Sean Corp, Communications Lead

A new survey is available to academic leaders throughout higher education that aims to gather insights that will advance academic innovation and identify opportunities and challenges these institutions face. The survey was a collaboration between the Center for Academic Innovation and Quantum Thinking, an education consulting firm. 

The Leading Academic Change: National Survey 2.0 is open to leaders at schools and colleges who are charged with enabling academic innovation at their institutions. It is also available to directors of units and departments in higher education who are actively engaged with enabling academic innovation more broadly. This could include advancing systemic changes in teaching and learning, leveraging novel technology, and broadening educational access.

The survey builds on the first Leading Academic Change National Survey project co-developed by Quantum Thinking founder Anne Keehn in 2014-15 with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and in partnership with the University System of Maryland’s William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation. 

The new survey was developed by Keehn, who serves as the co-principal investigator, and Cait Hayward, director of research and analytics at the center, who serves as co-principal investigator for the project. Hayward and the center’s founding executive director, James DeVaney, also served on the steering committee for the survey. 

“National Survey 2.0 is not just an exercise in data collection; it’s a collective effort to uncover information that will shape the future of how institutions address student and faculty needs,” said DeVaney. “As we navigate the complexities of our times, this survey provides a unique opportunity for leaders in higher education to contribute their perspectives.”

The survey is designed to gather data on the structures, strategies, and resources being used to further innovation in higher education, better understand the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and identify the common challenges and best practices that can contribute to faculty and student success. 

The survey is currently available online, and CAI and Quantum Thinking are engaging with various institutions to take the survey. The survey will remain open until approximately Feb. 16, and then the research and data analytics team at the center will evaluate the data and produce a report to share these important findings. 

“What we learn here will enable leaders in this space to make more informed decisions and foster cross-university collaborations on our shared opportunity spaces and challenges,” said Cait Hayward, director of research and analytics at the center.