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The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Through hundreds of conversations with college presidents and my work with institutions across the globe, I’ve observed a powerful dynamic shaping the success or failure of digital transformation in higher education. As we progress through the first few months of 2025, Ive been reflecting on the dynamic at this pivotal time in higher education. Before institutions rush the doors of modernization and leap into this new wave of artificial intelligence, they must first step back and acknowledge a different type of AIalignment and inertia. Institutional inertia First, lets start with inertia, because the reality is, its always easier to do nothing than to drive change. Organizational inertia acts as a constant force against change, manifesting itself in ways that directly impact an organizations ability to evolve and be healthy. In the context of higher education, where there are often competing priorities, technology projects that should take months stretch into years. Decision processes become mired in endless approval cycles. Resources remain locked in legacy systems while innovation initiatives slowly die in committee. Meanwhile, competitors advance, and market opportunities slip away. Sadly, the cost of this inertia compounds over time, creating a widening gap between institutional capabilities and student expectations. When technology projects face multiple delays, institutions lose more than time and moneythey lose their place in line for their competitive position. We see this even more when an institution prioritizes its modernization project to start with its administrative areas rather than those directly affecting the student experience and their ultimate success. I had this conversation with a top HBCU leader in Alabama which is gearing up to modernize its enterprise and student systems. He called me to announce that his strategy to compete and ensure his students had the best experience and graduated on time was to start with their student systems first. He just plain got it, telling me that our student information system would help them drive the outcomes they need. Todays modern learner is expecting seamless digital experiences and will choose institutions that better meet their needs. We saw this clearly in our recent Student Voice Report that showed 92% of students surveyed expect to access all student account services in one place. At the same time, faculty was frustrated with outdated tools, while staff waste countless hours on an abundance of manual processes that could be automated (stating that this is the way theyve always done it). The resulting impact on enrollment, retention, and institutional reputation creates a downward spiral that becomes increasingly difficult to reverse. It also traps valuable resources that could be directed to higher impact areas, from student mental health services to career coaching innovations, to addressing the imbalance of student-to-advisor ratios. Leadership alignment Inertia sets up like quicksand when one variable is missingalignment. Leadership alignment provides the essential counterforce to institutional inertia. When presidents achieve true alignment from their board, leadership team, and endowment partners, they create momentum that can almost always overcome even the strongest resistors. This type of multi-stakeholder alignment accelerates decision making, ensures resources flow to strategic priorities, and empowers change champions throughout the organization. Rather than avoiding resistance or waiting for the right time that often never comes, aligned leadership teams address it proactively in a constructive, outcomes-based, and student-first mindset aligned to their strategic priorities. Presidents face the challenging task of building these aligned teams while managing the constant drag of inertia. Some achieve this by bringing in trusted leaders who share their transformation vision. Others invest time building coalitions with existing team members, carefully assessing their capability and commitment to change. But the best leaders do one thing that trumps all othersthey lead with the mindset of putting their students first. When leaders do this, there is always a sense of urgency and action because students cant and wont wait! Alignment helps overcome inertia So, what is a president to do with their board? If they are lucky, they have recruited leaders with a bias for transformation and action, but often this is not the case. The reality is that the board plays a particularly crucial role in gaining alignment and support for an institutions strategic goals and must not be overlooked. As higher education becomes increasingly technology-dependent, boards must expand their oversight beyond traditional areas to ensure modernization serves student needs while supporting the institutions mission. Technology can no longer be an afterthought and it cant fromdecisions made in facilities and buildings committees. It must be front and center as a part of institutional strategic planning. Strong board support empowers presidents to overcome inertia by approving necessary resources, supporting difficult leadership decisions, and maintaining focus on long-term sustainability despite short-term pressures. When institutions lack this leadership alignment, inertia wins the day. Projects stall in endless committees while resources remain trapped in maintaining legacy systems. Innovation initiatives become diluted in attempts to maintain the status quo, and departmental interests regularly override institutional priorities. The result is a gradual erosion of competitive position that may go unnoticed until an institution finds itself unable to compete for the students they once attracted. The stakes are particularly high right now as artificial intelligence reshapes higher education in ways that we cannot even imagine. Institutions that struggle with basic technology implementations will find AI adoption nearly impossible. The technology itself, no matter how promising, cannot overcome the gravitational pull of institutional inertia. Success in digital transformation requires mastering both types of AI. While artificial intelligence promises transformation, alignment provides the force to overcome inertia and make even the toughest transformation possible. In the race to embrace AI, remember: The most crucial intelligence isn’t artificialit’s aligned. Only through strong alignment can institutions generate enough momentum to overcome inertia and create meaningful change that serves students, supports faculty, and ensures institutional sustainability in an increasingly digital world. Laura Ipsen is CEO of Ellucian.
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Many Americans wonder whether the pill used in most U.S. abortions will be restricted under the new Republican administration in Washington. President Donald Trumps pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, was confirmed by the Senate late Tuesday. In recent testimony before the Senate health committee, Makary wouldnt commit to specific action on the pill, called mifepristone, despite prodding from both Republicans and Democrats. Medical professionals call it among the safest medications ever approved by the FDA. But a Christian conservative group that sued the FDA over the drug says it has caused tens of thousands of emergency complications.” Heres what to know about the safety of mifepristone, which is typically used with misoprostol in medication abortions that make up close to two-thirds of abortions in the U.S. What are the safety limits on use of the abortion pill? The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000 as a safe and effective way to end early pregnancies. Currently, there are no in-person requirements and the pill can be sent through the mail. That’s not how the FDA first treated mifepristone, which on rare occasions can cause dangerous, excessive bleeding that requires emergency care. Strict safety limits were placed on who could prescribe and distribute it only specially certified physicians and only as part of three mandatory in-person appointments with the patient getting the drug. The doctors also had to be capable of performing emergency surgery to stop excess bleeding and an abortion procedure if the drug didnt end the pregnancy. Over time, the FDA reaffirmed mifepristones safety and repeatedly eased restrictions. How often are there serious problems? Abortion opponents say the FDAs 2021 decision allowing online prescribing and mail-order use of mifepristone resulted in many more emergency complications. But that argument lumps together women experiencing a range of issues from mifepristone not working to people who may simply have questions or concerns but dont require medical care. OB-GYNs say a tiny fraction of patients suffer major or serious adverse events after taking mifepristone. A legal brief filed with the Supreme Court last year by a group of medical organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says: When used in medication abortion, major adverse events significant infection, excessive blood loss, or hospitalization occur in less than 0.32% of patients, according to a highly regarded study with more than 50,000 patients. The definition that scientists generally use for serious adverse events includes blood transfusions, major surgery, hospital admissions and death, said Ushma Upadhyay, one of the authors of that 2015 study. The prescribing information included in the packaging for mifepristone tablets lists slightly different statistics for what it calls serious adverse reactions. It cites ranges for how frequently various complications occur: 0.03% to 0.5% for transfusion; 0.2% for sepsis and 0.04% to 0.6% for hospitalization related to medication abortions. The ranges reflect findings across various relevant studies, experts said. Why do patients go to the emergency room? Mifepristones labeling lists a complication that most medical groups dont consider a serious or major adverse event: ER visits, which ranged from 2.9% to 4.6%. The current FDA label lists going to the ER as an option if patients experience prolonged heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain or a sustained fever. But ER visits dont always reflect big problems. Some people may go there after a medication abortion because they want to be checked out or have questions but dont have a doctor, said Upadhyay, a public health scientist at the University of California, San Francisco. Others, she said, dont want to go to their primary care provider about their abortion because of stigma. A study she co-authored in 2018 found that slightly more than half of patients who visited the ER because of abortions received only observational care. How effective is the pill? Mifepristone results in a completed abortion 97.4% of the time, according to U.S. studies cited in the FDA label. But in 2.6% of cases, a surgical intervention is needed. And 0.7% of the time, the pregnancy continues. Thats compared to a procedural abortion in a clinic, where the chance of the procedure failing to end a pregnancy is extremely, extremely low, probably less than 0.1%, said Dr. Pratima Gupta, a board member for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Any time a procedural abortion is done, the clinicians ensure that it was a complete abortion by examining the tissue that is removed or performing an ultrasound during or after the procedure, she said. Gupta, who has done abortion procedures for more than 20 years, said there are very few complications from abortion any kind of abortion, medication or procedural abortion. One study suggested thats just as true for medication abortions that happen in a clinic, a doctors office or at home with the help of telehealth. How does mifepristones safety and effectiveness compare to other drugs? The FDA makes drug approval decisions on a case-by-case basis, weighing effectiveness, safety and other factors. No drug is 100% effective, and many common medications dont work for a significant portion of patients. Antidepressants typically help between 40% and 60% of people with depression. New antibiotics approved by the FDA often resolve about 70% of infections. Since 2000, roughly 6 million patients have taken mifepristone, according to the FDA. A 2021 review of agency records looking for deaths that were likely related to the drug identified 13, or 0.00027% of patients. Medical organizations supporting mifepristones availability say the drugs safety given the rate of deaths compares to ibuprofen, which more than 30 million Americans take in any given day. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Scince and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Laura Ungar and Matthew Perrone, Associated Press
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The deadline to claim the Super Early rate for Fast Companys Brands That Matter is this Friday. Rates go up March 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET. This is the fifth year that Fast Company will be honoring brands that have turned their marketing and branding strategies into cultural moments while still delivering for their core audience. It will also mark the second year that Brands That Matter will recognize CMOs of the Yearthe marketers leading their organizations to new heights with ambitious, effective leadership that keeps their brands top of mind for consumers.� Brands That Matter includes a main list of General Excellence honorees, as well as dozens of brands in seven categoriesplus CMOs of the Year. Read our 2024 list to learn more about the companies that were honored.� Brands That Matter is distinct from other Fast Company recognition programs in that it is solely focused on how brands build cultural relevancewhether thats pop culture, entertainment, tech, or even missionin a way that aligns with their overall identity and has a measurable business impact.� Start your Brands That Matter application�here. For more information on applying,�see the FAQs.�The final deadline to apply is June 6.
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