Michael Shannon, President, University of North Georgia

In an interview with Focus:, Michael Shannon, president of the University of North Georgia, discussed the institution’s strategic priorities and evolving approach to education. “The world demands constant reinvention, and higher education must evolve to support that,” Shannon said.

How is the university adapting its approach to meet shifting expectations in higher education, particularly within Georgia’s diverse student landscape?
That’s a vital question. Georgia’s public higher education system is among the strongest in the country, anchored by outstanding flagship institutions like the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. We’re fortunate to be part of that ecosystem, but we also need to think beyond it and consider the national conversation about the value and purpose of higher education today.

At its core, our focus has been on redefining the “why.” Why does a young person in 2025 pursue college? Many question whether they need to go at all. They can access information online, learn independently, or start working right away. So, what’s the purpose of higher education now?

For us, it comes back to the human side. Higher education has long centered on intellect, on sitting in front of a professor, absorbing knowledge, and demonstrating understanding. But that model has neglected the emotional, physical, and moral dimensions of learning. People today struggle with mental health, physical well-being, and confidence in their ability to lead.

We’ve reframed our strategy to focus on developing the whole person. Leadership isn’t about titles, it’s about influence, as John Maxwell said. Everyone leads in some capacity, through how they act, treat others, and contribute to their communities. Our students need to understand that education is not just about being smarter, it’s about becoming better humans who serve, create impact, and engage meaningfully with the world.

The traditional American higher education model, nearly 400 years old, has become rigid and elitist. It has drifted from everyday people. UNG aims to challenge that by centering on impact, not prestige, and by cultivating students who work hard and make the world better.

We still teach business, finance, nursing, science, and education, but the unifying thread across all disciplines is the human element. We’re proud of our history, but we’re driven by the future. Every day, I think about how we can prepare our 20,300 students for an increasingly complex world.

That responsibility keeps me up at night. Our job is to ensure that students don’t live in fear but with purpose, understanding that they are called to act in their time. We want UNG to be a proving ground for the future of higher education, one defined by purpose, service, and courage.

How do you see the relationship between education and workforce outcomes evolving, and what opportunities exist for institutions like UNG to strengthen that connection?
Some think that focusing on human development and preparing students for the workforce are competing goals, but they’re not. They complement each other. The kind of students we’re developing are adaptable, self-aware, and motivated. They will thrive in any professional environment.

Historically, higher education has often defined people by their degrees. But a diploma doesn’t define a person, and a major doesn’t determine worth. The world is changing too quickly for that kind of thinking. The future belongs to people who are willing to keep learning and reinventing themselves.

At UNG, we spend a lot of time listening, not just talking. We go out into our communities, meet with employers, and hear what they need. Our strategy is built on three ideas: calling, relevance, and differentiation. We’re called to rethink the higher education value proposition. We must remain relevant to the economy, ensuring that a UNG education translates to real-world readiness. And we must differentiate ourselves through purpose-driven learning.

Relevance means that when a student graduates after four years here, they are prepared personally and professionally to contribute immediately. But readiness isn’t a checklist. It’s an attitude. It’s the confidence to say, “If I don’t know something, I’ll figure it out.”

That mindset comes from building resilience, curiosity, and courage. Knowledge is no longer scarce; the internet made it abundant. What’s scarce today is wisdom, the ability to navigate and apply that knowledge meaningfully.

Our role is to help students cultivate that wisdom, so they leave not at the end of their journey but at the beginning of it. The world demands constant reinvention, and higher education must evolve to support that.

As Georgia continues to be recognized as one of the best places to do business, our goal is to produce graduates who reflect that same spirit of innovation, purpose, and service, people who are ready to lead and make a difference from day one.

How is UNG approaching strategic investment in key sectors such as nursing, STEM, national security, and others?
Areas such as national security, STEM, nursing, teaching, and business represent critical needs and strategic priorities for us. When I arrived two years ago, the first step was to take inventory and identify what UNG has been doing exceptionally well for a long time.

Those strengths were immediately clear. They have long defined who we are, but we also wanted to identify how to further differentiate ourselves. Investment is where that begins. People often say that if you look at a checkbook, you’ll see someone’s priorities, and that applies to institutions too.

We have focused our resources on what we call our “strategic big bets.” The idea is simple: concentrate on the areas where we have a proven record of success and where the needs of Georgia, the region, and the nation are greatest.

Healthcare is a strong example. UNG has long been a high-quality nursing school, but a relatively small one. We graduate excellent nurses, just not enough of them. Hospitals across the region continue to say they need more nurses. To address that, we have committed to scaling what we already do well.

Over the next five years, UNG will deliver 3,000 nurses, 250 doctors of physical therapy, and more than 200 mental health counselors. Our Doctor of Physical Therapy program, which recently achieved a 100% national board pass rate, exemplifies the quality we intend to maintain while expanding capacity.

We are making similar investments in national security, education, STEM, and the arts. These are fields where UNG already excels and can generate significant economic and social impact. Students can still pursue many other disciplines here, but these are the areas where we are delivering excellence at scale.

What broader changes do you see shaping the future of higher education, and how should universities respond?
We are living through one of the most transformative periods in modern history. This transformation extends beyond higher education to society, politics, and technology.

One of my biggest concerns is that people are less well than they have ever been. Health and wellness are declining, and many have lost sight of their own capacity to lead. Meanwhile, technology has changed our lives in remarkable ways, both positive and negative. It has made things easier and more efficient, but it has also overwhelmed and disconnected people.

A recent statistic from the United States illustrates this: 1 in 10 preschool children now spends only one short period outdoors per week. That is astonishing. When I was a kid, I was outside until my parents called me in for dinner. It shows how our way of life has shifted and raises questions about what kind of humans we are becoming.

At UNG, we are working to build a university that understands this context and responds to it. We believe there must be a new compact in higher education, a human compact. The future-ready university is not only about intellect or technical skill, it is about resilience, empathy, purpose, and performance.

Education today cannot be about memorizing answers. The role of technology, including artificial intelligence, will increasingly be to supply answers. The true differentiator will be the ability to ask better questions, think critically, interpret, and lead.

Our goal is to make UNG a laboratory for the future of education, particularly higher education. But to us, it is not just a higher education, it is a higher purpose.

This work matters deeply. The choices made in higher education over the next few decades will shape the next 30, 40, even 50 years of our societies. UNG intends to help lead that evolution.