Webinar
Pressure, constraint, and…opportunity? Insights from the IHE 2026 CAO Survey
Wednesday, November 4, 2 PM ET
Jay T. Akridge, Ph.D., Trustee Chair in Teaching and Learning Excellence and Professor, Purdue University
David Hummels, Ph.D., Marshall and Susan Larsen Distinguished Professor, Dean Emeritus, Purdue University and Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research
Colleen Flaherty, Senior Editor for Special Content, Inside Higher Ed
What to expect
While provosts remain confident in their roles and relationships with their presidents, resources continue to be a sticking point as they were in the previous year, according to findings from the 2026 Survey of College and University Chief Academic Officers, a Watermark-sponsored report by Inside Higher Ed and Hanover Research.
Join this webcast, featuring Inside Higher Ed Senior Editor of Special Content Colleen Flaherty and a panel of experts as they explore how today’s academic leaders are facing ongoing resource constraints and political pressures amidst a rapidly shifting postsecondary landscape.
The speakers will cover:
- Institutional health & learning priorities: How chief academic officers would rate their institution’s academic health, the value of general education and the liberal arts, and what stands in the way of expanding work-integrated learning.
- The research outlook: The strength of the U.S. university research enterprise over the next decade.
- Federal accreditation changes: The potential impact of the planned federal accreditation overhaul on higher education.
- AI ROI: The measured return so far, in areas such as individual employee productivity, teaching and learning, and research.
