"Faculty Anticipations for the Upcoming Academic Year"
In the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year, faculty members across the nation are bracing themselves for a landscape that is fraught with political interference, attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), high-speed technological shifts, and financial pressures. Yet, they remain undeterred and are eager to meet these challenges head-on.
Andréés Castro Samayoa, a professor at Boston College, is one such individual. He is excited to reconnect with students and colleagues who recognize the importance of supporting each other for equitable, just futures. Cynthia Tyson, a professor at The Ohio State University in Columbus, shares this sentiment, returning to campus with purpose, emphasizing her role in truth-telling, testifying, healing, and building community for her students. Tyson sums it up perfectly: "This work matters. Our students matter. And I'll keep showing up-fully present, fully human."
The challenges facing faculty are numerous. Demographic-driven enrollment declines are a significant concern, leading to budget cuts, reduced faculty and staff positions, and resource constraints at institutions. Political interference in campus life also poses challenges to academic freedom and faculty governance, with faculty needing to navigate controversial topics carefully. Mid-career faculty are particularly positioned to lead in fostering institutional change amidst this political backdrop.
DEI remains a focal area for higher education, despite being contentious in some political contexts. Faculty development programs emphasize integrating identity in academia and mentoring to advance equity goals. Rapid advancements in AI and educational technology provide opportunities to personalize learning and enhance teaching but also raise concerns about ethical use, infrastructure support, and effective integration into curricula. The enrollment cliff exacerbates financial strain on institutions, resulting in tighter budgets that impact faculty hiring, salaries, and development resources.
However, amid these challenges, faculty also have structured development opportunities and emerging technologies to help adapt and lead in higher education’s evolving landscape. Mid-career faculty are encouraged to assume leadership in guiding sustainable institutional changes within volatile political and social environments. Programs such as ASHE’s Early and Mid-Career Faculty Cohorts provide year-long community support focusing on career advancement, mentoring, and identity integration in academia, preparing faculty to navigate evolving expectations.
Faculty are also energized by the opportunity to redesign courses and integrate technologies in innovative ways. Larry Moneta, at the University of Pennsylvania, wants to explore curricular reform that blends workforce preparation and liberal arts thinking, while Sultant Jenkins, a biology professor at New York's LaGuardia Community College, is eager to redesign his Human Anatomy and Physiology course and observe the students' reaction to the changes.
The higher education landscape is also experiencing a call for collaboration beyond the boundaries of academia - across disciplines, sectors, and globally. Latunde looks forward to these collaborations, while Kent Wallace, a physicist and Dean of Graduate Studies at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, is motivated by the opportunity to mentor the next generation of scholars, scientists, doctors, and engineers.
Lance Bennett of St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, is excited about teaching and mentoring the next generation of higher education leaders, while Yvette Latunde of the University of La Verne is part of a visionary team that leads with purpose, clarity, and courage, co-creating a space where collaboration is meaningful, curiosity is nurtured, and difference is embraced.
Jonathan Zimmerman, also at the University of Pennsylvania, is anticipating challenging conversations with students about constraints and controversies around higher education. Despite the challenges, he remains optimistic about the potential for meaningful dialogue and growth.
In summary, faculty in 2025-2026 face significant systemic pressures from demographic, political, technological, and financial changes but also have structured development opportunities and emerging technologies to help adapt and lead in higher education’s evolving landscape. The upcoming academic year promises to be a time of innovation, collaboration, and resilience.
- Marybeth Gasman, a professor at Rutgers University, is anticipated to deliver insightful discussions on anti-DEI movements in higher education during the 2025-2026 academic year, serving as a guiding voice for faculty dealing with political interference in campus life.
- At Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, Cynthia Tyson and Kent Wallace will join efforts in education-and-self-development programs, fostering a collaborative environment that nurtures the next generation of scholars, scientists, doctors, and engineers.
