Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a conversation with Joshua Chovanec on the Illumination Podcast. To hear the full discussion, listen to the episode here.
Higher education has long carried the reputation of being slow to change. It’s a label that gets repeated so often it’s rarely questioned. But as Joshua Chovanec, Registrar and Assistant Vice President for Student Systems at Louisiana Tech University, makes clear, that perception misses what’s really happening beneath the surface.
Higher ed isn’t slow. It’s cautious. And more importantly, it moves decisively when accountability is explicit.
Where the “Slow Moving” Myth Comes From
The idea that higher education resists change is often rooted in outdated assumptions about funding and governance. Historically, many public institutions were heavily state funded, which allowed change to unfold at a more measured pace. Today, that reality has shifted. Institutions are increasingly dependent on self-generated revenue, tuition, and enrollment stability. That shift alone has fundamentally changed the urgency behind decision-making.
When financial sustainability is on the line, speed becomes a necessity—not a luxury.
The pandemic exposed this reality in dramatic fashion. Institutions pivoted modalities, redesigned curricula, and rethought student services almost overnight. What looked like inertia before was, in many cases, intentional deliberation. When the stakes rose, higher education proved it could move—fast.
The Registrar’s New Center of Gravity
One of the most compelling insights from Chovanec’s perspective is how the registrar’s role has evolved. No longer confined to records and compliance, registrar offices now sit at the intersection of policy, data, technology, and the student experience.
As institutions adopt modern ERPs, student information systems, and integrated platforms, registrars are no longer operating behind the scenes. They are embedded across campus workflows. Chovanec describes this shift as a kind of “open clamshell,” where processes once siloed now flow through or alongside the registrar’s office.
That positioning matters. It places registrars in a unique leadership role—often not by choice, but by necessity.
Technology doesn’t ask for permission. Once contracts are signed and systems are implemented, change is no longer theoretical. It’s operational. At that point, leadership becomes less about consensus-building and more about execution.
Accountability as the Real Catalyst
What often gets labeled as “institutional inertia” is, in reality, a lack of clear ownership. When everyone is responsible, no one truly is.
Chovanec argues that accountability is the force that turns momentum into lasting change. Once an institution commits—financially and strategically—there is no walking it back. Deadlines exist. Budgets are finite. Expectations are real.
In this environment, registrars often become de facto project managers, responsible not just for implementation but for ensuring the institution follows through on its commitments. That clarity of ownership cuts through hesitation. It reframes change not as a debate, but as a responsibility.
Addressing Resistance Without Stalling Progress
Resistance isn’t inherently bad. In fact, thoughtful caution can prevent costly mistakes. The challenge is distinguishing between productive skepticism and habitual delay.
One of the most effective strategies Chovanec highlights is transparency at scale. Open forums, regular communication, and public discussions don’t just inform—they accelerate buy-in. When people understand why change is happening and what’s at stake, fear gives way to engagement.
Importantly, this approach also brings dissent into the open. Addressing concerns publicly—grounded in facts rather than feelings—prevents resistance from quietly undermining progress. It also reinforces trust, especially when leaders are visibly involved in the work itself.
In higher ed, credibility often comes from being a “doer,” not just a decision-maker.
From Operational Management to Strategic Leadership
Technology is rapidly automating many of the registrar’s traditional checkbox tasks. That shift doesn’t reduce the importance of the role—it elevates it.
As operational friction decreases, registrars are freed to focus on solving the next problem: improving the student experience. Today’s students expect services to be accessible, intuitive, and mobile-first. They don’t want to stand in line. They want answers on their phones.
Meeting those expectations requires a mindset shift—one that acknowledges students as active consumers of educational services while still honoring academic governance and institutional values. It’s a balancing act, but one that modern higher ed leaders can no longer avoid.
The Real Lesson
Higher education doesn’t move slow. It moves deliberately—until accountability demands action.
When ownership is clear, communication is open, and leaders are willing to step into discomfort, change doesn’t stall. It sticks. And as roles like the registrar continue to evolve, they are proving that some of the most powerful leadership in higher ed doesn’t come from the loudest voices—but from the people who make change unavoidable.
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