This week, higher ed leaders face mounting challenges: accelerating AI integration without support, looming endowment taxes, expanding dual enrollment expectations, and threatened DEI pipelines. These trends demand bold leadership, rapid adaptation, and smarter strategies.

What Campus Leaders Should Consider

• Create faculty AI task forces to define usage, ethics, and training priorities
• Run endowment scenario planning to assess risk under federal proposals
• Bridge dual enrollment into student success services with real outcomes
• Fortify DEI roles and impact reporting in advance of potential funding loss
• Audit funding diversification strategies and dependency on federal grants

AI Teaching Gaps Are Growing

According to a recent national survey, 60% of faculty report no formal training on AI use in teaching, and nearly half express concerns about academic integrity risks. Despite AI tools entering classrooms at scale, institutions are lagging behind. Start with pilot programs that build confidence, then scale what works. Peer coaching, departmental guidelines, and ethical use case repositories are key first steps.

Students Still Aren’t Career-Ready For AI

“Educators across disciplines face a timely and transformative opportunity: to equip students with the AI literacy they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.” ~ Kate Grovergrys and Tina Rettler-Pagel

Only 1 in 4 students feel prepared to work with AI in their careers. That’s a wake-up call. According to community college leaders, institutions must move beyond one-off workshops to full curricular integration. Embed AI across programs—especially business, communications, health, and public service—so students understand both the tools and their implications. Advisory boards and employer partners can guide relevance and rigor.

Endowment Tax Proposal Gains Traction

Proposed federal legislation would tax private university endowments over $250 million, redirecting revenue to workforce training. If passed, institutions like Stanford and Princeton could face millions in annual levies. Campuses with large endowments should assess how accessible their wealth appears, and how clearly it supports student opportunity. Communications, policy positioning, and impact transparency will matter more than ever.

Scientific Innovation Under Funding Stress

Since 2020, federal research funding has declined by 11% in real dollars. Public universities are increasingly dependent on private-sector grants, which often come with restrictions on data sharing, publishing rights, or IP control. This is not just a budget issue, it’s a mission risk. Leaders must craft funding strategies that preserve scholarly independence while courting diversified revenue.

Dual Enrollment Expands. But With Strings

More than 1.5 million high school students are now in dual enrollment courses, up nearly 20% in five years. As states accelerate programs, new funding models prioritize outcomes like credential completion and transfer rates. That means the bar is rising. Colleges must invest in advising, mentorship, and curriculum alignment to ensure students don’t just earn credits, but progress meaningfully into postsecondary success.

Equity Programs Are At Risk

“President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have jeopardized federal funding for nonprofits that support underrepresented populations in skilled trades.” ~ Associated Press

Recent executive actions threaten funding streams that support organizations focused on underrepresented populations, including those training women in trades and first-gen college-goers. Institutions can’t afford to wait. Reaffirming DEI in mission statements, tracking internal outcomes data, and building donor-funded equity initiatives will position campuses to sustain efforts through political volatility.