As campuses deal with the impact of COVID-19 and systemic racism, campus leaders have an opportunity to make sustainable, structurally supported change that provides foundations for reparation, reconciliation, and healing for campus communities.

A number of studies, articles and blog posts in recent years have hinted that campuses are figuratively hanging off of a mental health cliff. Kate Wolfe-Lyga and Marcus Hotaling write that while numerous factors that have likely contributed to this increase in need, the main concern is whether colleges and universities have the capacity to support their students’ mental health.

Cathy Sandeen joined Cal State East Bay as president in the middle of the pandemic. To her surprise, virtual leadership has had unmistakable upsides.

Shared equity leadership can help dismantle the systems that perpetuate inequities by drawing upon the strengths of a range of campus stakeholders rather than the perspective of a single leader.

With vaccines now available and campuses preparing for a return to “normal,” higher education leaders must ask what we have learned about our institutions’ capacity for change and how we will incorporate that learning into a post-COVID future, not just in terms of teaching and learning but also in considering equity and inclusion.

Research shows that students are more likely to persist and complete when they see themselves reflected in faculty, staff, and leadership on campus. How can we ensure that diversity in leadership extends to LGBTQ+ professionals, particularly at community colleges?