In order to stay afloat in today’s enrollment landscape, private institutions are vying to break into STEM and healthcare programs that correspond with regional and national workforce needs. Traditional professional and liberal arts programs must also be re-tooled as AI and other cutting-edge technology disrupts every facet of the economy. Fervor surrounding academic renovation in the name of value and workforce preparation is often constrained by institutions’ ever-tightening budgets. Despite such obstacles, Fairleigh Dickinson University President Michael Avaltroni is building the “university of the future” in New Jersey—but not by himself. Avaltroni and two other presidents recently interviewed by University Business are each engaging in deep yet varying models of collaboration, shaped by the operational capacity and mission of the institutions involved.
