Weekly Wisdom | Karen Stout, President of Achieving the Dream

Karen Stout has spent more than a decade transforming Achieving the Dream into a national powerhouse for community college student success. In one of her final conversations before stepping away from ATD, she sits down with Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, and Sara Custer, editor in chief of Inside Higher Ed, to reflect on what she's learned—and what the field still needs to do. In this episode: 

• Why “completion” is a progression metric, not an endpoint—and what community colleges owe students after they transfer
• How a transformative unrestricted gift from MacKenzie Scott changed ATD’s organizational trajectory
• What Karen means by “innovate with intention rather than invention”—and why it matters for leaders chasing grants and initiatives
• The case for owning your data, even the uncomfortable parts, and how it builds public credibility
• Why faculty are still on the margins of reform—and why that has to change
• Her two pieces of career advice: Pursue competency over title, and make sure your life view and work view are aligned

Start the Week with Wisdom is produced by the University Innovation Alliance. Thanks to our partners Mainstay and the Andrew Carnegie Foundation.

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