Education Revolution: Dr Nivine Megahed of National Louis University On Innovative Approaches That Are Transforming Education
An interview with Eden Gold
I knew how big systems and little systems were alike but different in important ways. The functions are the same, but the bigger the system gets, the more it becomes critical to manage through leaders all around you and have in place metrics by which you can assess progress. In a small system you can do this a lot more informally.
The landscape of education is undergoing a profound transformation, propelled by technological advancements, pedagogical innovations, and a deepened understanding of learning diversities. Traditional classrooms are evolving, and new modes of teaching and learning are emerging to better prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. This series will take a look at the groundbreaking work being done across the globe to redefine education. As a part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Dr. Nivine Megahed.
Dr. Megahed has worked in higher education for over thirty-five years. As an educational entrepreneur her passion is building innovative student-centered organizations focused on student success and empowering our most marginalized populations to achieve social and economic mobility through education. She currently serves as president of National Louis University.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?
My career has been driven by the desire to “make a difference.” I started out as a clinical psychologist who saw patients, taught at a professional school, and worked in a hospital, and I thought I had won the lottery getting to do all these things that impacted people’s lives.
Of course, no one’s journey is without detours or roadblocks, and mine was no different. I weathered a few disappointments, and my response was that I would go where life led me, rather than trying to orchestrate my journey. It was my take on the saying, “life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.”
Through my journey I accidentally discovered that I loved working to improve systems as they allowed me to have a broader impact. I was asked to take a position as a dean at a professional school in Hawaii, where I was given an opportunity to lead a campus that was struggling. I picked up and left my life in Atlanta and that changed the trajectory of my career. I found I was fueled by working on behalf of students and employees to help change lives, and found I had a knack for building/rebuilding systems — particularly those where people felt things couldn’t change. When the Hawaii campus became very successful, people started offering me all kinds of opportunities to work in different systems, and I started feeling like the sky was the limit if you just worked hard enough.
From there I went on to lead a number of small universities, and even started a new university. As my career progressed, I became a firm believer that education was the greatest equalizer, the greatest force for democracy, and the driver of economic opportunity. I was, and remain, an educational zealot. In 2010, I was given the opportunity to serve as the President of National Louis University. This was a pinnacle moment for me. The university differentiated itself by saying its core values were “innovation, access, and excellence.” When I saw this, I knew I had met my “soul mate institution”. Any enterprise that believes you can simultaneously pursue these values resonates with me because most institutions do not believe you achieve ‘excellence’ if you are an ‘access’ institution. I, on the other hand, believed that the nobility of education lies in believing everyone deserves an opportunity to improve their lives. I have been at National Louis for 14 years and in that time, we have advanced that value and become a top institution that drives social and economic mobility and keeps education affordable for students.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I had this crazy idea to start a university that served employees of corporations. Everyone thought I was insane and I was too young and naïve to know otherwise. It turned out to be the most instructive experience of my life because we did start a university from the ground up and in so doing, I learned everything about how the parts interconnect and weave together, how the systems, people, and culture all had to mesh to make it work.
Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?
I always say I’m not the smartest person, but I certainly would be a contender for the title of “hardest working.” Over the years I have been singularly focused on my career and having an impact. I didn’t have a partner or children so I could dedicate a lot of hours to working and learning. A big part of competence is pattern recognition and I spent so many hours over the last 35 years, that you could arguably say I actually worked the equivalent of 55 years — 55 years of experience gives you a very rich perspective on our industry. Add to that a zeal for innovation and always questioning the status quo, and I’d say that I have garnered some expertise over the years.
Can you identify some areas of the US education system that are going really great?
Four areas immediately come to mind. One of the most powerful aspects of the higher education ecosystem is the heterogeneity that characterizes the system — from vocational schools to community colleges, to comprehensive institutions, both public and private. This is a robust and powerful system for advancing our economy and our communities. While people doubt the value of education today, our education system is still a beacon to the world on learning and innovation.
People are starting to realize that we have to meet students where they are. So, I am seeing more schools find ways to circumvent archaic systems and processes to help support students. Increasingly, schools are offering developmental education as a co-requisite in the curriculum, they are providing coaching and career support services, and they are working to create one-stop shops that help students avoid the administrative run-around.
Technology and AI are adding new tools to automate systems which will allow us to spend more time with students on the issues that are on their minds. For example, predictive analytics can flag students that need proactive intervention, so students who need support are not lost in the system; new AI applications are able to pull information on students in aggregate, so student-facing staff members are able to address student needs quickly without toggling across multiple systems of information.
The US system of education has always had pockets of innovation that ultimately lead the way for the sector. Whether that’s through creating new modalities for learning, serving new audiences, or making scientific and medical breakthroughs in research.
Can you identify the key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?
If we want to see innovation, the funding model for students must be adjusted. Students need to finish college and credentialing quickly, and current funding models focus on privilege and academic years for a traditional student. Many students don’t have the luxury of studying for 4–5 years, when they have families they have to support. They also need to go year-round and finish quickly but funding models are tied to a 9-month academic year. It makes no sense.
I really think politics has to get out of the classroom — and I do mean both sides of the political equation. Politicians have to stop saying what can and cannot be taught and trust that the education system will meet the challenges of its time. I think it’s fine to hold educational models accountable for particular outcomes but not content. There are states that are banning certain books from a curriculum and there are other states that are requiring certain books. When did politicians become experts on learning? Education cannot be used as a bully pulpit for political ideology. We should all be working together to help learners explore all perspectives on important issues and develop the capacity for critical thinking.
Please tell us all about the innovative educational approaches that you are using. What is the specific problem that you aim to solve, and how have you addressed it?
A number of years ago, we determined that education had become too expensive, particularly for individuals with few resources, but even for middle class families. We reengineered our undergraduate education to make it affordable for all students. Our programs are less expensive than state universities — and we achieve this without the state dollars that go to public institutions. We are very proud of this commitment to affordable education. But we also are committed to great learning and so we constantly innovate on behalf of our students — flipping the classroom, using adaptive learning technology, predictive analytics to proactively advise, and success coaches that support students through their educational journey.
When we saw that students still struggle to engage for four years to complete their degree because they had too many economic demands on them (housing and food insecurity), we innovated and created a short-term credentialing program called Accelerate U. This program led to economic stabilization quickly for students. Students are able to complete a credentialing program in six months and get a job. They then can continue with their education while earning a better wage with benefits.
We are also building a three-year bachelor’s degree program that allows work-based learning to be part of the credit earned. Students want to finish college quickly and they want their experience to be valued and validated. We think we can achieve this in a three-year model.
In what ways do you think your approach might shape the future of education? What evidence supports this?
Everything we do is focused on improving student outcomes and each innovation is generally greeted by “it can’t be done or that’s not something we would ever do.” When we are able to demonstrate that it can be done and it can be sustainable and drive outcomes, other institutions have started to follow — we saw this with the launch our Undergraduate College. No one thought we could deliver an undergraduate degree for around ten thousand dollars per year and remain sustainable, but we did and others started studying the model and reducing cost to better serve students.
How do you measure the impact of your innovative educational practices on students’ learning and well-being?
I’m a firm believer that if you want something to change, you measure it. The career placement rate is the ultimate measure of whether a student is competitively prepared to transition to employment. However, we also measure persistence and graduation, and assess learning outcomes in courses and programs. In addition, all initiatives must become financially sustainable within three years, so we measure financial progress.
What challenges have you faced in implementing your educational innovations, and how have you overcome them?
We have a very clear model where all innovation is incubated in the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost. This allows individuals to operate unencumbered by university processes and systems. Most innovation, if put within an established system, will be treated like an infection that must be eliminated. Accordingly, we nurture, support, block and tackle until an innovation has launched and either holds its own or is closed down as a failed innovation — as is the nature of innovation.
Keeping in mind the “Law of Unintended Consequences” can you see any potential drawbacks of this innovation that people should think more deeply about?
Innovation in higher education is not for the faint of heart. It takes true conviction and clarity of purpose because the amount of blocking and tackling can be extraordinary.
Moreover, integrating an innovation into a system after it is established is a feat upon itself and requires careful thought and planning to engage people to participate and embrace the change.
What are your “5 Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started”?
I wish…
1 . I realized how important it was to understand the student/customer/market when I first started in higher ed.
2 . I knew how big systems and little systems were alike but different in important ways. The functions are the same, but the bigger the system gets, the more it becomes critical to manage through leaders all around you and have in place metrics by which you can assess progress. In a small system you can do this a lot more informally.
3 . I knew how to ride out times of huge stress without it making me sick.
4 . I knew early on how to “tell the story and share the vision.”
5 . I knew how to strategically leverage investment to drive innovation early on in my career.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
This came from my father, my biggest hero, who said to us from the time we were kids — “Don’t ever believe anyone is better than you… but don’t ever believe you are better than anyone else either.” Early on my dad leveled the playing field on humanity and the result was I felt as comfortable meeting a CEO as a support staff and it spurred me to want to know people regardless of their “status,” as all deserve respect. This really helped me navigate through systems and reaffirmed the value that all individuals brought.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
I would love to have breakfast or lunch or even coffee with Warren Buffet — not because he has achieved great wealth, but because he has maintained a simple life which seems to be characterized by a true clarity of purpose and guided by a set of steady values. I would be so honored to learn more about someone like him.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Follow National Louis University, link up with me on LinkedIn — let’s collaborate, let’s change the world so everyone can achieve their potential!
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.
Do you need a dynamic speaker, or want to learn more about Eden’s programs? Click here: https://bit.ly/EdenGold.
Education Revolution: Dr Nivine Megahed of National Louis University On Innovative Approaches That… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.