Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed

Jeff and Michael look back on Season 6 and the stories they’ve covered, from college rankings and affirmative action to religion and student mental health. They each pick their favorite episode from this season and make predictions for what the higher ed headlines will be next season when Future U. resumes after its traditional summer hiatus. This episode is made possible with support from Ascendium Education Group, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Course Hero.Relevant LinksThe Financially Resilient University

On the Marymount University campus, Michael speaks with University President Irma Becerra about the university's decision to incorporate the liberal arts in the context of high-demand programs that result in jobs, while Jeff fields a panel discussion on how to keep Higher Ed current and how best to prepare students for their futures. This episode is made possible with support from Dell Technologies and Google ChromeOS.

Far too often, individuals in higher education don't understand the nuances of how accreditors operate and the role they play in supporting—or constraining—institutions. Jeff and Michael welcome Barbara Brittingham, former president of the New England Commission on Higher Education, to give the history of accreditation, break down how accrediting agencies operate, show how they compare to one another, and delve into how they might evolve in the future with an eye toward how these organizations impact institutional transformation and support learners in achieving their education and career goals. This episode is made possible with support from Ascendium Education Group, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Course Hero.

Even as higher education in America has its roots in religion, over the centuries it's drifted away from those beginnings. And yet, as our guest informs us, enrollment at religious higher ed institutions has actually risen over the past 20 years, as these institutions serve as havens for young people looking for belonging. Jeff and Michael discuss the role of religion in higher education with Clark Gilbert, Commissioner of Education of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and hear him delve into the unique value that schools like these present to tackle some of the central challenges facing higher education, such as accessibility, affordability, and value. This episode is made possible with support from Ascendium Education Group, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Course Hero.Relevant LinksDare to be DifferentPopulace InsightsWhat Does Stanford Stand For?

In a discussion with George Mason University president Dr. Gregory Washington, Jeff and Michael delve into a few ways to get to and through college: programs that allow students to more seamlessly move from community college to four-year college programs, the difficulties faced by transfer students, and the importance of presidential leadership to improve the situation. This episode is made possible with support from Ascendium Education Group.

At the recent National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) annual meeting, Debra Wilson, the incoming president of the NAIS, flips the script and interviews Jeff and Michael about key takeaways from the pandemic for schools and higher education, how mental health plays into students’ transition to college, and how colleges can encourage more students to enter the teaching profession. This episode is made possible with support from Ascendium Education Group, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Course Hero.

It’s often a forgone conclusion that you should not only go to a four-year college, but also that the better the university’s ranking, the better you’ll do in life. On this episode, Jeff and Michael dig into the data behind these assumptions. Might the U.S. News and World Report college rankings even disappear?And do you still need to invest in a four-year degree in order to excel professionally or are employers putting less stock in a bachelor's? This episode is made possible with support from Ascendium Education Group, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Course Hero.Relevant LinksReport on Bachelor's Degrees from Jeff Selingo and Matt Sigelman

With Florida politics and the current governor’s recent moves in higher ed attracting so much attention, we caught up with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush to add context to the current debates. Bush reflected on his own experiences, successes, and regrets when it comes to the higher ed policies he championed. This episode is made possible with support from Ascendium Education Group, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Course Hero.

As Chat GPT and other AI tools have garnered immense interest in the last few months, people have begun to wonder how these tools will impact higher ed: Will it represent the end of writing? Will we see a rampant rise in cheating? Or maybe these tools herald a new age of an improved quality of student work? Jeff and Michael pose these questions and more to computer science experts Charles Isbell of Georgia Institute of Technology College of Computing and Michael Littman of Brown University. This episode is made possible with sponsorship from Course Hero.

The role of Online Program Managers (OPMs) in the recruitment of students for online university programs has been a controversial issue, and one that is still up for debate. Michael and Jeff delve into OPMs, as well the federal government’s guidance on third party services, like OPMs, over the last few administrations.Relevant LinksWhat's the OPM Episode?The Credential Cluster