The 5-Minute Brief for Higher Ed Leaders
What’s Happening in Higher Ed:
Higher Ed Groups Urge Colleges to Reject “Divide and Conquer” Approach in McMahon Letter
Heritage Foundation Unveils Model Bill to Push Conservative Higher Ed Agenda Into State Law
University of Michigan to Drop Letter Grades for Freshmen Starting Fall 2027
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The people working in higher education every day often have the clearest insight into its challenges—and the most practical ideas for addressing them.
Insight Into Academia is inviting faculty, staff, administrators, researchers, and other higher education professionals to contribute original perspectives to our website.
Share a lesson learned, a successful campus initiative, an emerging challenge, or a point of view that deserves greater attention. Selected contributions will be published on the Insight Into Academia website, helping authors:
Share their expertise with higher education professionals nationwide
Elevate important ideas, research, and campus practices
Build visibility as a voice in the field
Spark meaningful conversations across institutions
Exceptional pieces may also be considered for publication in our monthly print and digital magazine, reaching an even broader national audience.
Timely topics relevant to higher education
Original perspectives grounded in experience, research, or practice
Clear, engaging writing for faculty, staff, and administrators
Submissions of 500-1000 words
Send your submission—or a brief pitch—to co-publisher Holly Mendelson at holly@insightintoacademia.com.
All submissions are reviewed for relevance, quality, and editorial fit. Submission does not guarantee publication.
Your experience could help another institution solve a problem, reconsider an approach, or move an important conversation forward. We want to hear what you have to say.
What if the biggest challenges facing higher education aren’t simply enrollment or funding, but how institutions tell their story?
In the July/August issue of Insight Into Academia, we explore the ideas reshaping the future of colleges and universities, from creator-led marketing and immersive recruitment strategies to the surprising lessons higher education can learn from the global phenomenon of BTS. You'll also find practical reporting on faculty buyouts, HBCUs' growing research influence, evidence-based student success initiatives, and the future of legal education, including AI, the NextGen Bar Exam, and our 2026 Excellence in Innovation Award-winning law schools. Whether you're leading a campus, shaping enrollment strategy, or preparing for what's next, this issue delivers actionable insights, real-world case studies, and forward-thinking ideas you can put to work today.
Inside this issue:
The BTS Effect: Why Colleges Are Studying This Global Marketing Phenomenon
Creator-Led Marketing: Universities Are Turning Students, Faculty, and Alumni Into Trusted Storytellers
From Brand to Proof: The Rise of Outcomes-First Marketing
Immersive Marketing: How Experiential Recruitment Is Reshaping Enrollment
Location Matters: Why Geography and Faculty Still Drive Institutional Competitiveness
Faculty Buyouts Sweep Higher Education as Institutions Grapple With Financial Strain
HBCUs Unite to Claim Standing Among Research Powerhouses
NYU and SUNY Team Up to Measure What Actually Works in Higher Education
Building the Future of the Legal Profession: Meet the 2026 Excellence in Innovation Award-winning Law Schools
Law’s AI Future: Teaching Critical Thinking Alongside Artificial Intelligence
National Bar Exam Overhaul: How the NextGen Bar Is Reshaping Legal Education
Rethinking Family Law: Reimagining Legal Education for Better Child-Centered Outcomes
Read the issue that’s helping higher education leaders rethink marketing, enrollment, innovation, and the future of their institutions.
Higher education professionals need more than headlines. They need proven ideas they can put into practice.
Get 40% off an institution-wide subscription to Insight Into Academia Magazine giving your entire campus unlimited access to:
Every digital issue and years of archives
Best-practices reports and toolkits
Viewfinder National Campus Climate data
Real-world case studies and actionable strategies
Seamless OpenAthens single sign-on
Give your campus trusted insights that lead to smarter decisions.
Flexible survey solutions for today’s higher education landscape.
Every campus has different goals, challenges, timelines, and budgets. That’s why Viewfinder® offers multiple survey options designed to meet institutions where they are, whether you need focused insight into a specific issue or a comprehensive view of campus climate and community experiences.
Do your students have survey fatigue?
Are your budgets for surveys tight?
Viewfinder® now offers a comprehensive, all-inclusive survey option that combines key institutional priorities into one coordinated survey experience, helping campuses gather meaningful data without overwhelming students, faculty, or staff.
This survey includes:
Campus Climate
Belonging & Engagement
Campus Safety
Title IX (Sexual Misconduct)
Title VI (Discrimination & Harassment)
Viewfinder® surveys are designed to deliver reliable, actionable insights from every part of your community—from students and staff to faculty and administrators. Every survey is fully customizable and built to meet your institution’s most urgent goals.
Whether you’re working to:
Reduce student attrition
Address staff and faculty burnout
Track belonging efforts over time
Learn about experiences of discrimination, bias, or harassment
Or prepare for accreditation requirements
Viewfinder® gives you the tools to do it with clarity, efficiency, and confidence.
Insight Into Academia magazine has selected 38 colleges and universities to receive the 2026 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award.
This national recognition honors colleges and institutions that make mental health and well-being a campuswide priority through accessible services, peer support, emotional resilience initiatives, proactive policies, and other innovative approaches that support students and employees.
The recipients were selected for programs and initiatives that demonstrate a meaningful commitment to strengthening campus well-being and expanding access to essential mental health resources.
“We know that institutions are not always recognized for their dedication to prioritizing mental health and well-being services and support for their students and employees,” said Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of Insight Into Academia. “We are proud to honor these colleges and universities for their outstanding work as the need for these resources continues to grow.”
The 2026 recipients will be featured in the September issue of Insight Into Academia, where readers can learn more about the programs, practices, and strategies making a difference on campuses nationwide.
Insight Into Academia Data Reports
Gain actionable insights, benchmarks, and proven strategies from some of higher education’s most successful, award-winning institutions.
Best Practices: A Compilation of Data, Programs, and Policies Led by Insight Into Academia HEED Award-Winning Institutions highlights initiatives and policies from colleges and universities recognized for fostering student success, belonging, and institutional excellence.
The 2026 Insight Into Academia Top Colleges for Innovation Award Best Practices Report showcases innovative strategies from award-winning institutions, featuring AI-powered student success tools, curriculum redesigns, sustainability initiatives, research, partnerships, and more.
The Insight into Academia 2026 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award Best Practices Report highlights initiatives that make mental health and well-being a campuswide priority through accessible services, peer support, emotional resilience initiatives, proactive policies, and other innovative approaches that support students and employees.
Purchase the latest reports to benchmark your institution, discover proven best practices, and gain practical ideas to strengthen programs, improve outcomes, and inform strategic planning.
Know what students and staff actually think before problems hit the headlines.
Viewfinder aggregates real-time climate data from 150+ campuses so you can:
Benchmark against peer institutions
Strengthen retention and belonging
Spot risks early and act before small issues escalate
👉 See the Viewfinder® National Campus Climate Data Center
Ready for what’s next? Visit our online Career Center to search for your next position with sought-after employers who understand the value of an inclusive workforce. Looking for fresh talent? Post your available position(s) with confidence—our reach spans every corner of academia.
Assistant Director of Marketing for Fan Engagement, Arkansas State University
Assistant Director, Pre-Law and Pre-Health Advising, Binghamton University
Assistant Director, Alumni Programs, Gonzaga University
Executive Assistant and Project Manager to the Vice President for Philanthropy & Engagement, Hope College
Associate Director, Reunion and Affinity Giving, Lehigh University
Student Success and Veterans Services Advisor, Rockland Community College
Head of Instruction Services, Santa Clara University
Bioinformatics Specialist, SUNY Albany
Program Coordinator, TCU Global (International Programs), Texas Christian University
Assistant Director Learning Services, Office of Innovation, University of Cincinnati
What if the future of university marketing isn't polished campaigns, but people? In this episode, University of Tennessee professor Matthew Pittman shares how authentic, creator-led content is helping attract students, build trust, and generate billions of impressions without billion-dollar budgets. Learn why traditional higher ed marketing is losing ground, how faculty can become powerful creators, and the practical strategies any institution can use to stand out in a crowded digital world.
If this episode resonated, share it with a colleague, your cabinet, or your campus leadership team. This is the work that defines what comes next.
Upgrade your subscription today and unlock access to exclusive content, community forums, and actionable tools—designed for leaders and professionals across the higher ed spectrum.
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For less than a coffee run, invest in insight that lasts—clear data, smarter strategy, and real perspective on higher education.
Most colleges don’t suffer from a lack of programs.
They suffer from a lack of connection.
In our newest Beyond the Quad Toolkit, From Programming to Belonging, Stephens College President Dr. Shannon B. Lundeen challenges a common assumption in higher education: that student success can be solved by adding another initiative, event, or committee.
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