Higher Ed’s Kodak Moment—and the Urgency to Act

In a recent LinkedIn post, I reflected on a pattern I keep seeing in higher education: leaders know the ground is shifting, but decisions still default to the status quo. It’s not a lack of awareness. It’s hesitation.

And it reminds me of Kodak and Blockbuster—two companies that saw disruption coming but couldn’t act in time. Kodak invented the digital camera. Blockbuster had the data showing streaming was the future. Neither failed because they missed the signal. They failed because they couldn’t move fast enough.

The same risk is looming over higher ed.

This isn’t a criticism…it’s a fear. One I think many of us in the industry share. The systems and structures in place make real change incredibly difficult. And if we don’t start shifting soon, I worry we’ll leave a lot of institutions, educators, and students behind.

The good news? There are leaders trying to turn the ship. I work with many forward-thinking university teams that see what’s coming and want to build something better. But the obstacles are real: slow processes, internal resistance, siloed decision-making. And in the meantime, others are stepping in to fill the gap.

Employers still value the credibility and trust that comes with a university partnership. But when it takes 12 months or more to stand up a program—and the shelf life of a skill is measured in quarters, not years—they’re turning elsewhere for training and upskilling.

We have to meet them halfway.

That means making university–employer collaborations faster, more flexible, and easier to navigate. It means giving Professional and Continuing Education (PCE) leaders a real seat at the strategic table. These teams are already doing the work—bridging academic quality with labor market relevance. They’re partnering with companies, building demand-driven programs, and helping learners access career-aligned credentials.

As we think about what’s next, it’s not about abandoning the core of higher ed. Teaching people how to think still matters. But designing around outcomes—jobs, skills, and opportunity—has to matter too.

The institutions that build real bridges between education and employment will lead the next chapter. The time to act is now.

I shared more thoughts on this topic on LinkedIn – jump in if you have any thoughts!