In this episode of Innovating Together, Bridget Burns, Executive Director of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA), shares a groundbreaking keynote from the UIA National Summit, marking ten years of collaboration and institutional transformation. Bridget reveals the hard-earned lessons about innovation, scale, and diffusion in higher education—exploring what truly drives student success and how institutions can break down barriers through strategic collaboration.
Key Takeaways:
• Collaboration is essential—systemic change in higher education is nearly impossible without working together.
• Higher ed was never designed around students—traditional systems were built for faculty, and real reform requires rethinking institutional structures.
• Innovation spreads through adaptation, not replication—scaling solutions means modifying them to fit each institution’s unique needs.
• The biggest threat to change is turnover—sustaining progress requires leadership buy-in, cross-functional teams, and clear accountability.
• The power of storytelling—changing the narrative about what’s possible can accelerate transformation in student success efforts.
From the challenges of process mapping to the power of friend rules in collaboration, this episode is packed with actionable insights for higher education leaders. Whether you’re navigating systemic change, tackling student retention challenges, or rethinking institutional structures, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on making innovation stick.
Listen now and discover how collaboration can drive bold and brave transformation in higher education! 🎧
“The best way for us to move forward, we found, is by doing it together.” - Bridget Burns
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This week's episode is sponsored by Mainstay, a student retention and engagement tool where you can increase student and staff engagement with the only platform consistently proven to boost engagement, retention, and wellbeing. To learn more about Mainstay, click here.
