According to a recent announcement on social media, the Higher Education Insights Board features chancellors and presidents from public and private colleges serving 1.5 million students.
According to ASU+GSV, the board is intended to serve as a forum for collaboration and shared learning among institutional leaders during a period of rapid change throughout the sector. Board members will collaborate throughout the year and are expected to convene in person at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit in April. They will share perspectives on student success models, workforce alignment and the evolving role of technology, the announcement says.
Named members of the Higher Education Insights Board span a range of institution types and leadership roles. Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University, will serve as honorary chair.
Among those named are Arthur Levine, president of Brandeis University, who was named a 2026 ASU+GSV Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for his work in higher education. Smaller and community colleges are also represented. Gordon Jones, president of the College of Western Idaho, and Bonita Brown, chancellor of Winston-Salem State University, are on the board, and several members come from institutions known for alternative and online delivery models, like Western Governors University, the University of Phoenix and University of the People.
Outside of institution-level leadership, some members hail from state-level departments of higher education, national college associations and education advisory firms.
“Winston-Salem State University has long been committed to meeting students where they are and preparing them for where the world is going,” Brown said in a public statement. “This moment calls for bold leadership that embraces innovation while staying grounded in mission.”
The launch of the board comes as advisory council and insight groups are growing in popularity in the ed-tech space. In the K-12 sector, companies like Frontline Education and Otus have established advisory councils on AI composed of district leaders, teachers and administrators. Those groups have focused on testing new features, providing feedback on implementation and helping companies align emerging tools with the practical realities of schools.
On the higher-ed side, the AI company Anthropic has convened a council of former university presidents and campus technology leaders to inform how tools like Claude are developed for teaching and learning. ASU+GSV itself formed a workforce advisory board to bring education and industry leaders together to examine trends in learning, skills development and employer alignment.
