One of the most rewarding parts of my career in higher education has been working alongside faculty. I’ve served in the classroom, in labs, and in leadership roles—and across all of those experiences, I’ve seen that when faculty are empowered to pursue what they love, amazing things happen for students and institutions alike.

At the heart of any great college is a faculty that believes in its mission and sees its work not just as a job, but as a calling. These are the educators who stay late to help a struggling student, who bring new ideas into the curriculum, who notice what’s changing in the world and want to prepare their students for it. That passion, if properly supported and aligned with a college’s broader goals, can be the most powerful force in an institution.

But too often, there’s a disconnect between faculty energy and institutional direction. That disconnect can lead to frustration, burnout, or missed opportunities. As a leader, I’ve always believed that one of the most important things I can do is bridge that gap—create an environment where faculty feel heard, valued, and trusted to bring their expertise to the table.

Listening First

One of the first lessons I learned when I moved from faculty member to administrator was this: if you want to lead with purpose, you have to listen before you speak. Faculty are not short on ideas. They’re immersed in their disciplines, engaged with their students, and they often have a clearer view of the real day-to-day challenges than anyone else. The key is making sure they feel safe and supported in sharing what they know.

At several institutions where I’ve worked, I made it a point to sit in on department meetings—not to direct them, but to understand what faculty were experiencing. I’d walk the halls, stop into offices, and ask simple questions like, “What are you working on?” or “What would help you do your job better?” You’d be surprised at how far a few minutes of genuine curiosity can go.

When leadership creates space for honest conversation, it becomes easier to connect individual passion with institutional goals. You begin to see where a professor’s research can evolve into a new program, or how a course idea could meet a regional workforce need. Those kinds of insights don’t come from top-down planning—they come from relationships built on trust.

The Value of Academic Freedom and Accountability

One of the trickiest but most essential balances in higher education is between academic freedom and institutional direction. Faculty need room to explore, to innovate, to think critically. That freedom is what makes higher education such a vital force in society. But at the same time, colleges have to remain financially viable, responsive to student needs, and aligned with regional demands. Freedom is also not just limited to faculty. Staff need freedom to innovate processes and provide insights concerning what they see in the lives of students.

In my view, the answer isn’t to pit freedom against structure—it’s to invite faculty into the conversation about strategy. When faculty understand the financial and demographic realities a college is facing, they’re more likely to propose solutions rather than resist change. When they see that their passions can help move the institution forward, they are often eager to take the lead.

I’ve watched faculty launch new programs in environmental science, health care, and sustainable agriculture—not because someone ordered them to, but because they saw an opportunity to do meaningful work. When they were given the support and encouragement to build something aligned with their values, they delivered results that benefited the entire college.

A Culture of Shared Purpose

Creating alignment between faculty and institutional vision is not about forcing everyone to agree. It’s about building a culture where multiple perspectives are welcome, and where people understand the why behind the direction a college is heading.

In one institution I led, we were facing declining enrollment and financial strain. These are challenges that can quickly divide a campus community. But instead of pulling decisions into a small circle of executives, we widened the circle – a group that was called the strategic enrollment group. This group had a couple of iterations, but settled into a good groove with the help of extraordinary people, including, most importantly, leadership from the Vice President of Student Success and Institutional Effectiveness. We invited faculty and staff into shared governance discussions, created space for honest feedback, and made sure that everyone—from financial aid, admissions, registration, and academic advising—had a role in shaping the path forward.

That approach didn’t magically solve every problem. But it did create ownership. People saw themselves as part of the solution. 

Leading with Empathy and Trust

I believe the best leadership requires empathy. Jacinda Ardern discusses this in her recent book “A different Kind of Power.” It’s not about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about how to lead definitively and decisively with both kindness and forgiveness in mind. When we blunder, forgiveness, not grudge-holding, is necessary to keep things moving forward. Essential, as well, is trusting the expertise of the individuals in the college community. There is enormous expertise from the collective experiences of those in all organizations. Leadership is about giving them the tools, the space, and the proper level of authority to lead in their own way.

Faculty deserve special note because the love for their discipline and their passion for the next “cool thing” is what sparks student transformation, drives academic innovation, and gives a college its soul. But that passion can’t thrive in an environment where people feel micromanaged or ignored.

When faculty feel seen, when their ideas are welcomed, and when their work is connected to a greater purpose, they become the most powerful allies in moving an institution forward.

A Future Built Together

Higher education is facing extraordinarily big challenges right now: shifting demographics, rising costs, public skepticism about college education. But I remain hopeful—because I’ve seen what’s possible when we lead with purpose and bring faculty and staff voices into the center of building institutional vision.

My hope for the future is simple: that we continue building colleges where faculty don’t have to choose between their passions and their place in the institution, and where faculty and staff celebrate their symbiotic power inside colleges. Because when those two things align, students win. Communities win. And education becomes the force for good it was always meant to be.