HigherEd+

Happy Graduation Season to the students, faculty, and university leaders across our institutional partner community.

Commencement season is a powerful reminder of what higher education makes possible: opportunity, resilience, leadership, and impact. We’re proud to partner with institutions that continue to shape the next generation of leaders and changemakers.

Here’s to the graduates stepping into what’s next, and to the campuses and communities that helped them get there.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!🎓

📅 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟵

AI is getting faster.

But in quantitative research, speed without structure is where mistakes happen.

The outputs can look right.
The logic can sound convincing.
And it’s easy to move forward without fully checking the reasoning behind it.

That’s where this insightful session with Dr. Tripti Chopra (Thephdcoach) comes in.

Her work focuses on helping researchers use AI tools responsibly, especially in areas where accuracy matters most.

🎓 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀
📆 May 19, 2026 | 1:00–2:00 PM ET
🌍 Live online | Free

👉 Register here: bit.ly/webinar2026-3

💡 We’ll walk through:
• How to validate AI-generated statistical outputs
• How to choose the right analysis without trial-and-error
• Where AI tools can quietly introduce errors in your workflow

If you’ve been experimenting with AI but want a more grounded way to use it, this will be a productive use of your time.

Dear TRIO Community,

I want to personally thank each of you for the extraordinary advocacy you demonstrated during our National TRIO Week of Action.

Because of your leadership, your urgency, and your commitment, COE logged more than 1,000 advocacy calls to Congress from across the country. We know that the reported number represents only a slice of the true volume of outreach for first-generation and low-income students. What matters most is this: every state and territory showed up. Every corner of the TRIO community took action to . Every voice contributed to a unified national message.

In a moment when the future of TRIO is being actively debated and challenged, your advocacy made one thing unmistakably clear: this community will not be silent when opportunity is on the line.

Thank you to every TRIO professional, student, alumnus, parent, and supporter who picked up the phone, sent a message, or shared your story. Your efforts are shaping this conversation in real time. I encourage you to keep making calls and to log your outreach using COE's Congressional Outreach Tracker so we can continue demonstrating the full strength of this movement. Log your calls from today here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchAXY21taFBX2oFkqu-XVHzmBT5H5lQiDmlt8IZIwcrJVjdg/viewform

Also, please plan to join us for our next National TRIO Community Townhall on Tuesday, May 5, at 5:00 p.m. ET. This will be a critical opportunity to align as a community, hear the latest updates, and prepare for the next phase of this work. Secure your spot here: https://coenet.org/conferences-events/nationwide-trio-community-town-hall/

We are strongest when we move together. What you showed this week is exactly what it means to live out one mission, one voice, and one TRIO.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Jones
President
Council for Opportunity in Education

🎓 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂!

In higher ed, the real “force” isn’t invisible.

It’s the combination of:
• Mentorship
• Structure
• And consistent support

The things that don’t always show up in rankings, but make the biggest difference in outcomes.

🎓 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝘀.

Degrees are being awarded.
Placement conversations are starting.
And behind the scenes, leadership teams are asking a harder question:
⤷ 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁?

Because here’s the reality most institutions are sitting with:

Optional workshops.
Advising that depends on who shows up.
Outcomes that are hard to measure in a meaningful way.

That’s the gap the
👉 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 HigherEd+ was built to solve.

Not as another resource hub, but as a system that actually moves students forward and shows that movement.

💡 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲:
• Career development becomes a structured pathway, not something students opt into when they have time
• Skills are built and documented over time, not just discussed in advising conversations
• Faculty can embed this directly into coursework through optional LMS integration
• Institutions gain centralized data on progress, not just attendance

The shift is subtle, but important:

From exposure → to evidence.

And this is where a lot of current models fall short.

As thought leaders have pointed out in different ways, students often leave with meaningful experiences but struggle to translate and demonstrate their value in hiring contexts.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮:
• Tools that turn IDPs into sequenced, actionable steps, not just recommendations
• Structured Communities of Practice through UniversityTHRIVE that keep students engaged and accountable
• A model that doesn’t rely on students “figuring it out later”

Because at this point, expectations have changed.

It’s no longer enough to say:
“𝘞𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵.”

The real question is:

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲?

Graduate Career Readiness Center - HigherEd+ The Graduate Career Readiness Center by HigherEd+ serves as a unified ecosystem for graduate career development, transforming siloed efforts into a coordinated, measurable institutional strategy. Designed for master’s students, doctoral researchers, and post-doctoral fellows, it delivers structure...

📊 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀

AI tools are already part of the research process.

But when it comes to quantitative analysis, most researchers are still asking:

→ Can I trust this output?
→ Am I choosing the right statistical test?
→ Where does validation actually happen?

That’s exactly what this session is designed to clarify.

🎓 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀
📆 Tuesday, May 19, 2026
⏰ 1:00–2:00 PM ET
🌍 Live online | Free

👉 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: bit.ly/webinar2026-3

🎤 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: Dr. Tripti Chopra (Thephdcoach)
Award-winning researcher, AI educator, and Founder of The PhD Coach, Dr. Chopra has trained 10,000+ researchers globally and mentored 1,000+ graduate scholars in thesis writing, publication strategy, and ethical AI-supported research.

Her work focuses on something that matters here: using AI tools without compromising research integrity.

💡 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼:
• Apply AI tools like ChatGPT for data cleaning, test selection, and SPSS syntax, while validating every step
• Identify the right statistical methods (t-tests, ANOVA, regression, SEM) with structured reasoning
• Generate and interpret SPSS outputs using AI-assisted workflows
• Recognize where tools like SPSS GPT and SEM can lead to errors
• Use Julius AI for insight without treating it as a statistical authority

If you’re working with data, or supporting researchers who are, this will be a very practical session.

🎉*𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧*🎉 HigherEd+ and Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) Strategic Partnership

We’re pleased to announce a new strategic partnership between HigherEd+ and the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS), the national organization representing graduate education across Canada.

This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to supporting graduate school leadership and improving outcomes for graduate students at scale across the Canadian higher education ecosystem.

Through this partnership, HigherEd+ and CAGS will jointly plan and deliver a series of live, co-sponsored webinars each year, focused on timely topics for graduate deans, administrators, and academic leaders. These events will be open to the public and supported with French captions to ensure accessibility and engagement across Canada.

The first live webinar event will take place TODAY, April 22, 2026, and will feature a panel of experts who will discuss 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺

This partnership represents an important step in expanding the reach of HigherEd+ throughout Canada and in supporting the country’s leading institutions with scalable, evidence-based approaches to graduate student, post-doctoral fellow, and faculty success.

Interested in learning more? Check out the Press Release here: https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/education/highered-and-the-canadian-association-for-graduate-studies-cags-announce-strategic-partne-1156445

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📅 𝗖𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄!

We’re excited to welcome participants to tomorrow’s panel on 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺, hosted in partnership with the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS).

A big thank you to our panelists for bringing their perspectives and experience to this conversation:

🎤 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴:
• Dr. Jenny Phelps, University of British Columbia
• Charlene Marion, CEWIL Canada
• Eunice K. Yeboah, Canadian Black Policy Network
• Dr. J. Phoenix Singh, PhD, PhD, HigherEd+

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁:
🎓 How to Integrate Industry Workforce Preparedness into the Graduate Curriculum
📆 April 22, 2026 | 1:00–2:00 PM ET
🌍 Free | Live online (French captions available)

👉 Register here: https://bit.ly/478Fdnb

We’ll be digging into a few questions that many institutions are actively working through:

• Where workforce preparedness fits within existing graduate programs
• How to move forward without adding more strain on faculty or students
• What it takes to move from isolated efforts to something more embedded and sustainable

See you there!

📅 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆

Most graduate programs weren’t designed with multiple career pathways in mind.

They were built for a very specific outcome.

But that reality has shifted.

Now, institutions are being asked to prepare students for a much wider range of possibilities, while still protecting the depth and rigor that define graduate education.

That’s not a small adjustment. It’s a structural one.

On April 22, in partnership with the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS), we’re bringing together a group of leaders who are exploring how Canadian and North American institutions are embedding workforce readiness into graduate education without compromising scholarly rigor or academic integrity.

Not by adding separate programming on the side, but by rethinking how workforce preparedness fits within the graduate curriculum itself.

🎓 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺
📆 April 22, 2026 | 1:00–2:00 PM ET
🌍 Free | Live Online (French captions available)

👉 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://bit.ly/478Fdnb

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼:

• Where workforce preparedness naturally fits within existing programs
• How institutions are approaching this without overloading faculty or students
• What it takes to move from isolated efforts to something more embedded and sustainable

If this is something your institution has been circling but not quite solving, this will be a useful perspective.

📣 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺

Canadian and North American universities are at an inflection point.

Graduate programs are expected to do two things at once:
→ Advance research and teaching excellence
→ Prepare students for an increasingly competitive labour market

The question is no longer 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 workforce preparedness belongs in graduate education.
⤷ It’s 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗼𝗿.

In partnership with the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) and HigherEd+ this national panel brings together academic leaders and industry engagement specialists to explore what this looks like in practice across Canadian institutions.

🎓 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺
📆 April 22, 2026 | 1:00–2:00 PM ET
🌍 Live online | Free (French captions available)

👉 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://bit.ly/478Fdnb

💡 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲:

• Models for integrating workforce preparedness into graduate curricula
• Scalable strategies for embedding transferable skills into existing programs
• How to balance research excellence with industry engagement and experiential learning
• Structural and policy considerations for implementation at the faculty and institutional level

🎤 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴:
• Dr. Jenny Phelps, Assistant Vice-Provost of Graduate and Postdoctoral Strategic Academic Initiatives, University of British Columbia
• Charlene Marion, Executive Director of CEWIL Canada
• Eunice K. Yeboah, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Canadian Black Policy Network
• Dr. Jay P. Singh, Founder and Executive Director of HigherEd+ (former Cambridge & UPenn faculty)

If you’re a Graduate Dean, Program Director, or academic leader, this conversation will offer practical insight into where graduate education is heading, and how institutions are adapting in real time.

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 HigherEd+ 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗶-𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿?
⤷ https://bit.ly/thursday-thinker

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂:
✨ Monthly blogs written by academic + industry thought leaders
✨ Updates on new HigherEd+ content and partners
✨ Invites to free workshops and events

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