA National Summit on Student Success Innovation, Michigan State University’s Renata Opoczynski and Amy Martin, Ph.D. share how co-designing with students, embracing incremental progress, and holding to a shared vision have sustained student success—even amid leadership turnover. Thanks to our partners Mainstay and Carnegie Corporation of New York. #HigherEdLeadership #StudentSuccess #InnovatingTogether

What really makes collaboration work? After more than a decade of practice, we’ve uncovered some surprising lessons. 👉 Swipe for three things we’ve learned. #HigherEdLeadership #StudentSuccess #InnovatingTogether

Help bring this critical conversation to SXSW EDU ✅ At a time when public trust in higher education is declining, many universities are quietly redefining their role – not just as academic institutions, but as drivers of innovation, economic mobility, and bipartisan problem-solving. We’re proposing a panel that shines a light on how forward-thinking universities are breaking down silos to partner with policymakers, employers, and communities – and why this work matters more than ever. Our CEO, Dr. Bridget Burns, Alexander N. Cartwright, UIA Board Member and President of the University of Central Florida, and Kathryn Dill from The Wall Street Journal hope to explore how public universities are building future-ready communities and economies. 🔗 Support our panel by voting here: https://lnkd.in/gUP8xseM Voting ends August 24. Thanks in advance for your support. #HigherEd #EducationTransformation #SXSWPanelPicker  #SXSWEDU

Help us celebrate Jenna Rickus, senior vice provost for teaching and learning and UIA liaison at Purdue University. The NATIONAL ACADEMIC ADVISING ASSOCIATION has awarded her the Michael C. Holen Pacesetter Award, given to exceptional higher education executives who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to academic advising and serve as champions for advising, students, and advisors across their institutions. 🎉 Read all about it here: https://lnkd.in/gaEyHU4C In her current role at Purdue, Dr. Rickus leads the campus in undergraduate education and student success.  Her work has received awards across multiple teaching, research, and advising areas. As a faculty member, Prof. Rickus has also invested significantly in building, growing, and strengthening academic programs, classroom teaching, and transformational experiences for students. Jenna founded the Purdue international genetically engineered machine (iGEM) undergraduate research team and is a member of the Howard Hughes Science Education Alliance, bringing authentic research into the classroom. UIA Liaisons are respected campus leaders skilled in change management who sponsor and spearhead innovative UIA and student success scale initiatives on their campus. We're grateful to be #InnovatingTogether with Jenna!

Student-centered leadership means clarity, collaboration, and keeping student outcomes at the center. In this week’s #WeeklyWisdom, University of Colorado Denver Chancellor Kenneth T. Christensen joins our CEO, Dr. Bridget Burns and Sara Custer, editor-in-chief of Inside Higher Ed to share how clarity of purpose can unite campuses and drive change. Thanks to our partners Mainstay and Carnegie Corporation of New York. #HigherEdLeadership #StudentSuccess #InnovatingTogether

When universities collaborate, students win. 🎓 Our scale projects help institutions share what works, adapt it for their context, and spread it so more students benefit. ➡️ Swipe through to explore our work. 🔗 Read all about it here: https://lnkd.in/gcspUnVZ #HigherEdLeadership #InnovatingTogether #StudentSuccess