Dr. Mary Landon Darden is the Founder and President of Higher Education Innovation, LLC (HEI), an organization established in 2015 with a mission to “transform higher education.” As a higher education futurist, author, and leadership expert, Darden has dedicated her career to addressing the critical challenges and opportunities in the field of higher education.
Darden authored two influential books that have made significant contributions to the discourse on higher education. Her most recent book, “Entrepreneuring” the Future of Higher Education: Radical Transformation in Times of Profound Change (2021), co-published with the American Council on Education and Rowman & Littlefield, won the 2021 American Book Fest Award in the education/scholarly category. This book serves as a comprehensive guide for colleges and universities, providing practical tools and strategies for institutions to transition from a state of mere survival to thriving. It offers a roadmap out of the challenges of escalating costs and decreasing revenue.
Her previous book, Beyond 2020: Envisioning the Future of Universities in America (2009), delves into the implications of the Information Age for American universities. Adopted as a textbook in the higher education administration doctoral program at Harvard University, it has also used by several universities nationwide as a strategic planning tool. This book provides a detailed vision of the future challenges and opportunities facing higher education, with insights from a diverse range of experts and visionaries.
.Below are highlights of the interview:
Can you tell us about your journey into the education sector? What motivated you to pursue a career in education?
Teaching and administration were built into my DNA. Since childhood and my teen year, I taught a wide variety of things (including tennis, swimming, dance, science, and more), organized events and fundraisers, served and lead organizations, and overall tried to make the biggest possible difference in the lives of others. The field of higher education was a natural fit and I have worked in in it for three decades.
What have been some of the most significant milestones or achievements in your career so far?
I was always an entrepreneur. I preferred developing new ideas, concepts, building creatively rather than simply managing. I started my own fitness company 1982 and within a few years had built it to employ more than 20 instructors with classes enrolling a total of between 500-1000 students. I had a regional daily television show and within three years, the company had a national reputation, and I received invitations to host a national television show.
Other events in our family life led me to decide to take another path. I earned a master’s degree in wellness at Baylor University and entered the field of higher education.
In my first administrative position higher education I utilized my entrepreneuring skills to build a division from a few hundred enrollments to six thousand enrollments within five years and – as a result – won the National Exemplary Award in Community Programs from the National Council of Continuing Education and Training. This subsequently led to receiving a full scholarship/research assistantship to earn my doctorate in higher education administration in 2002 at Baylor University, which set me on a path of research and writing about the future of higher education.
I presented my first research study on what senior citizens want from higher education at the Council on the Study of Community Colleges national conference in 2003 and delivered my first scholarly paper in 2005 at Cambridge University, England.
My first book was published in 2009 by the American Council on Education and Rowman and Littlefield and was titles “Beyond 2020: Envisioning the Future of Higher Education in America.” My second book “Entrepreneuring the Future of Higher Education: Radical Transformation in Times of Profound Change,” was published in 2021 by the same publishers and was the winner of the American Bookfest Award (scholarly/education).
From 2010-2015 I served as the campus dean for a university in San Antonio, Texas. There I developed partnerships and built new educational pathways within communities. In 2015, I realized it was time to strike out on another path that would increase my ability to be entrepreneurial, conduct important research, and could help pave the way for significant transformation of higher education in America. I founded Higher Education Innovation, LLC in 2016. Our mission is to “entrepreneur the future of higher education by assisting colleges in being more innovative and entrepreneurial to make the critical pivots necessary for their continued success.”
To accomplish our mission, we conduct ongoing research and develop training and coaching programs to assist higher education presidents and leaders. We hold an annual presidents’ conference at various institutions around the country. We conduct entrepreneuring workshop series for presidents and for administrators. And we partner with institutions to preform assessments and develop a transformation plan for a part or several parts of the institution, predominantly in innovation and entrepreneuring, recruiting and admissions, workforce development, philanthropy, program and niche development.
We have had several great successes over the past eight years and are now beginning to expand our offerings to have a greater impact on higher education. We have a new book with our same publishers coming out in the Spring of 2025 with the working title of “Entrepreneuring Stories in Higher Education,” where we tell of innovative successes of institutions from around the country.
In your opinion, what are the key qualities that make someone an inspirational figure in education?
I believe the most inspirational figures in education are transformational leaders who know how to spot talent and mentor people to help grow that talent into its maximum potential. I have been on the receiving side of this model and am now more and more spending time mentoring others.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in the education sector, and how have you overcome them?
Perhaps the biggest challenge I faced in education was the resistance to change. Despite the current higher education crisis, institutions are still commonly sticking their head in the sand and trying to get by with cuts and tweaks, which no longer work. Higher education is going to have to face up to and embrace the radical transformation that will be necessary for it to survive – let alone thrive.
How do you stay motivated and inspired despite the challenges that come with working in education?
Staying motivated and inspired is also a challenge. There is a true and constant temptation to despair. I certainly have my “down” moments and frequent frustrations. But what keeps me going are the people that I work with that begin to ‘get it.” The people who are willing to go the extra mile, take the needed risks, step out of comfort zones and endure the demands of transformation. These people fuel what we do. We receive inspiration and energy from each other.
Education is constantly evolving. What innovations or trends in education are you most excited about, and how are you incorporating them into your work?
The innovations and trends in education I am most excited about are the innovative development of new education programs for the future that are designed to meet future needs and prepare students to fill future jobs. Many of these are STEM based and are extremely exciting. We do not know what most of the jobs will be in the decade after 2030, but more things emerge every day and we need to be on it!
Additionally, innovation opportunities continue to arise from the ongoing research. One significant finding is in response to the common financial woes of most institutions. Colleges and universities must develop alternative revenue streams beyond tuition and philanthropy to fund higher education in the future. They need to plan to foot the whole bill with these, as higher education will be free in the future and already is at institutions in about half of our states.
As a leader in education, how do you inspire and motivate your colleagues and fellow educators?
My inspiration for collogues mostly comes from success stories and new ideas. Seeing something truly work goes a long way in energizing people to make their own leaps.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in the education sector and aspires to make a meaningful impact?
Seek your calling, get the best possible education from the best institution you can attend, pursue additional certifications and training in relevant areas like innovation and entrepreneurship, seek dynamic impactful mentors, get lots of experience at challenging jobs, and lean into it. Be the best you can possibly be and make the biggest positive impact possible.
What is your vision for the future of education? How do you believe the education sector should evolve to better serve students and society?
The future of higher education must look much less like “the ivory tower” and much more like “Silicon Valley.”
Looking ahead, what are your personal and professional goals for the next few years in the education sector?
This is my last official year as head of HEI. I am stepping down and naming a new CEO. My heart will always be in this, and I will never be completely detached, but I have overworked for most of my career and now it is time for me to spend more time with family and friends and let others take the next lap.