How to Talk About Higher Education

If you listen to discussions about higher education, you’ll find a plethora of ways that people talk about it. Is it a workforce development machine? Is it a training ground for future leaders? Is it a place where people grow into fully-fledged human beings? The answer is “yes”—it’s all these. And the language we use to talk about higher education affects how we do it. Join us for a conversation about the many ways we talk about higher education.

This is part 1 of a 5-part series on "How to Talk About Higher Education," an introduction to the topic and a discussion on Higher Education as an "ecosystem." In further episodes, we will discuss Higher Education as a culture, a machine, an institution, and a marketplace.

• Read the White Paper on this topic by Dr. Emily W. Heady, "Talking about Leadership: How the Words We Use Shape Our Workplace."
• Listen to our podcast on Online Learning Ecosystems.

Podcast Topics and Show Notes:

1. Why do metaphors matter when we talk about higher ed? And what are some common ones that people use?

2. Let’s talk about one of these—the ecosystem. What’s at stake in referring to higher education as an ecosystem rather than as something else?

• Darwinian ideas—Survival of the fittest, etc.
• Systems with checks and balances, resource sharing, etc.

3. What can a leader within a higher ed ecosystem do?

• Guide resource allocation for systemic flourishing – define boundaries, manage territory, etc.
• Manage tension/conflict rather than stoking or joining it.

If you or your school is looking for help with RSI, curriculum or course development, operational services, training, or professional development, think Magellan; our team would love to help. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠thinkmagellan.com⁠⁠⁠. Thank you for joining us on the Magellan Podcast: Navigating Education in the 21st Century.

Recommended Books:

• Bowles, K. (2022, March 28). A pocket primer: Types of higher education institutions. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-explain-it-me/pocket-primer-types-higher-education-institutions Petriglieri, G. (2023, April 24). Driving organizational change—Without abandoning tradition. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/04/driving-organizational-change-without-abandoning-tradition?utm_campaign=hbr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
• Rosowsky, D. & Hallman, K. (2020, May 25). Communicating culture in a distributed world. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/05/26/importance-culture-binding-higher-ed-institution-together-during-crises-pandemic
• Rutter, M. & Mintz, S. (2019, January 17). Creating a more collaborative higher education ecosystem. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-gamma/creating-more-collaborative-higher-education-ecosystem
• Schein, E., & Schein, P. (2016). Organization culture and leadership. 5th Ed. Wiley.
• Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. Doubleday.