By Joseph Beam, Director of Marketing and Communications, AACRAO, Live from #SEM2025
The 35th Annual AACRAO SEM Conference opened with a thought-provoking plenary session featuring Len Gutkin, senior editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education Review. With characteristic depth and candor, Gutkin set the stage by reflecting on how higher education finds itself “flying blind” amid near-constant change and scrutiny at the federal level. Regardless of who holds political power, he noted, higher education remains under the microscope, and that reality shapes both public perception and institutional decision-making.
Gutkin pointed out an emerging phenomenon in enrollment management: institutions that frequently appear in the headlines, those with “noisy” campus cultures, may be seeing measurable impacts on their enrollment patterns. The observation underscored a recurring tension for enrollment leaders: how visibility, public discourse, and political narratives can shape institutional reputation and student choice.
Shifting from his opening remarks to a conversational interview format, Gutkin welcomed AACRAO Executive Director Melanie Gottlieb to the stage for a wide-ranging discussion about the role and value of higher education in a rapidly changing world. Together, they explored how colleges and universities can better articulate their enduring value proposition, particularly the “slow education” model that emphasizes deep learning, soft skills, and the liberal arts.
In an age increasingly defined by artificial intelligence and automation, higher education remains uniquely positioned to prepare students not just for the workforce, but for thoughtful participation in a complex society.
At the same time, Gutkin acknowledged that the “slow education” paradigm is not universally accessible. For many students, economic pressures demand a faster, more utilitarian path to employment. This tension, between education as enrichment and education as economic necessity, lies at the heart of today’s higher education policy and enrollment conversations.
Gottlieb and Gutkin emphasized the importance of universities telling their own stories more effectively. From medical breakthroughs to scientific innovations, higher education delivers benefits that extend far beyond campus borders. “There are many areas where both sides of the political spectrum can find common ground,” noted Gottlieb, encouraging institutions to build on shared values rather than partisan divides.
Gutkin added that honesty and introspection are critical to maintaining credibility. Acknowledging higher education’s real problems, rather than deflecting criticism, strengthens the sector’s position in public discourse.
The session concluded with a lively audience exchange, during which one participant offered a resonant reminder: in striving for neutrality, higher education must not lose its passion or moral compass.
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