Future Insight: Leading the Next Era of Educational Transformation

Live from the Chicago International Summit on Education | June 5, 2026

Featuring Dr. Cynthia Bice, Dr. Tom Phillion, Dr. Glen Brodowsky | Future Insight Podcast, Episode 24

Hosted by Dr. Dean Cantu

In a rapidly changing landscape, how do universities move from a simple vision of the future to generating measurable impact? This pressing question was the focal point of the Future Insight vodcast, hosted by Dr. D. Antonio "Dean" Cantù at the Chicago International Summit on Education.

Bringing together a diverse panel of educational leaders, the discussion featured:

• Dr. Cynthia Bice, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies, Missouri Valley College, MO

• Dr. Tom Philion, Dean, Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education, Northeastern Illinois University, IL

• Dr. Glen Brodowsky, Dean, Heller College of Business, Roosevelt University, IL

Here are the major takeaways and emerging trends discussed by the panel.

The "Warp Speed" of Modern Transformation

The panelists agreed that the pace of change in higher education is unprecedented. Dr. Brodowsky noted that the industry is moving at "warp speed," driven by the forced technological leaps of the 2020 pandemic. Rather than waiting for traditional 18-year-old first-generation students—a demographic that is steadily shrinking—universities must pivot to support adult learners, such as 25-to-28-year-olds who need to upskill or adapt to career pivots.

To meet these shifting needs, Dr. Bice highlighted the critical role of stackable micro-credentials. Drawing from her experience at Miami Dade College, she explained how breaking down learning into smaller, focused certificates allows professionals—from local high school students to highly educated immigrants needing U.S. credentials—to hit the ground running in their careers,,. Dr. Philion added that institutions must also become more focused, suggesting that universities might need to downsize their vast degree offerings to concentrate on what they truly do best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWI9bSBAhT8

"Not skating to where the puck was at but skating to where the puck was going to be."

Skating to Where the Puck Will Be

Invoking the famous "Gretzky principle" of skating to where the puck is going to be, Dr. Cantù asked the panel to look five years into the future.

The consensus? Collaboration over competition. Dr. Brodowsky argued for the creation of regional "educational ecosystems," where local universities specialize in different programs rather than replicating every department on every campus,. Dr. Philion echoed this, suggesting that public and private institutions in regions like Chicago need to function more as a team to serve their communities, scaling successes seen at institutions like Georgia State.

Furthermore, Dr. Bice emphasized that survival depends on forging direct partnerships with corporate employers. By directly asking companies what skills they need solved and delivering on-site, tailored education for their employees, universities can stay relevant and directly fuel upward economic mobility.

"Higher education brings opportunity which brings upward mobility to anybody that participates in it."

Embracing Generative AI with Guardrails

The integration of Artificial Intelligence is no longer optional. While the panelists recognized the initial panic surrounding AI, they urged a proactive, rather than reactive, approach.

• Establishing Ethics and Guardrails: Dr. Bice stressed the necessity of embedding AI into curriculums alongside strict ethical guardrails. She advocated for creating assignments where students must use AI transparently, thereby learning to critically evaluate the tool rather than hide their use of it,.

• Shifting Core Competencies: Because AI makes producing written text simpler, Dr. Philion predicted a necessary pivot in how we evaluate students. He argued that oral instruction and presentation skills, as well as data literacy and statistical analysis, will become increasingly vital competencies for future graduates.

• AI as a Tool, Not a Crutch: Dr. Brodowsky reminded the audience that humanity has advanced by using tools for millennia. He challenged educators to design assignments that explicitly require students to use multiple AI prompts to generate essays, and then have the students analyze and contrast the outputs to find the "right" answer.

Engaging the Post-Pandemic Learner

The modern student has evolved, sometimes becoming more passive in the classroom due to years of remote learning. To combat this and improve retention, the panel highlighted the need for structural support:

• Proactive "Early Alerts": Dr. Bice championed robust tracking systems where faculty report struggling students early in a term, allowing "academic coaches" to intervene with success plans before a student fails a gateway course.

• Structured Degree Maps: Overwhelming students with endless course choices often leads to costly mistakes, according to Dr. Brodowsky. He argued for investing heavily in professional advising and providing students with clear, focused degree maps that guide them safely through their educational journey.

Final Thoughts

Despite the economic stresses and the looming demographic cliff,, the panel concluded on a profoundly optimistic note. By meeting students where they are, refusing to hide in an "ivory tower," and acting with an entrepreneurial spirit, higher education will continue to be the greatest engine for opportunity and upward mobility.

Listen to All Future Insight Episodes at: https://www.adastrari.org/future-insight