Ian Gibson, Dean of San Diego State University’s Global Campus, joins the podcast this week to discuss why higher education needs an "operating system upgrade" to meet the realities of today's learners, and how to achieve this structural reform and digital transformation. He shares how institutions can expand access through online learning, lifelong education, and global partnerships while maintaining academic rigor, mission, and supportive student experiences.
Rather than treating innovation as a threat, Ian makes the case for embracing thoughtful change as the best way to strengthen higher education's public mission for the future.
Guest Name: Ian Gibson, J.D. - Dean of SDSU Global Campus
Guest Bio: Ian Gibson serves as Dean of SDSU Global Campus at San Diego State University, where he leads a $40M+ self-support academic enterprise focused on access, academic quality, workforce alignment, global engagement, and institutional sustainability. Global Campus serves more than 10,000 learners annually across online, hybrid, off-campus, professional, continuing, and international education.
He also led the launch of SDSU Online, a major expansion of the university’s online identity and infrastructure designed to make SDSU degrees and programs more visible, accessible, and navigable for learners beyond the traditional campus model.
Gibson’s work focuses on helping public higher education adapt to changing learner needs without compromising rigor or mission. At SDSU, his portfolio includes revenue diversification, digital credentialing, AI literacy, workforce-aligned learning, international education, and partnerships that expand the university’s reach and public value.
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