Leopards and Cheese: Reflections on the 2026 Gardner Institute Symposium on Transforming the Postsecondary Experience

October 2026

By Ethan Williams

“What do leopards and cheese have to do with higher education?” asked Dr. Drew Koch, CEO of the Gardner Institute, as he opened the 2026 Gardner Institute Symposium on Transforming the Postsecondary Experience. Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Symposium and connect with colleagues I had been collaborating with since January but had never met in person. During two days of learning and networking in Indianapolis, I found myself reflecting on the question Dr. Koch posed.

With shifting federal policies, declining public trust, funding gaps, and changing student demographics, higher education is experiencing a period of profound uncertainty. In the jungle, leopards must respond to the situation in front of them, making quick decisions to find food, shelter, and safety. Like leopards, higher education professionals must respond thoughtfully and swiftly to changing conditions. Throughout the Symposium, I was inspired by the work being done at institutions across the country to address the challenges facing higher education today. One area that stood out was the growing focus on artificial intelligence. The Symposium featured eight conference tracks that allowed participants to explore topics in depth, and AI appeared as the focus of a track, at least five conference sessions, and a pre-conference workshop. As AI becomes more ingrained in society, how colleges and universities adapt and respond will play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of higher education.

I was particularly interested in sessions that examined traditional approaches to student support and challenged attendees to rethink what those approaches could become. One session proposed viewing new student orientation as a “sequence of support” rather than a one-time event. As student needs become increasingly complex, creating an ongoing onboarding experience can help ensure students are aware of, and connected, to timely resources throughout their educational journey, not just during their first few days on campus. These conversations also connected closely to one aspect of my internship this semester, exploring best practices in community colleges. In many areas, particularly career readiness and workforce development, community colleges demonstrate innovation, adaptability, and market responsiveness from which other institutions can learn. Their ability to respond quickly to student and workforce needs serves as an important model for institutions seeking to remain relevant in a rapidly changing environment.

While quick decision-making is necessary to address immediate challenges, institutions must also invest in long-term stability and sustainable growth. Cheese is not made overnight. Through a methodical and intentional process, milk becomes cheese over time. Similarly, meaningful institutional transformation requires intentional, sustainable change. A recurring theme throughout the Symposium was the importance of engaging all members of both the campus and broader higher education community in the transformation process. Lasting change does not happen in a bubble; it requires collective commitment and participation from stakeholders across the institution. One idea that resonated with me was the suggestion to transform the “hidden curriculum” into actual curriculum. If institutions aspire to be truly transformative, they must look inward and critically examine the systems that students navigate every day. When students have trouble navigating institutional processes, the first step should be identifying and removing those barriers. Students arrive on campus with a wide range of identities and experiences, from first-generation students to parenting students, and all deserve equitable, transparent, and accessible support.

During a panel discussion featuring a journalist, historian, thought leader, student affairs practitioner, and professor, I was reminded that though people may approach challenges from different perspectives, many of us are wrestling with the same questions. A variety of backgrounds offer valuable insights into potential solutions. To support today’s students, we must move beyond asking, “Who is responsible?” and instead embrace the answer: “We all are.” The 2026 Gardner Institute Symposium on Transforming the Postsecondary Experience served as a timely reminder that meaningful change occurs when institutions bring together diverse perspectives in pursuit of an equitable, holistic, and student-centered experience. To create lasting transformation, institutions must be both the leopard and the cheese: agile enough to respond to immediate challenges and intentional enough to build a better future for both their students and society.

Ethan Williams is the 2026 Graduate Intern at the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Higher Education. He is a student in the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Higher Education program at the University of North Texas, and he serves as the Assistant Director of Student Engagement in the Center for Student Life at UNT Health Fort Worth.