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A New Starting Line: 2U’s Executive Chairman, Brian Napack, on Navigating Change, Strengthening Partnerships, and the Future of Higher Education
"In my mind, 2U helped open up [the idea] that all institutions need to have some sort of digital strategy," remarked edtech analyst and industry expert Phil Hill. "The company's been the face of the online program management market, but it is also the face of what the market is going through."
These observations set the stage for a candid conversation between Hill and Brian Napack, 2U's recently appointed Executive Chairman, at this year's P3•EDU conference, an annual gathering of university leadership and thought leaders focused on public-private partnerships in higher education. Their fireside chat explored a range of topics, all tied together with a central theme: the need to redefine success in higher education by focusing on real-world outcomes.
Check out the summary below for highlights from Hill and Napack’s conversation, with some quotes edited for length and clarity:
Why 2U and Why Now
Napack's decision to join 2U came at a pivotal time for the company. With a long history in higher education and edtech, including leadership roles at Wiley and Macmillan, Napack had been an observer and fan of 2U for many years. As 2U worked through a financial restructuring to ensure the company could continue to meet its mission of expanding access to affordable, high-quality education, Napack considered how he could get involved in the company’s future success. Napack became an advisor to the current 2U owners during the restructuring, working alongside them to significantly strengthen 2U's financial position, reducing its debt by more than half and aligning the company with long-term investors who support its mission.
"I decided to do this for two reasons," Napack explained. "One, because the need to elevate outcomes and for higher education to deliver on its fundamental role in society has never been greater. The world is changing faster and faster, and higher ed needs to keep up if we're going to solve the massive income gaps and the enormous skill and labor gaps.”
Napack continued, "Two: I believe 2U is incredibly well positioned to help that change happen as a partner committed to outcomes and increasing ROI."
While acknowledging recent changes at 2U, Napack emphasized the continuity of the company’s mission: "2U is the same company it was before. It's at a new starting line, but it is the same company it was before. There's no change to the core mission, to the core commitment to its partners…and to its commitment to outcomes."
Transparency and Partnership
Hill raised the issue of increasing regulatory scrutiny on university agreements with private companies and third parties, driven in part by the public's growing demand for greater transparency in—and ROI from—higher education. Napack remarked on the importance of transparency and adaptability as critical factors in helping universities navigate today’s financial and operational pressures.
"We need to come to market with a tailored set of offerings that are customized to the needs of our clients, that deliver great outcomes, and that are done in the spirit of transparency and with a set of best practices that we all agree are actually good best practices," said Napack. He said that while regulations may change, 2U remains committed to collaborating with universities and policymakers to prioritize student success.
"There is so much more work to do, and it's our collective project to do that better," Napack added.
Napack underscored that 2U’s success is directly tied to the success of its partners. "2U will only succeed as a company if our partners succeed, and our partners will only succeed if we're delivering superior outcomes, meaning ROI for the time and money that society and the individuals invest in education."
Achieving True Outcomes
When Hill asked whether higher education will increasingly be evaluated based on student outcomes beyond graduation, Napack stressed the need for a paradigm shift in how success is measured in higher education.
"The way we achieve true outcomes is to stop looking at it as a piece of paper; to stop looking at the supply side equation, where we are simply trying to supply the world with more students with more paper," Napack explained.
He emphasized that improving the student experience—helping learners find programs that are flexible, affordable, and tailored to their success—is vital to addressing this challenge. "Universities that offer degree programs in new forms and formats that are targeting the careers that are growing in this society...if you're doing those things, if you're doing it effectively and efficiently–and those people are getting jobs—you are winning as a university."
On the demand side, Napack articulated the need for education to align more closely with market needs. "We need to partner with employers to understand what the actual jobs that are in demand are and what skills are needed to fill those jobs—not just the first job, but the skills necessary to sustain a long career."
Ultimately, Napack believes this approach serves a greater purpose. "We're being driven by the demands of not just that employer in that job, but by the demands of society. And that will not only have a halcyon effect on the students and the schools delivering it, but also lead to broader growth: economic growth, job creation, innovation, and progress."
It’s All About Partnership
Napack acknowledged that the challenges facing universities—whether driven by regulatory scrutiny or financial pressures—are significant and require collaboration to solve. "What we need is not 'I'm on one side, you're on another.' We need to get around a table. We need to line up the problems. We need to come up with a system that works for everybody," Napack said, affirming that 2U will continue to be an adaptable and supportive partner in navigating these hurdles.
“2U is committed to being the best possible partner it can be in driving outcomes for its clients," Napack stated. "What you'll see with us going forward is that we're committed to the same mission, to outcomes, and–most importantly–to evolving with our partners and the market in order to do whatever is necessary to get that done. That’s 2U–it’s all about partnership.”
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