Key points:
- Don’t just support student leadership–join it
- 5 ways to forge genuine connections with modern learners
- Identifying strategies to meet students where they are
- For more news on student leadership, visit eCN’s Student Success hub
Conversations about the future of higher education are everywhere–on the news, online, and in political speeches. But one critical group is too often left out: the students themselves. Across the country, young people are coming up with smart, creative ideas to address the big challenges we face, but their perspectives are frequently drowned out by louder voices from pundits and policymakers.
Today’s colleges and universities are under a microscope. People are questioning their purpose, their cost, and their place in a democratic society. Leaders outside the classroom have plenty to say, but the insights of those most directly impacted–students–are barely heard.
Some students are speaking out. After the Israel-Palestine conflict in October 2023, many tried to engage in meaningful ways. But without the right skills or support, some found it hard to have productive conversations. Others stayed quiet, afraid of saying something wrong. In the end, young people are often left navigating a divided world without the tools they need to truly connect and contribute.
This is a problem–not just for students, but for our society. We haven’t done enough to prepare the next generation with the civic skills they’ll need. And when they do step up, we’re not always listening.
Students aren’t just sitting in classrooms; they’re already leading. They’re organizing dialogues, bridging political divides, and building campus communities that model the kind of democracy we want to see. At the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, where I serve as president, we work with students, faculty, and college presidents to turn campuses into places where civic learning and leadership can grow.
Take Jack Siegel at the University of Virginia. After a tragic campus shooting in 2022, he started a group focused on respectful discussions about tough topics like abortion and immigration. Or Lukas Luby-Prikot at Amherst, who leads a group exploring political questions from all sides, including debates about the Republican Party and the Israel-Palestine conflict. At Washington University in St. Louis, students Kate Farmer and Ben Ewer host dinner events to talk through complex issues like immigration and protest rights.
These students aren’t waiting for permission, they’re showing us what higher education should be about: helping young people build real-world skills, like listening, collaboration, and civic leadership. These are the same skills that make them valuable employees and engaged citizens.
Still, their voices often get lost in the noise. That’s a missed opportunity. Ignoring student perspectives doesn’t just hurt them–it weakens higher education’s role in shaping an informed, united society. We risk overlooking the ideas and innovation that students bring to the table.
It’s time for college leaders, community members, and employers to go beyond supporting students from the sidelines. We need to work with them. At the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, we’re helping train the next generation of civic-minded leaders. One program, College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, includes more than 100 presidents who are actively investing in their students’ civic growth.
Some colleges are already leading the way. Claremont McKenna, the University of Pittsburgh, and Dartmouth are creating campus programs that highlight free speech and open dialogue. Benedict College, Ohio Wesleyan, and Rollins College are weaving civil discourse into their core curriculum. Schools like DePauw, American University, and the University of Denver are revamping student orientation to focus on talking across differences. At James Madison University, students’ comfort with opposing views has risen sharply, and other campuses report similar progress.
Let’s move beyond theory and focus on what’s working, especially when students are the ones leading those efforts. Everyone connected to higher education, including alumni and parents, should help protect and elevate these spaces for civic learning. Colleges aren’t just job-training centers, they’re preparing tomorrow’s citizens to take on the biggest challenges facing our country.
To the presidents already partnering with students, keep going. Your work is making a real difference. By sharing your success stories, you’re showing others what civic leadership looks like and encouraging more young people to step up.
The next step is clear: Don’t just support student leadership, join it. Students are already taking the initiative. Let’s listen, invest in their growth, and collaborate with them. In doing so, we can help them become not only higher education’s greatest advocates, but the civic leaders our democracy needs.
A pioneering social entrepreneur, Rajiv Vinnakota serves as President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, leading its mission to cultivate the talent, ideas, and networks that develop lifelong, effective citizens.