Small College America Kristen Soares - President of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities

Kristen Soares Interview on Small College America

Kent Barnds: Welcome to Small College America, a podcast dedicated to exploring the role and value of small colleges in the higher education landscape. I'm Kent Barnds, and I'm joined by my co-host, Dean Hoke.
Dean Hoke: Greetings from Bloomington, Indiana. I don't believe our guest is having any snow today�she�s out in sunny California. Her name is Kristen Soares. She's the fourth president of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, representing more than 85 nonprofit institutions dedicated to the public good. As president, she works with leaders across the state to help shape higher education policy and serves as the sector's chief spokesperson.
Under her leadership, AICCU has partnered with the California Community College Chancellor's Office to help implement the Associate Degree for Transfer Pathway, which is expanding opportunities and improving access for transfer students. She also plays a prominent role in statewide and national education leadership.
She serves on a number of roundtables and associations for California, as well as NAICU's State Executive Council. She previously spent nearly 25 years at the University of Southern California. I found this interesting, Kristen�your career in higher education began as a work-study student, if I got that right.
Kristen Soares: Yes, absolutely�very good. I studied at the University of Southern California, and it really was that job I had on campus that led me to where I am today.
Hoke: And that�s a great introduction: a work-study student whose work experience led her into a career at USC, and now to leading AICCU. By the way, during her tenure at USC, she led government and civic engagement efforts across California and in Washington, D.C. She earned her bachelor�s degree in public administration from USC. Kristen, we are delighted to have you on Small College America.
Soares: Well, I�m delighted to be here. Thank you so much for having me.
Barnds: Welcome, Kristen. For those who may not be familiar, could you start by telling us a little bit about the role of the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities�and how it supports its member institutions? And since you're just coming off of a pretty important week, we'd also love to know about your top legislative priorities for the association in this current session.
Soares: Excellent. I'm happy to. AICCU just celebrated our 70th anniversary�70 years of collaboration and advocacy on behalf of California's independent nonprofit, all WASC-accredited, institutions. These institutions are incredibly diverse. I like to say we span from the border of Mexico all the way to the northern part of the state near Oregon, with institutions located in every region.
Our mission is pretty simple: we are the unified voice for independent colleges and universities. As that unified voice, we advocate for policies that expand student access and affordability, and we protect and strengthen financial aid programs and grants so students can afford to attend our institutions. We also convene and support our members so that they can better serve students.
You asked how we do this. We mainly support institutions by giving them the tools they need to advocate for themselves and for the sector�data, research, communications�and we can talk more about that later. But really, where we have been centered throughout our 70 years is advocacy for policy.
You asked about legislative priorities. As you can imagine, a state the size of California�the fourth-largest economy�has a very active legislative process. Over 2,500 bills are introduced every year in the two-year session. We are engaged on student financial aid, policies that impact our institutions as employers, Title IX issues, and, under this administration, policies to protect undocumented students. There�s been a myriad of bills. We�re also very engaged in Washington, as we need to be.
What we saw with HR 1 and the cuts made to student financial aid�we're unpacking that right now and thinking about what we need to do to return to our mission: expanding student access and affordability. No shortage of priorities, that's for sure.
Hoke: Speaking of legislation and states�you know, California has one of the most complex and influential higher-ed ecosystems in the country. You have the University of California system, the Cal State system, and the independent sector, each serving a distinctive mission. How does AICCU advocate for independent colleges within this type of landscape? And what opportunities or challenges arise in coordinating with state agencies?
Soares: Such a good question. California�s higher education ecosystem is vibrant, largely because of the strong public sectors we have�the UC system, the California State University system, and the community colleges. Independent colleges have also been a critical part of this ecosystem since the very beginning of the state. They were the first institutions to provide higher education here. We take that role and responsibility seriously, and it really shapes how we work with our public-sector partners.
We all need to work together to serve students and deliver the programs this economy needs to survive and grow. And that brings me to the Master Plan for Higher Education. We all talk about the Master Plan, but what people don�t often know is that it also clearly defined the role of independent colleges and universities.
If you read the original Master Plan�as I have�an oversight committee guided the work, looking at enrollment, student needs, what public sectors would or wouldn�t do. The chair of that committee was the president of an independent college. So, we were intrinsically involved from the beginning.
People talk about the three legs of the stool�UC, CSU, and the community colleges. But there are actually four legs: independent colleges. And I�ll argue that four legs make the stool stronger. So, we have to work with our public partners to meet the needs of students. There have been many challenges, but also many opportunities to come together.
Hoke: Going down that path a bit more�you're working together, you�re operating with this four-legged philosophy. At the same time�and I don�t know this for a fact, but I assume�you�re also competing for students. Private colleges are competing with the state systems, with community colleges, and with each other. I would think that's a challenge for your 85 institutions. How do you see that relationship between cooperation and competition?
Soares: There is definitely an advocacy side to this. We�re in a very public-centric state with three enormous public systems. But if you look at our 87 institutions and where they are embedded, they are incredibly important providers of higher education in their communities.
And yes�competition makes us stronger. My 87 member institutions compete with one another too. But when I worked at USC, President Steven Sample spoke often about competition in higher education�that it wasn't always negative, and that it pushes us to be better.
Ultimately, in California, we have enough students. The real question is: How do we best serve them? Some students will be better served at public institutions, others at independent institutions. Our role is to ensure policymakers understand the needs of private independent colleges and universities. We need strong, vibrant sectors�and we need our sector to be strong and vibrant.
Barnds: I love your emphasis on the sector overall. Our podcast focuses on small colleges, which are such an important part of the ecosystem. Among your 87 institutions, several are small colleges. Many are rethinking their academic portfolios to meet changing student and workforce demands. What innovations or program changes are you seeing that help small colleges balance tradition with transformation while preserving institutional identity?
Soares: Thank you for that question. Several of our member institutions are small colleges, and they play an incredibly important role in their communities. Many of their students come from nearby�people sometimes say "place-bound," but really, these colleges are serving the students in their communities.
You asked about innovation. Small colleges have to be ready to pivot and to expand programs that meet the unique needs of their communities. Higher education can be slow to change, but I'm seeing more rapid responses�more alignment with workforce needs, more partnerships with local businesses and boards.
Traditional liberal arts education remains incredibly important. But it must connect to preparation for a job or pathway. AICCU convenes leaders to talk about these needs. We know California needs more nurses. We know we need to dramatically expand the clinical mental-health workforce. Small colleges are important providers in that space. They create pathways to graduate programs and strengthen the overall ecosystem.
Right now, our segment is preparing about 92% of the clinical workforce in California. So, this is not just about small or large institutions�it's about all of us working together to develop pathways that meet the needs of the state.
Hoke: Let�s continue down that path. The world has changed; we�re hearing a lot about affordability and ROI�one of the most popular buzzwords. Families look at independent colleges and see higher tuition. At the same time, many small colleges are exploring alternative business models or revenue streams to achieve long-term financial sustainability. How should small colleges articulate their value proposition to skeptical families?
Soares: On affordability�small colleges, medium colleges, large colleges�we don�t talk enough about what affordability means, especially for independent institutions. Tuition is high. It�s higher than at public institutions, because we don�t receive state subsidies. Tuition reflects the real cost of delivering education.
We need to talk about higher education as an investment. It is expensive�but it is worth it. That�s where this ROI conversation is coming from. And unfortunately, there has been massive disinvestment in higher education at the federal level.
Higher education is a labor-intensive industry. We employ highly educated people�PhDs, researchers, professionals. They are highly compensated, as they should be. And we have systems around student success that require people. So yes, it's expensive. But the return is tremendous.
AICCU recently launched the Worth It Campaign, which highlights why higher education is worth it. Economically, socially, civically�graduates are more likely to be engaged in their communities, more likely to vote, more likely to have better health outcomes. The impacts are remarkable.
We realized we had to talk about it. So, the website includes student testimonials that tell the story firsthand. I hope listeners go to the website and consider using these messages at their own institutions. We need to lift this message together.
Barnds: Appreciate that message a great deal. I look forward to seeing those testimonials. A question that may not be simple: higher education is facing increased political scrutiny across the country. How do you advise independent college leaders to communicate their value and relevance to the public and policymakers in today�s polarized environment? There�s pressure to issue statements or react to political moments. And coordinating 87 independent partners, I�m sure you have experience helping people walk that tightrope.
Soares: Yes. At our annual meeting last week, I said that if I had to capture higher education in 2025 in one word�one I don�t like to use often because it�s overused�it would be unprecedented. And that comes directly from the political influences we�re facing.
My message to institutional leaders is this: You must be present at the State House, and you must engage with your local elected officials. Policymakers are making decisions that determine how institutions operate and whether they can thrive.
This is the year to advocate. This is the year to build relationships. Because if you don�t inform policymakers about what is happening and what your institution needs, someone else will�and they may fill that space with misinformation.
Look at HR 1. The House version would have been far worse for higher education. The Senate version prevailed but still includes changes that will negatively impact us�like the elimination of Grad PLUS. We�re going to feel that in a few years when employers realize key workforce professions�nurses, PAs�don�t have enough graduates because students can�t afford the programs.
Policymakers need to hear from us, from institutions, and from their boards. They need to understand what's happening on campuses�not just academically, but in terms of community engagement and partnerships with K�12 schools.
One thing I know: policymakers care deeply about these things. But we must keep them informed. As with any good relationship, it requires constant work. We can�t take it for granted.
Barnds: What I appreciate about your response is that advocacy requires all 87 of your members engaging, not just someone great like you coordinating efforts. Mobilizing the whole sector matters.
Hoke: One final question�a traditional question we ask nearly every guest. You get the crystal ball. What do you think higher education will look like in five years, both for small colleges and for higher education more broadly? How do you envision it?
Soares: I like this question. I think about the future a lot. These are incredibly challenging times�more so than ever. But we will come out of this. With every great challenge comes an opportunity.
Higher education is one of the oldest surviving industries�alongside banks, governments, and religious institutions. We will continue to be here. We are foundational to our communities, our states, and our country.
This is the time for us to speak together and preserve higher education at large. We must communicate the importance of our work clearly and collectively. Many people rely on us�not just students, but communities. Our 87 institutions are embedded throughout one of the most diverse states in the country.
And if you look nationally, we are an incredibly rich and diverse country. Higher education is a powerful way to influence the trajectory of that diversity in positive ways. And I�ll end with this: higher education is foundational to democracy. We have to get this right. And we have to do it together.
Barnds: What a wonderful way to conclude our conversation. We do have to get it right, and we have to work together. Kristen, thank you for joining us and for sharing your insights into California's independent higher education community and the issues facing small colleges nationwide.
For those listening or viewing, if you'd like to learn more about Small College America, please visit www.smallcollegeamerica.net, where you can find details on upcoming episodes, contact us, and suggest topics you�d like us to cover.
This episode of Small College America is made possible with underwriting support from Edu Alliance Group�a higher education consulting firm that champions small colleges and the communities they serve.
On behalf of our guest, Kristen Soares, my co-host Dean Hoke, and myself, Kent Barnds�thank you for joining us today.