The Chief of Staff in Higher Education

Tuesday 9 December, 7pm EST (4pm PST) Wednesday 10 December, 11am AEDT

Higher education leaders face declining public trust, financial pressure, campus crises and shorter presidential tenures. Behind many presidents, provosts and deans is a chief of staff who helps turn strategy into action. Yet the role is still defined differently from one campus to the next.

To mark the publication of The Chief of Staff, vol. 8, no. 2, ‘The Issue of Higher Education’, join five of the issue’s authors for a reading and live panel discussion.

What you’ll hear: • How chiefs of staff help leaders through hurricanes, campus emergencies and other crises • Why the role should be a pathway to the university presidency • What chiefs of staff in US medical schools do, and how the role is changing • How a chief of staff connects strategy, governance and culture across a complex institution • What it takes to serve both a board and a dean in a school of government spanning Australia, New Zealand and the Indo-Pacific

Who should attend: The session is for chiefs of staff in higher education, and for presidents, vice-chancellors, provosts and deans who work with one or are considering creating the role. It will also interest anyone in executive support, strategy or institutional leadership who wants to understand how the role is shaping decision-making on campus.

Panellists: Dr Elliott D. Farmer, Spelman College, on the chief of staff as institutional integrator Dr Melissa Canady Wargo, Western Carolina University, on navigating institutional crises Dr Anita M. Navarro, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, on the chief of staff in US medical schools Dr. L. Hazel Jack, Colgate University, on the chief of staff pathway to the presidency Evelyn Loh, Australia and New Zealand School of Government, on leading across a complex Indo-Pacific structure

Moderator: Louise Steinfort, Managing Director, APAC, Chief of Staff Association

About the journal: The Chief of Staff is the journal of the Chief of Staff Association. It publishes research and practitioner insight on the role across sectors. ‘The Issue of Higher Education’ brings together surveys, interviews, focus groups and case studies from 16 contributors. Read the issue here: https://www.csa.org/higher-education-and-the-chief-of-staff

State of the industry: The State of the Industry Survey 2026 is open until 4 December. It covers pathways into and out of the chief of staff role, compensation, reporting lines, and the skills that define success. The findings will shape the State of the Industry Report 2027 published in February. Take part now: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T9P73MF