Chronicle Festival — Building Trust During Change. September 10, 15, and 17.


Higher education is facing a defining challenge: rebuilding trust with students, the public, and within campus communities themselves. The Chronicle Festival 2026: Building Trust During Change brings together leading thinkers and Chronicle journalists for three afternoons of timely conversations on restoring confidence, strengthening leadership, and connecting education to career outcomes. Join thousands of senior administrators and faculty leaders this September for provocative ideas, practical takeaways, and inspiration for the academic year ahead.

Program Overview

Day 1 session — panelists discussing higher education challenges

Day 1 : September 10
12:30-4:00 p.m. EDT
Building Trust with Students

A thread of distrust is shaping how many students view higher education. Surveys show some students lose confidence after enrolling, and faculty report growing student skepticism and disengagement in the classroom. What’s driving these attitudes and how can institutions rebuild trust with today’s learners? The first day of the Chronicle Festival explores these questions and practical paths forward.

Day 2 : September 15
12:30-4:00 p.m. EDT
Building Trust as a Leader

Higher-ed leaders are navigating political pressure, shifting student expectations, and financial uncertainty. But without trust, from the public, faculty, and campus communities, meaningful innovation is difficult. The second day of the Chronicle Festival examines how leaders are building credibility, strengthening alignment, and guiding their institutions through change.

Day 2 session — workshop participants collaborating
Day 3 session — keynote presentation to full audience

Day 3 : September 17
12:30-4:00 p.m. EDT
Building Trust to Support the Work Force

Skepticism about the value of a college degree is growing, as some graduates struggle to find strong job outcomes. Institutions are being pushed to better connect education to careers, expand flexible pathways, and rethink credentials. The third day of the Chronicle Festival highlights forward-thinking approaches that position campuses as engines of career mobility and economic opportunity.

Day 4 : Title Placeholder

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip.

Read More about Day 4
Day 4 session — placeholder image, replace via Marketo editor

What Attendees Are Saying

More From Our Community

Eboo Patel, Founder and President of Interfaith America, keynote speaker

Keynote Speaker

Eboo Patel

Founder & President, Interfaith America

"What you can do is look to build a new institution. You can ask, what's a better way of doing public safety than the current ways of policing?"

Get Your Free Report: Building Trust During Change

Register for the Chronicle Festival and receive this exclusive report featuring curated Chronicle coverage on how colleges are rebuilding trust with students, faculty, and the public. Explore real-world examples of reputation-building campaigns, strategies for strengthening faculty-administrator relationships, and emerging leadership approaches to AI, with practical ideas to inform your work and spark discussion during the event.


Additional Content

Column One Heading

Body copy for column one. Use the Marketo editor to update this content, add images, buttons, or other elements.

Learn More

Column Two Heading

Body copy for column two. Switch to a 3-column layout by using the extra-row-3col class wrapper instead of extra-row-2col.

Learn More

Additional Content

Column One

Body copy for column one of the 3-column layout.

Learn More

Column Two

Body copy for column two of the 3-column layout.

Learn More

Column Three

Body copy for column three of the 3-column layout.

Learn More

Ready to Join Us?

Register Now Learn More