Advancing Public Trust Leadership Institute

Build trusted and trustworthy higher education institutions.

In recent years, American confidence in and support for higher education has declined sharply. This erosion of public trust has created new urgency for colleges and universities to demonstrate their value, strengthen relationships with their communities, and respond effectively to challenges facing the sector. 

If college and university leaders hope to fulfill their institutions’ missions and defend higher education from increased public and political scrutiny and threats to institutional autonomy, they need to tackle the problem of declining public trust. 

The Advancing Public Trust (APT) Leadership Institute is a new six-month hybrid experience from AAC&U designed to help campus teams diagnose challenges to legitimacy and credibility, strengthen relationships with key communities, and develop strategies to advance public trust in higher education. Building trust requires more than understanding the problem—it requires institutional leadership, coordinated action, and an approach grounded in each campus's unique mission, community, and context.

The institute helps campus teams move from ideas to implementation by providing the framework, tools, mentorship, and collaborative learning environment needed to strengthen institutional trustworthiness and build lasting relationships with the communities they serve. By the end of the institute, each team will have developed a practical campus action plan to advance public trust and support its institution's mission.

Who Should Attend

This institute is designed for cross-functional teams that include at least one senior leader who can champion change at their institution.

Teams from individual colleges and universities, systems, or regional consortia are welcome to register and participate.

Who you invite to join your team depends on your goals. Are you focused on telling a better story? Make sure someone from your communications or marketing office is involved. Do you want to prioritize community engagement? Include someone from external relations. Compose a team who will be best positioned to put your plan into action.

Whether your institution is just beginning this work or building on existing efforts, the AAC&U Advancing Public Trust (APT) Leadership Institute provides the framework and collaborative environment to help your team move forward. Participants work together to develop a customized action plan that reflects their institution's mission, community, and priorities.

What You'll Gain

• A Clear Understanding of the Public Trust Crisis: Examine the factors contributing to declining public confidence in higher education and why rebuilding credibility is essential to institutional success.
• A Framework for Building Trustworthiness: Identify practical actions that individuals and institutions can take to strengthen integrity through their policies, practices, and communications.
• A Campus Action Plan to Advance Public Trust: Develop a customized action plan with strategies to accelerate innovation, prioritize community engagement, recommit to inclusive excellence, tell a clearer institutional story, and coordinate a mission-centered defense.
• A Practical Assessment of Your Campus Context: Evaluate the current conditions of public trust on your campus, in your local community, and among the broader public to identify opportunities for meaningful action.

Format

The APT Leadership Institute is a virtual, team-based institute, with in-person kickoff and capstone events. See the Schedule-at-a-Glance for more information about the in-person and virtual meetings.

In-person meetings will be synchronous learning opportunities. Virtual meetings will encourage live participation and will be recorded and made available for asynchronous learning as well. 

Beyond the Institute

Participating teams join a community of practice committed to advancing public trust in higher education.