Tuesday, September 22

Virtual Conference

Scott Carlson is one of the authors of the popular Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter – and What Really Does.

Hacking College began with the recognition that higher education is both powerful and deeply confusing. The promise of transformation collides with a maze of policies, jargon, and structures that often leave students — and their families — navigating on their own. Scott and Ned’s work brings together three different vantage points on this shared problem: journalism, academic leadership, and student advising.

Scott Carlson has spent more than two decades covering higher education at The Chronicle of Higher Education, where he is a senior writer focusing on college finance and management, the path from college to work, and how institutions can adapt to social, economic, and cultural change. He has been the author of numerous lengthy reports on the future of work, the threats to the university business model, and the financial restructuring of universities, among other topics. In his journalism and his weekly column — The Edge —  he tells the stories of students trying to make sense of college, of faculty wrestling with shifting expectations, of leaders tasked with balancing tradition and innovation, and how outside forces are creating new fault lines in higher ed. His work with Hacking College continues his commitment to bringing unseen ideas and innovations to the surface.

Thursday, September 24

In-person Conference

Kevin Clarke is an Associate Director with EAB’s Research Advisory Services (RAS), where he partners with presidents, provosts, and senior leadership teams to advance institutional strategy and student success.

Informed by EAB’s research and market insights, Kevin delivers executive workshops, strategy sessions, and advisory consultations that help leaders clarify priorities, navigate tradeoffs, and translate insight into coordinated action. His expertise spans student success and retention strategy, academic advising transformation, AI readiness, strategic differentiation, workforce alignment, and financial sustainability. He is particularly focused on the institutional conditions that shape student persistence, including how governance, faculty roles, metrics, and technology influence long-term outcomes.