The Key with Inside Higher Ed

Sonya Christian is chancellor of California Community Colleges, the largest higher ed system in the country with 116 institutions and 2.2 million students. The sheer size of the system makes every initiative an exercise in scale. In this episode of The Key, Sonya speaks with Inside Higher Ed’s editor in chief Sara Custer about the governor’s proposed $15 billion investment in the system as well as her team’s efforts to use AI to create a credit for prior learning framework for all 116 colleges and why she thinks the institutions in her system should be creating more four-year degrees.

Kristin Hultquist, founder and CEO of HCM Strategies and former senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Education, talks Pell Grant funding and policy solutions. She explains how FAFSA changes created a structural shortfall. She discusses mandatory versus discretionary funding, Workforce Pell design and guardrails, and the need for sustainable, data-driven approaches that protect opportunity for working and first-generation students.

Robert Zemsky, a higher-education market-analysis pioneer and founding director of Penn’s Institute for Research on Higher Education, lays out his case for three-year bachelor’s degrees. He discusses why students are rejecting current offerings. He critiques curricular bloat and urges campus experimentation. He also talks about employer concerns, state approval hurdles, and building faculty buy-in.

News editor Katherine Knott joins editor in chief Sara Custer for an IHE newsroom updated on federal policy. Katherine shares what she expects will be on the agenda in the negotiated rule making for accreditation and how the department will run the process. At the time of recording the government was shut down, but Katherine explains how the budget bill awaiting passage in the House is far more generous to higher ed than the White House’s proposals. And rumors are swirling that the administration will unveil a second compact soon.    Thanks to our partners The Gates Foundation for sponsoring this episode. 

Best-selling author, Inside Higher Ed columnist and educator John Warner joins IHE’s editor in chief Sara Custer to discuss how institutions can continue to help students learn and grow when AI threatens to do everything for them. Read John’s IHE column “Just Visiting” Check out John’s latest book More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI

Collecting and analyzing student data and then acting on any findings to support student success is a struggle for many institutions. Often data is in the wrong format, inaccessible to the right teams or there are so many analytics colleges don’t know where to start. Many administrators also lack the data literacy needed to make accurate, data-informed decisions. In this episode, we’re sharing a discussion Inside Higher Ed Editor in Chief Sara Custer had with higher ed leaders at IHE’s Student Success 2025 event. Courtney Brown, vice-president of strategic impact and planning at the Lumina Foundation, Elliot Felix, the higher education advisory practice lead at Buro Happold and Mark Milliron the president of National University bring unique experiences and perspectives to the question of how institutions can be data-driven and student centered. This episode is sponsored by the Gates Foundation.

Jessica Blake, a federal policy reporter with a focus on U.S. higher education, and Katherine Knott, a news editor covering higher ed trends, dive into the pivotal policy stories of 2025. They discuss the groundbreaking 'Big Beautiful Bill' (OB3) and its sweeping changes, including loan caps and Workforce Pell guardrails. The duo highlights the shifting federal-state relationship, the growing impact of anti-DEI laws, and potential reforms in accreditation. Listeners gain insight into the challenges and implications for higher education's future.

In her final episode of Voices of Student Success, Inside Higher Ed reporter Ashley Mowreader walks through some of the latest trends in student success in higher education including generative artificial intelligence tools, mental health resources for students, affordability in higher education and internship requirements for students. Later, hear from Joshua Bay, Inside Higher Ed’s new Student Success reporter, who started Dec. 4. This episode is sponsored by TimelyCare.

Tracy Hartzler, President of Central New Mexico Community College, leads initiatives to harness AI for student success. In this conversation, she dives into how the new AI-powered tool, CampusLens, addresses student retention and enhances institutional change. Tracy discusses the importance of responsive data, challenges with legacy systems, and the need for robust AI governance. She highlights the balance between risks and rewards in adopting new technologies, illustrating the potential for improved career outcomes for students.

David Watts, Director of the Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Colby College, and Michael Yankoski, a teaching scientist and assistant professor, delve into how generative AI can enhance student success. They discuss Mule Chat, a platform that offers users a safe way to explore various AI models. The duo emphasizes the importance of flexible AI guidelines in a liberal arts context and highlights student-led tutorials as a means to foster AI literacy. Their insights reveal how adaptive strategies can empower students and faculty in navigating the evolving landscape of AI.