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 fun…

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, preside…

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 associat…

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, accou…

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 majo…

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 gle…

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 ins…

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 a…

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 N…

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 sh…

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 …

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 discuss…

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 …

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 …

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-aca…

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’…

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 s…

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, …

On this episode, Michael and Jeff riff through a range of topics. Among them: how no constituency is actually in favor of cost cutting on college campuses; whether consultants can play any productive role in higher ed; and how Disney’s succession drama holds many lessons for boards of trustees at colleges and universities. This episode is made with…

The impact of college athletics is felt throughout institutions, but too often sports are considered separate from the rest of higher ed. On this episode, Michael and Jeff connect the dots between recent changes to college athletics and the campus-wide ripple effects they could have. They are joined by Matt Brown, author of the college sports newsl…

Much of the buzz around artificial intelligence centers on its potential to transform the college of tomorrow, but there are many schools making meaningful change with this technology today. On this episode, we go deep on the applications of AI from recruitment to instruction to supporting post-grad success. We sit down Lev Gonick, Chief Informatio…

On this episode, Jeff and Michael tackle the question everyone is asking: how will AI transform higher ed? For help in finding the answer, they turn to bestselling author and professor of computer science at Georgetown University, Cal Newport. They discuss AI’s academic and operational implications, its ethical and practical considerations, and the…

To kick off Season 8, Michael and Jeff break down the summer’s higher ed headlines. They discuss this year’s FAFSA rollout, recent campus protest fallout, leadership changes, college closures, online program management providers, the presidential election, and high school grading. This episode is made possible with support from Ascendium Education …

In this episode, Jeff and Michael dive into the complex world of dual enrollment, examining its rapid growth, potential benefits, and emerging challenges. They speak with John Fink, a senior research associate at the Community College Research Center, to understand the various dual enrollment arrangements, the students they serve, and the outcomes …

In this special episode, Jeff engages in a lively conversation with Tina Gridiron of ACT and Kennon Harrison of ETS about the future of skills-based hiring. The discussion, recorded live during the Horizons Summit powered by Jobs for the Future (JFF), revolved around how employers can better assess the skills job candidates have, how candidates can…

Hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn are joined by Dr. Len Cassuto, an author and professor at Fordham University, and focus their conversation on the role of PhD students and what the challenges in that part of academia might mean for higher ed. They dive into the subjects that Len explores in his new book, The New PhD: How to Build a Better Gradua…

In this rerun from episode 150, Jeff Selingo welcomes Lynn Perry Wooten, President of Simmons University, for a conversation on the unique position of smaller universities in higher education. They discuss some vital concerns facing smaller universities like Simmons, such as combining less popular liberal arts majors, combatting dropping college en…

New York Times columnist and author David Leonhardt discusses his new book, “Ours Was The Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream." In his conversation with Michael and Jeff, they talk about the impact of the high-school movement on the U.S. economy last century, what a similar higher ed movement might look like in this century, and why the…

In too many rural areas, workers lack access to affordable training pathways to high-quality jobs. Jeff and Michael sit down with Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, Chancellor of Reach University, to learn about how Reach is addressing this challenge with an apprenticeship approach to teacher education. In the first of this two-part conversation, they discuss…

Jeff and Michael are joined by the CEOs of Academic Partnerships, Fernando Bleichmar, and Coursera, Jeff Maggioncalda, to talk about the future of online learning, including a new study on ROI, the role of degrees vs. credentials in the job market, and what AI will mean for online ed. This episode is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation…

In this season 7 wrap-up episode of Future U., Jeff and Michael go to a rapid-fire format and break down six topics in higher education: recent enrollment trends, the state of online education and OPMs, the ongoing FAFSA issues, campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, the increasing focus on value in higher education, and recent devel…

Learning is at the heart of higher ed’s purpose, but how many institutions have a strong sense of the skills and knowledge students are gaining? On this episode, Michael and Jeff welcome two innovators helping colleges to better validate student learning through competency-based education (CBE): Amber Garrison Duncan of the Competency Based Educati…

Boards of Trustees are the principal governing bodies of higher ed institutions, but they can also be the furthest from their day-to-day operations. So how can colleges best leverage their leadership? To tackle this question, Michael and Jeff welcome Chris Romer and Jane Scaccetti, trustees from the boards of Colorado Mountain College and Temple Un…

There has been an exodus from higher ed - that much is understood. But what's causing it and what can we do to ensure students are still accessing pathways to opportunity? In this episode, Jeff and Michael grapple with this question with the help of Terrell Dunn whose recent research, done in partnership with HCM Strategists and Edge Research, addr…

Jeff and Michael examine the complex world of community colleges and challenge traditional notions of success. Drawing from recent research by Strada Education Foundation, they explore the multifaceted roles these institutions play in students' lives and the importance of looking beyond degree completion rates to assess their true value. With insig…

In this thought-provoking episode of Future U., we sit down with Greg Lukianoff, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and co-author of the bestselling book "The Coddling of the American Mind," as well as the new book, "The Canceling of the American Mind." Lukianoff shares his insights on the state of free …

In this episode, Jeff and Michael dive into the complex world of dual enrollment, examining its rapid growth, potential benefits, and emerging challenges. They speak with John Fink, a senior research associate at the Community College Research Center, to understand the various dual enrollment arrangements, the students they serve, and the outcomes …

More and more business leaders, policy makers, and educators are looking to apprenticeships to prepare the American workforce for in-demand careers. The US system leans on its community colleges to facilitate these programs, but they have not always been the most effective quarterbacks. On this episode, we hear from two innovators helping community…

Michael and Jeff go deep on the revised FAFSA and the challenges encountered in its rollout. They sat down with Andrew LaCasse, who helped develop the simplified FAFSA in his former role as a senior education policy advisor on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, to learn about the back-story behind the legislation and its…

Jeff and Michael dive into the higher ed acronyms that have been in the headlines these past few weeks: SAT/ACT, NLRB, and FAFSA. What's next for test-optional after announcements from Dartmouth and Yale; what does it mean that the Dartmouth men's basketball team is trying to unionize; and what will the impact be of the difficult FAFSA rollout. Thi…

Hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn are joined by Dr. Len Cassuto, an author and professor at Fordham University, and focus their conversation on the role of PhD students and what the challenges in that part of academia might mean for higher ed. They dive into the subjects that Len explores in his new book, The New PhD: How to Build a Better Gradua…

Last season, Jeff and Michael explored the reinstatement of the Pell Grant for incarcerated learners. The question now is what’s next for these learners and where can they actually get to use their federal funds? In this episode, Jeff and Michael look at the innovative College Unbound model with co-founder and president Adam Bush and Jose Rodriguez…

The Hechinger Report’s Jon Marcus and Chris Quintana of USA Today join hosts Jeff and Michael for a roundtable discussion to talk about recent headlines in higher ed. Jon discusses the impact of lower birth rates in Japan on university enrollment, while Chris dives into the current state of the Biden Administration’s student loan debt repayment pla…

How do you engage learners in the post-pandemic age? Hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn are joined by Carrie Bartek, from Wake Technical Community College, and Randi Harris, from Portland State University, to ask some important questions: What has changed for students since the pandemic? And what needs to change moving forward to ensure students’ …

To kick off the new year, host Jeff Selingo welcomes Lynn Perry Wooten, President of Simmons University, for a conversation on the unique position of smaller universities in higher education. They discuss some vital concerns facing smaller universities like Simmons, such as combining less popular liberal arts majors, combatting dropping college enr…

Hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn wrap up 2023 by discussing some headlines in higher ed, including the reaction on campuses to the Israel-Hamas War, the big changes afoot at 2U, and more college closures. The episode is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ascendium Education Group. Links No Revenge for Nerds? Evaluating the Care…

New York Times columnist and author David Leonhardt discusses his new book, “Ours Was The Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream." In his conversation with Michael and Jeff, they talk about the impact of the high-school movement on the U.S. economy last century, what a similar higher ed movement might look like in this century, and why the…

Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn take their conversation on the road with another stop on the Future U. Campus Tour, this time visiting the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. They sat down with president Santa Ono to discuss the future of higher education and Michigan's role in the local and global communities. Following that interview, Jeff and Mic…

In Part 2 of our conversation with Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, Chancellor of Reach University, we discuss why their model of the apprenticeship teacher is better than the traditional student-teacher model, how public universities that historically educated the bulk of teachers are following the Reach model, and how the idea can be scaled to other publi…

In too many rural areas, workers lack access to affordable training pathways to high-quality jobs. Jeff and Michael sit down with Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, Chancellor of Reach University, to learn about how Reach is addressing this challenge with an apprenticeship approach to teacher education. In the first of this two-part conversation, they discuss…