Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed

In a special episode recorded at the Milken Global Institute, Jeff moderates a wide-ranging panel with higher education leaders including the presidents of Dartmouth, Stanford, UC San Diego, Yeshiva University, and the CEO of ETS. The conversation explores the crises and critiques facing higher ed—from campus protests and declining public trust to research funding and economic ROI. The leaders discuss how institutions can reaffirm their missions, serve a broader public, and restore faith in the value of a degree in an era of polarization and political scrutiny.

In this second part from the Milken Global Institute, Jeff Selingo engages in a provocative conversation with investor and Harvard critic Bill Ackman. They discuss the challenges facing elite higher education today—from DEI rollbacks and government funding threats to what Ackman describes as Harvard's financial crisis and governance failures. Ackman argues that administrative bloat, viewpoint homogeneity, and an unsustainable business model have undermined top institutions, while suggesting Harvard's $53 billion endowment may be significantly overvalued. The discussion explores contentious issues in admissions fairness, including legacy preferences, and concludes with Ackman's vision for higher education's future, where competition from new models might force established universities to reform or risk irrelevance. Key Moments0:00 - Intro1:04 - Federal Funding as a Lever of Influence8:07 - Board Insulation at Harvard13:08 - Limiting Class Size14:25 - Fairness in Admissions18:27 - Where We Go From Here Connect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Sign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedIn Connect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.

In this special episode, recorded live at the ASU+GSV Summit, hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn dive into the rapidly evolving higher ed landscape in President Trump’s second term. They discuss massive cuts at the U.S. Department of Education, mounting challenges around international student enrollment, and looming threats to federal research funding. They examine the broader, longer-term implications of these shifts for colleges and draw from their recent research to discuss how leaders can nurture positive campus culture during these challenging times. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Gates Foundation. Links We ShareMark Schneider: Blowing Up Ed Research is Easy. Rebuilding it is ‘What Matters’ Chapters0:00 - Intro7:32 - Cuts to the Department of Education20:40 - Targeting International Students23:48 - Withholding of Federal Research Grants39:25 - Our Favorite Higher Ed Commentary46:31 - Changing Campus Culture Connect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Sign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedIn Connect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.

In a special crossover episode, Michael and Jeff are joined by Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Jack Stripling to discuss a recent piece by the Chronicle: a March Madness-style bracket of the most memorable higher ed controversies of the last 25 years. The trio relives infamous scandals—from Jetgate and Varsity Blues to faculty feuds, presidential meltdowns, and that $550 olive jar. Along the way, they explore what these stories reveal about rising presidential compensation, the role of athletics in university life, the erosion of shared governance, and the shifting relationship between the public and higher ed. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and Gates Foundation.Links We MentionHigher Ed Controversy Draft, College Matter from the ChronicleChapters0:00 - Intro5:12 - March Madness for Higher Ed Controversies8:53 - Controversies on the Bubble12:30 - Jetgate16:17 - The UVA Re-Hire20:01 - Presidential Compensation23:49 - The Prominent Role of Athletics in Scandals28:42 - Who’s Watching Higher Ed?31:38 - What Scandals Tell Us About Higher Ed Financing38:38 - The State of the College Presidency48:59 - Fighting Factions

In part two of their series on apprenticeships, Jeff talks with Claire Fiddian-Green, president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, about Indiana’s ambitious efforts to adapt lessons from Switzerland’s gold-standard model. They explore how Indiana is transforming high school graduation requirements, building industry-led talent associations, and designing scalable pathways that center real-world work experience. The conversation covers the challenges of shifting culture, coordinating stakeholders, and ensuring permeability between career and college tracks—all with the goal of making apprenticeships a respected and rigorous route to success after high school. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.Publications Mentioned“No Time to Lose: How to Build a World-Class Education System State by State,” - The National Council of State LegislaturesApprentice Nation: How the "Earn and Learn" Alternative to Higher Education Will Create a Stronger and Fairer America, - Ryan Craig “Career and Technical Education for All,”  - Daniel Curtis and Michael B. HornChapters0:00 - Intro3:32 - Focusing Indiana on CTE5:00 - Applying Lessons Learned from Swiss Apprenticeship in Indiana8:05 - Building an Apprenticeship System at Scale10:58 - Adjusting Graduation Requirements13:52 - The Keys to Successful Stakeholder Collaboration in Indiana15:10 - Centering Permeability19:05 - States in the Lead on Apprenticeship21:56 - Putting Employers in the Driver’s Seat26:30 - Carving Out Apprenticeship Pathways in High Schools31:30 - Bringing it Back to the Why

Jeff and Michael are joined by Mushtaq Gunja, Executive Director of the Carnegie Classification Systems and Senior Vice President at ACE, to unpack the sweeping changes to the Carnegie Classifications. They explore how the new system aims to better group institutions, highlight student access and earnings, and shift incentives across funding, accountability, and rankings. The conversation dives into the implications for colleges chasing R1 status, the normative power of classifications, and whether these changes will meaningfully alter institutional behavior or simply create a new hierarchy. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Gates Foundation.Links We Mention2025 Institutional Classifications, Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education2025 Research Activity Designations, Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher EducationChapters0:00 - Intro05:50 - The Changing Higher Ed Landscape08:06 - The Impact of the New Classifications10:42 - Anticipating the Normative Effects16:55 - New Funding Criteria18:13 - Shifting to a Focus on Outcomes21:17 - Measuring Access and Earnings24:53 - Encouraging Good Use of the New Classifications34:24 - Considering the Impact on Research Dollars40:28 - Institutional Response to Access and Earnings Designations46:30 - What This Means for Rankings

As colleges navigate increasing financial pressure, many struggle to balance mission with sustainability. In this  episode, Jeff and Michael welcome Rick Staisloff, founder of rpk GROUP, for a crash course in how college budgets really work. From centralized vs. decentralized models to the challenges of tuition discounting, Rick breaks down the major drivers of revenue and expense in higher ed. He also highlights why better business intelligence, clearer accountability, and a shift toward ROI thinking are essential for financial sustainability. Whether you're a board member or just curious, this episode offers practical insight into what’s working—and what’s not—in college budgeting. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Gates Foundation.Chapters0:00 - Intro03:45 - How colleges put together their budgets9:05 - Implementation challenges and best practices15:04 - Non-tuition revenue sources26:21 - Cost drivers29:41 - Solving the “Financial Bucket Problem”35:41 - Deferred maintenance38:11 - Shifting to an ROI mindset41:04 - The levers to pull43:14 - On the margins46:44 - College cash sources49:03 - Our most promising strategies Connect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Sign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedIn Connect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.

The U.S. has a lot to learn when it comes to systematizing apprenticeship. Thankfully, there are successful international models, like Switzerland’s, that we can study. Katie Caves, the Director at Switzerland’s Center on the Economics and Management of Education and Training Systems, joins the podcast to discuss the Swiss model and what can be gleaned from it. They discuss its permeability between academic and vocational tracks, proving its value to employers, the prestige of Swiss apprenticeships, and the principles that hold across borders. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group. Publications Mentioned:Return on investment of apprenticeship systems for enterprises: Evidence from cost-benefit analysesby Samuel Muehlemann & Stefan C Wolter Chapters0:00 - Intro3:35 - Swiss Apprenticeship 1016:56 - Path Selection and Funding13:46 - The Status of Apprenticeship in Switzerland18:58 - Borrowing Across Borders25:15 - The ROI to Employers29:47 - Evaluating Indiana’s Apprenticeship Model33:45 - Imbuing Prestige in American Apprenticeship38:49 - Striking the Balance43:01 - The Influence of Accountability 

AI is evolving at a rapid rate, and its implications for higher ed are changing in lock step. So, Michael and Jeff dove back into the topic at the Google Public Sector GenAI Live & Labs Conference with a panel of experts: Ann Krischner of CUNY and ASU, Pace University’s Marvin Krislov, and Google’s Chris Hein. They discussed the necessity of an institutional AI strategy, the tech’s implications for the future of work, and why university partnerships will be essential to equity in the age of AI. This episode is made with support from Google. 0:00 - Intro1:40 - Campus-Wide AI Strategy6:02 - Skills in the Age of AI9:52 - AI Policy and Faculty Training11:49 - The Dislocation of Entry Level Jobs15:33 - Teaching AI18:39 - Mounting the Liberal Arts Comeback21:25 - The Future of Academic Research24:37 - Building Access through Partnership31:12 - Questionable Assumptions  Connect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads   Connect with Jeff Selingo:Sign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedIn Connect with Future U: TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn   Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content. 

Mergers aren’t easy. They demand careful analysis, difficult decisions, and tricky stakeholder management. But they are becoming increasingly necessary as dropping enrollments make going it alone less viable for more and more institutions. So, Michael and Jeff sat down with the presidents of two colleges in Ohio that are in the process of merging and the consultant that helped guide them through it to learn more about how to do so successfully. They discuss how to find the right partner, navigate federal approval processes, and manage the emotional elements. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and The Gates Foundation. Links We MentionStrategic Mergers in Higher Education by Ricardo Azziz et al. Chapters0:00 - Introduction01:32 - Future U’s Coverage of M&A03:26 - A Merger in Northwest Ohio04:44 - Pursuing a Partnership08:29 - Finding the Right Fit10:45 - The Challenging Federal Approval Process16:21 - Managing Stakeholder Communications22:09 - Lessons Learned27:04 - The Leadership Characteristics Required30:46 - The Timeline of Mergers39:03 - Managing the Emotional Element Connect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads  Connect with Jeff Selingo:Sign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedInConnect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn  Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.

This year, thousands of students will be accepted to colleges without ever submitting a formal application. That’s because more and more schools are automatically accepting students who meet preset performance thresholds through direct admissions programs. To learn more about this growing trend, Michael and Jeff welcome Luke Skurman who is CEO of Niche.com, one of the nation’s largest direct admissions platforms. They discuss the benefits and risks of this innovation and dig into how it changes the dynamics between schools and students. Michael and Jeff then envision the variety of changes required in the college admissions process. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group, the Gates Foundation, and the American College of Education. Chapters0:00 Intro02:26 - The Backstory on Direct Admissions06:35 - How Niche Direct Admissions Works09:09 - The Benefit to Students and Institutions11:29 - Another Application Count Booster?14:25 - Obstacle or Litmus Test?15:56 - Changing Dynamics19:40 - The Competitive Landscape20:41 - What’s Next?25:38 - The Three Parts of Admissions30:23 - Weighing the Pros and Cons of Direct Admissions36:26 - Reimagining the College Admissions Process Connect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads  Connect with Jeff Selingo:Sign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedInConnect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn  Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.

Women have outnumbered men on college campuses for decades, but the divergence in postsecondary success has widened in recent years, and it is both a cause and symptom of the struggles of the modern man. Richard Reeves, author of Of Boys and Men joins the podcast to discuss the drivers of these challenges, promising interventions, and whether we should care about the plight of men in a world where they continue to wield power. This episode is made with support from the Gates Foundation, Ascendium Education Group, and The American College of Education.Links We ShareOf Boys and Men:Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What To Do About Itby Richard Reeveshttps://www.menincollege.comAmerican Institute for Boys and Men Chapters00:00 - Intro04:15 - Where We Are (and Aren't) Seeing the Gender Divide05:56 - Designing College with The Modern Young Man in Mind12:28 - Drivers of the Higher Ed Gender Divide16:30 - The Effects of the Pandemic19:41 - The Larger Significance of the Problem26:50 - Opting Out of Adulting31:52 - Masculinity and Majors34:22 - K12 Solutions: Nobody's Fault, Everyone's Responsibility37:32 - What Higher Ed Can Do41:47 - International Parallels 44:38 - Rebalancing Education Systems49:06 - Zero-Sum Game or Growing the Pie?

At the turn of the new year, Jeff and Michael dive into the predictions and trends set to shape the landscape of higher education in 2025. They discuss how this may be a year of reckoning for colleges and where changes will be required to make long-needed improvements. They dig in on infrastructure adjustments, reimagined degree programs, and what appears to be a new ultimatum for many struggling colleges: partner or perish. This episode made with support from The American College of Education, The Gates Foundation, and Ascendium Education Group. Links We Share“Which Colleges Always Lose Money?” by Robert Kelchen“Where the Grass Is Greener” by Robert Shaw, Harvard Magazine Chapters0:00 - Intro01:49 - A Year of Reckoning for Higher Ed09:57 - The Changes Needed16:51 - Quick Hits: Athletes as Employees, Hostile Competition, and More26:37 - Expanding Research Outside of Academia30:58 - Shortening Degree Programs

On this episode, Jeff sits down with one of the authors of Job Moves: 9 Steps To Making Progress in Your Career, Future U.’s very own Michael B. Horn. The two discuss the lessons that the book, which offers research-based guidance to individuals searching for new work, holds for students and the colleges that serve them. They then dive into discussing a topic they each get a lot of questions about: what it’s like to write a book. This episode made with support from The American College of Education, The Gates Foundation, and Ascendium Education Group. Links We MentionJob Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your CareerCareer and Technical Education for All by Michael B. Horn and Daniel Curtis, Education Next Chapters0:00 - Intro02:40 - Job Moves in a Nutshell04:02 - How Job Moves Applies to Colleges07:17 - Balancing Skills Development Against Credentials09:26 - Helping Students Make More Informed Choices16:16 - Next Steps for Higher Ed22:43 - Michael's Process for Writing a Book 26:55 - Making the Time to Write 29:53 - Planner or Plunger?32:36 - Working with a Publisher35:49 - The Hard Part that No One Talks About 38:32 - Where to Find More on Job Moves

More than a decade ago, a wave of research pointing to the inefficacy of remedial education was followed by a massive investment in rethinking how we prepare students who need extra support to access college. So why, after all that, does remedial ed still play such a big role on college campuses today? To help us tackle that question, we’re joined by Anne Kim, FutureEd Senior Fellow and author of a recent report on the remedial education reform movement. She discusses the history of remedial education in America and what it will take to move reform forward. Then, Jeff fields some provocative questions from Michael about who should go to college and how we can align incentives so no one profits off of unprepared students. This episode is made with support from the Gates Foundation.Links We ShareIncomplete: The Unfinished Revolution in College Remedial Education by Anne Kim, FutureEdStudent Success 2.0, Future U. The New Student Ready College, Future UChapters0:00 - Intro02:49 - Remedial Education in Context07:26 - Calls for Change11:29 - A Wave of Reform14:53 - Progress Stalls16:59 - Recommendations for a Reform Rebound19:33 - Responding to Criticisms of Remedial Ed24:58 - A New System with More Options31:00 - Correcting a Broken Business Model

What does a community college in Idaho have to do with mounting economic tensions between the U.S. and China? A lot, actually. On this episode of Future U., Michael and Jeff dive into what the CHIPS and Science Act—the federal spending package designed to reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign manufacturers for microchips and other advanced technologies—means for a segment of American postsecondary institutions that’s often forgotten in these conversations: community colleges. They talk with nonprofit and government leaders about how the CHIPS supports the education and training of a high tech workforce. They then go deep with the team at the College of Western Idaho to get a view of how they are developing these programs in collaboration with their corporate partner, Micron. This episode is sponsored by Ascendium Education Group.

Technology is an increasingly important element of everything that colleges do, yet it remains a distinct and separate function at too many schools. Jeff visited the Educause Conference, focused on tech in higher ed, to chat with college leaders about how they are leveraging IT on their campuses. They discuss best practices in bridging the tech-academic divide, the role of data in decision making, how IT departments can support efforts to improve the value proposition of higher ed, and more. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Gates Foundation.Chapters0:00 - Intro5:49 - IT Then and Now9:02 - The Disconnect Between Tech and Academic Teams 11:56 - Using Data Strategically 16:01 - Data-Driven v. Data-Informed Decision Making 24:02 - Public-Private Partnerships 31:50 - Communicating Across the Tech and Academic Sides  34:57 - Getting Started in Online Education 37:16 - Improving Perceptions of Higher Ed 42:31 - The Future of Tech in Higher Ed

Regional public universities have been hit harder than most colleges by recent enrollment decreases. On this episode, Michael and Jeff sit down with President Jonathan Koppell of Montclair State University, a regional that has bucked this trend, to learn more about their success. They dig in on lessons Koppell learned as a dean at ASU, the college’s programs for underserved students, and how the college is competing for students. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Gates Foundation.  Links We ShareBeating the Odds, Bain & Co.Chapters00:00 - Intro03:52 - Lessons Learned at ASU06:52 - Attracting Students to Montclair12:36 -Supporting Post-Secondary Attainment for Men18:25 -How Colleges Can Win Back Engagement24:33 -The Steps to Culture Change27:40 - How to Fix the College President Job32:06 - Addressing the Talk by Walking the Walk33:58 - Aiming Above the Line37:50 - Shifting Towards User-Centered Language39:34 - Building Infrastructure around Differentiation41:02 - Data and Innovation to Support Men in Higher Ed45:49 - Providing Students with What They Need48:53 - Coalescing Around the “Why”

While college-going rates have increased over recent decades, completion rates have hardly budged. On this episode, Michael and Jeff sit down with one entrepreneur working to change that. Mike Larsson is the co-founder and CEO of Duet, an organization collaborating with an online university to provide on-the-ground coaching and physical space for students. They discuss the role wraparound supports play in supporting more students towards graduation, the keys to reengaging students who have stopped out, the nationwide spread of hybrid models like Duet’s, and more. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Philanthropy and the Gates Foundation.Links We ShareCollege Reimagined by Jon Gabrieli et al.Chapters0:00 - Intro02:12 - The Founding Story of Duet08:53 - Reaching Students with “Some College No Degree”11:23 - A Personal Trainer for College13:17 - Duet’s Outcomes17:07 - “The Hard Policy Answer”21:00 - The Growth of Hybrid College24:39 - Affordability, Flexibility, and Disruption29:46 - Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships to Better Serve Adult Learners33:26 - Improving the Outcomes of Community Colleges

On this episode of the Future U. Campus Tour, Michael and Jeff sit down with leaders from Western Governors University to learn about innovations around the university, with special attention paid to those at WGU’s fast-growing School of Education. They discuss the expansion of work-based learning with President Pulsipher and Provost Hills McBeth, examine the drivers of the Ed. School’s growth with Dean Ludwig Johnson, and hear from a WGU student (and 4th grade teacher), Madelyn Hurst, on how the college’s competency-based approach is shaping her teaching. This episode is made with the support of Western Governors University.Chapters0:00 - Intro03:26 - The History and Students of Western Governors University09:48 - Drivers of WGU’s Growing Programs16:36 - Expanding Apprenticeship-Based Degrees20:52 - The Future of the Degree in Skills-Based World24:10 - How AI Will Change the Work and Learning Landscape29:47 - The Current State of K-12 Education33:07 - How WGU has Evolved to Meet Changing Needs of Schools36:17 - Taking the Long View38:25 - The Downstream Effects of Competency Based Teacher Education42:47 - The Growth of WGU’S School of Education45:05 - How Apprenticeship is Transforming Teacher Education47:35 - Closing Thoughts