The state of higher education continues to be in flux as institutions face tough choices about their future.

Colleges and universities are stretching their resources, trying to reduce rising costs while maintaining the quality of education for students. Many institutions are implementing serious cutbacks to work in this new reality, and it affects how chief academic officers view their role within higher education and the overall state of education.

The 2020 Survey of College and University Chief Academic Officers (CAOs) offers a worrying snapshot of the challenges facing CAOs and their institutions.

CAOs are being asked to do more with less. They're concerned about their ability to launch new academic programs and make investments that will keep their organizations aligned to a fast-changing, digitally-driven world. At the same time, they're trying to minimize the impact of financial cutbacks on students trying to further their education: