President Daryl Wheeler, President of SUNY New Paltz, brings a deep understanding of campus-wide trust dynamics and student engagement.

President Hiram Chodosh, President of Claremont McKenna College, has led his institution through trust-building initiatives, particularly in times of crisis.

Emma Jones, Executive Vice President at Credo, specializes in leadership development and institutional strategy for universities.

Each speaker introduced a model for trust-building in higher education, offering practical strategies that university leaders can apply to foster transparency, strengthen relationships, and navigate complex institutional challenges.

This article highlights their key takeaways and trust-building models to help leaders create more resilient and connected campus communities.

Why Trust is Declining in Higher Education

Trust in higher education institutions is at an all-time low. According to a recent Gallup study, only 36% of Americans have confidence in universities—a dramatic decline from nearly 60% in 2016.Emma Jones, an expert in leadership development and executive coaching for universities, emphasized that this drop is not confined to a single demographic group. Trust is eroding across political affiliations, education levels, and age groups.

Why?

Shifting public perceptions: Higher education is increasingly seen as transactional rather than transformational.

Concerns over value: Many now prioritize practical skills and certifications over traditional degrees and are finding alternative, and often more accessible, paths to attaining these skills.

Institutional complexity: Large, bureaucratic structures often make it difficult for university leaders to build personal connections and trust with stakeholders.

As university presidents and administrators grapple with these challenges, intentional trust-building is no longer optional—it’s essential. The following frameworks offer practical strategies that university leaders can implement to strengthen campus relationships, improve institutional credibility, and create lasting cultural change.

President Daryl Wheeler’s ABC Model of Listening: How University Leaders Can Build Trust

Trust isn’t just about policies and procedures—it’s built through how leaders engage with their communities. President Daryl Wheeler drew from his extensive experience in higher education to share actionable advice through his “ABC Model” of Listening:

• Active Listening: Fully attend to what others are saying without prejudgment. President Wheeler emphasized listening to understand rather than listening to respond, which builds mutual trust and opens productive dialogue.

• Brave Listening: Vulnerability is essential. Leaders should acknowledge their limitations, be honest about what they cannot share, and own their mistakes to demonstrate authenticity and humility.

• Compassionate Listening: Demonstrate empathy without overshadowing others' experiences. President Wheeler reminded attendees that compassion requires holding space for others to express themselves without rushing to insert your own perspective.

President Wheeler illustrated these concepts with leadership initiatives at SUNY New Paltz, including expanding leadership meetings to include deans to broaden representation and ensure that more voices contributed to decision-making. Additionally, he created the "President's Listening Learning Community" sessions, which provided an informal space for students to engage with leadership on critical campus issues.

Unlike Deloitte’s structured institutional model, which emphasizes scalability across organizations, Wheeler’s approach is deeply interpersonal. It focuses on how leaders communicate and respond in real-time—ensuring that faculty, staff, and students feel truly heard. By mastering listening as a leadership skill, university administrators can bridge trust gaps, foster open dialogue, and create a culture where all voices matter.

President Hiram Chodosh’s Three Lessons for Earning Trust Through Action

Trust is not granted—it must be earned through consistent leadership and meaningful engagement. President Hiram Chodosh emphasizes that leaders build credibility by taking decisive action in difficult moments, setting high standards while offering support, and prioritizing relational trust.

His approach centers on three key leadership lessons:

• Thawing the Permafrost: Trust thrives on social warmth and engagement. President Chodosh stressed the need for face-to-face conversations over impersonal emails when handling sensitive issues. A culture of openness and empathy fosters long-term trust, ensuring stakeholders feel valued.

• Quantum Commitments: Leaders must balance high expectations with genuine support. Quantum Commitments reflects the idea that two seemingly incompatible states—offering strong support while maintaining high standards—can exist at the same time. President Chodosh shared an example of a student expelled for plagiarism. Rather than shutting him out, he challenged him to rebuild his academic career—reinforcing that trust grows when leaders hold individuals accountable while providing a path forward.

• Facing "Blindfold and Cigarette" Moments: The phrase "Blindfold and Cigarette" refers to the moment before facing a firing squad—when leaders must confront intense public scrutiny. These are the moments when everyone in the room seems ready to tear you apart for something you did or didn’t do. Rather than avoiding these situations, President Chodosh urged leaders to meet them head-on, acknowledge mistakes, and take meaningful action. At Claremont McKenna, student protests led to nationally recognized free expression initiatives, proving that leaders can turn moments of intense criticism into opportunities to build trust and strengthen institutions.

Four-Pillar Model for Building Trust in Higher Education

Emma Jones' message highlighted that trust is not just about relationships–it’s also about consistency and accountability. Deloitte’s framework is particularly effective because it provides a systemic foundation for trust-building that can be scaled across teams, departments and entire institutions.

By applying these four principles, university leaders can create an environment where trust is built through consistent actions over time.

• Transparency: Being open about what is known and unknown builds credibility. During uncertain times, such as the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders demonstrated radical transparency, bringing people along on the decision-making journey despite incomplete information.

• Capability: Demonstrating observable skills and expertise is essential. Leaders must not only prove their competence but also empower those they serve, fostering a two-way endorsement of capability.

• Reliability: Trust grows when leaders follow through on their commitments. Emma emphasized that delivering on promises—or course-correcting when things don’t go as planned—is key to maintaining credibility.

• Humanity: Relationships are at the heart of trust. Emma reflected on the importance of scaling relational trust in complex environments like higher education, where stakeholders expect to feel seen, heard, and valued as unique individuals.

How University Leaders Can Rebuild Trust and Strengthen Campus Communities

Trust-building in higher education is an ongoing process that requires consistency, transparency, and meaningful engagement. Rather than relying on policies alone, leaders must create environments where trust is visibly nurtured through their daily actions.

One key theme from the webinar was that trust is not assumed—it is earned through leadership behaviors that prioritize honesty, accountability, and human connection. The speakers emphasized that institutions facing distrust or skepticism must focus on long-term relationship-building rather than quick fixes.

Trust-building in higher education is not a one-time initiative—it requires ongoing effort, transparency, and meaningful engagement.

Strategies for Strengthening Campus Trust

• Reveal how the system works. Openly share information, even when uncertainty remains, to foster confidence and credibility.

• Demonstrate expertise while holding high standards. Trust grows when leaders show competence and expect the same from their teams.

• Deliver on commitments. Reliability reinforces trust over time—when leaders follow through, their words gain weight.

• Center dignity. Trust is built through direct engagement, not just institutional policies.

• Practice active, brave, and compassionate listening. Creating space for open dialogue with students, faculty, and staff fosters mutual trust.

• Shape a different conversation. Acknowledging and addressing difficult moments head-on allows institutions to emerge stronger.

By embracing these principles, higher education leaders can strengthen campus communities and restore trust in institutions that face increasing public scrutiny.

Watch the full webinar recording here.

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