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  • How States Can Meet the Moment In Higher Ed

    How States Can Meet the Moment In Higher Ed
    2025/11/04
    In this time of uncertainty and pullback of federal support for higher education, is it time for states to step up and play a greater leadership role in helping colleges better serve students? And if so, how? Jeff and Michael debate those questions on this episode. To set the stage, they talk with Ruth Watkins, president of postsecondary education for Strada Education Foundation and a former college president, about Strada’s new State Opportunity Index. A key theme: the state level may be the ideal one to match educational offerings with available jobs, especially as AI reshapes so many industries. This episode is made with support from Strada Education Foundation.Chapters0:00 - Intro3:40 - How a New Report Measures State Higher Ed Efforts5:53 - Is This a Time for States to Lead?8:17 - How to Encourage Competition Among States10:12 - Which States Lead In Higher Ed ROI12:52 - Low Tuition Doesn’t Guarantee Good ROI15:39 - What Can Colleges Do If Job Prospects Are Low in a State?19:00 - Who Is the Audience for the State Opportunity Index?21:09 - How Can State Measure Return on Investing in Higher Ed?23:52 - What Can States Do in Higher Ed to Respond to AI?26:45 - Sponsor Break27:55 - Some Context for How States Interact With Federal Higher Ed Support29:40 - Why Jeff Thinks States and the Feds Aren’t ‘Rowing in the Same Direction’32:00 - Why Michael Sees More Alignment in State and Federal Efforts34:15 - Will States Step In to Support Research?37:07 - Are Some States Doing Better on Work-Based Learning?40:54 - Colleges Still Aren’t Comfortable in Their Role of Getting Students Jobs46:29 - New Leadership Opportunity In Human Capital in the AI Era48:18 - A Better Way to Measure State Investment51:56 - Lightning Round With Ruth WatkinsRelevant Links:2025 Strada State Opportunity IndexStrada Education Foundation 2025 Grapevine ReportState Higher Education Executive Officers AssociationConnect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for YouSign 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.
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    55 分
  • Visiting Butler: Sparking a Culture of Innovation

    Visiting Butler: Sparking a Culture of Innovation
    2025/10/30

    On the latest stop of Future U.'s campus tour, Michael and Jeff visit Butler University to talk with Butler president Jim Danko and other campus leaders. They explore how, out of a mix of excitement about serving students and fear of potential competitive threats on the horizon, the university built a culture and infrastructure to encourage innovation

    Relevant Links

    Butler University’s Transformation Lab website.

    Chapters

    0:00 - Why We Wanted to Visit Butler University

    3:46 - What Butler’s President Said He Would Do When He First Started

    7:22 - Some Early Wins In Sparking Innovation

    9:16 - The Importance of Time and Patience in College Leadership

    13:25 - How Presidents Can Best Work With Trustees to Encourage Innovation

    15:46 - How a Business Background Influenced Leading a University

    19:37 - Why Did Butler Push for Innovation?

    21:11 - Putting a Vision Into Practice

    22:50 - The Importance of Wanting to Win

    28:01 - A Chief Strategy Officer’s Viewpoint

    35:35 - A Faculty Perspective on Innovation

    37:04 - The 50-50 Rule of Running the Board of Trustees

    38:53 - What Butler Ventures Looks Like Today

    47:43 - What Grade Would Butler Give Its Innovation Efforts?

    52:00 - Closing Observations

    Connect with Michael Horn:

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    Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You

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    56 分
  • How AI Could Reshape Higher Ed

    How AI Could Reshape Higher Ed
    2025/10/14
    Parents and prospective students want to know how colleges are responding to the rise of generative AI — and to other recent developments like federal budget cuts to research. On this episode, Jeff and Michael share what they’re both hearing as they visit campuses around the country this fall. And they offer their analysis of what AI could mean for higher education, and whether the time is ripe for new entrants to enter the college landscape. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.Publications MentionedShould College Get Harder?Joshua Rothman in The New YorkerStudent Loan Debt Is Strangling Gen XOyin Adedoyin in The Wall Street JournalCharlie Javice sentenced to 7 years in prison for $175M fraudABC NewsAnthology Declares Bankruptcy, Blackboard to Remain as the Core,Phil Hill, in OnEdTechChapters0:00 - Intro2:23 - What Jeff Is Hearing On His Book Tour for ‘Dream School’4:25 - Should College Get Harder Because of AI?7:27 - Why Different Kinds of Colleges Will Be Impacted Differently10:48 - Startup Universities Are Emerging With an AI Focus14:25 - Redesigning the College Experience Around Activities and Personal Development17:39 - Will a New Kind of Expertise Be Required On Campuses?19:20 - Will Employers Trust Degrees In the AI Era?24:40 - Sponsor Break25:35 - How Student Loan Debt Is Impacting Gen X28:22 - A Republican Effort to Question Consultants That Help Set College Prices30:15 - Charlie Javice Sentenced In Fraud Case31:44 - Anthology, Owner of Blackboard LMS, Goes Bankrupt34:00 - Some Trade Schools Exempted From New Federal Rules35:00 - Making Changes at Colleges StickConnect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for YouSign 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.
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    40 分
  • Why a University Proactively Sought a Merger

    Why a University Proactively Sought a Merger
    2025/10/07

    Mergers and acquisitions are usually seen as bad things in higher ed. But there’s a growing sense that many colleges could benefit by teaming up, especially as the fiscal cliff means fewer potential students. Jeff and Michael continue to dive into their fascination with M&A by talking to Walter Iwanenko Jr, the president of Gannon University in Erie, Pa., about how and why the institution sought a merger with Ursuline College near Cleveland. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group

    Publications Mentioned:

    “Two North Carolina universities announced a merger. Why some alumni are pushing back,” in USA Today.

    “A Midwest Merger: How Two Ohio Colleges Are Coming Together,” from Future U, season 8.

    Chapters

    3:42 - Why Mergers and Acquisitions Are Increasingly Important In HIgher Ed

    6:15 - What Led Gannon University to Look for a Merger?

    9:30 - What Gannon University Hoped For in a Partner

    13:01 - How Gannon University Found Ursuline College

    16:21 - What’s Stopping More Colleges From Seeking Mergers?

    21:36 - Learning From Other Mergers That Failed

    23:04 - What Should Change to Help More Mergers Happen?

    27:02 - Sponsor Break

    29:00 - How to Change the Perception of M&A in Higher Ed

    35:46 - Finding the Right Leadership

    38:30 - What is the Trump Administration’s Stance on Making College Mergers Easier?

    41:08 - Lightning Round

    Connect with Michael Horn:

    Sign Up for the The Future of Education Newsletter

    Website

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    Threads

    Connect with Jeff Selingo:

    Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You

    Sign Up for the Next Newsletter

    Website

    X (Twitter)

    Threads

    LinkedIn

    Connect with Future U:

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    Facebook

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    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.
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    44 分
  • Reporters Roundtable: How Trump Is Shaking Up Higher Ed

    Reporters Roundtable: How Trump Is Shaking Up Higher Ed
    2025/09/23
    We’re bringing back a favorite format to go behind the headlines with top beat reporters covering colleges. Our latest roundtable focuses on how the Trump administration’s many executive orders, research grant cancellations, and crackdowns on international students are changing the higher ed landscape in the U.S. and globally. Jeff and Michael are joined by reporters from The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, and The Chronicle of Higher Education to hear their insights and analysis. This episode made with support from Ascendium Education Group.Chapters0:00 - Introducing the Reporters in the Roundtable4:10 - How the Trump Administration Picks Which Colleges to Target?8:36 - A Shift from Ivies to SEC Schools11:01 - How the Campus Mood Is Different at Mizzou Than at Harvard13:05 - What’s New With International Students on Campus14:55 - Will International Education Decline Globally?17:17 - The Impact of International Student Decline on Colleges’ Bottom Lines19:07 - How Much Has International Enrollment Declined?20:55 - Will International Students Fear Returning Home for the Summer?22:24 - Sponsor Break22:36 - Lessons from the Santa Ono Bid to Lead University of Florida26:50 - Divide Between Red State and Blue State Universities29:25 - Will Trump Changes to Higher Ed Stick?35:38 - Predicting How the Supreme Court Will Rule on Harvard Case37:13 - Lightning RoundPublications Mentioned:"Universities in Red States and Heartland May Be Winners as Ivy League Contends with Trump Onslaught," by Hilary Burns in The Boston Globe“Trump Administration’s Cuts to Harvard Funding Are Unconstitutional, Judge Rules,” by Doug Belkin in The Wall Street Journal"Even as Classes Begin, Some Foreign Students Are Still in Visa Limbo,” by Karin Fischer in The Chronicle of Higher Education.Connect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for YouSign 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.
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    40 分
  • Redefining the ‘Dream School’

    Redefining the ‘Dream School’
    2025/09/09

    In this era of uncertainty, many parents view highly-selective colleges as the best bet for their student’s futures. In his new book just out this month, Future U co-host Jeff Selingo challenges that assumption. For this episode, Jeff moves from the host chair to being a guest to share highlights from the book, ‘Dream School.’ He talks about going beyond which college’s name looks most impressive as a bumper sticker on the family car to focusing on the quality of a college’s teaching, whether it really fits the budget, and other factors that are specific to each student. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.

    Relevant Links:

    Jeff Selingo’s new book, Dream School

    Chapters

    0:00 - Intro
    2:06 - Why write this book?
    3:23 - The ‘New Dream School’ List
    11:28 - When Mismatched Schools Cause Dropouts
    14:26 - Sponsor Break
    16:51 - The Importance of Making Trade-offs
    18:44 - Understanding What’s Motivating Choice
    19:35 - How AI is Impacting Jobs and Causing Uncertainty About College
    20:56 - What Should Colleges Do?
    23:23 - Giving Families ‘Social Proof’ of a Broader Group of College
    25:29 - The Doom Loop of College Finances
    27:56 - How Future U Shaped the Book
    29:14 - How Jeff Gets the Word Out on His Book

    Connect with Michael Horn:

    Sign Up for the The Future of Education Newsletter

    Website

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    Threads

    Connect with Jeff Selingo:

    Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You

    Sign Up for the Next Newsletter

    Website

    X (Twitter)

    Threads

    LinkedIn

    Connect with Future U:

    Twitter

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    Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!

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    32 分
  • No Relaxing Summer for Higher Ed

    No Relaxing Summer for Higher Ed
    2025/09/02

    This summer brought no rest for college leaders. With the Trump Administration’s continuing push to reshape the college world, plus lots of announcements in Artificial Intelligence, there are many higher ed headlines to recap. So Jeff and Michael kick off season 9 with their take on the most important developments of the past couple of months. That includes Columbia University’s unprecedented settlement with the federal government, a new executive order on college admissions, and college trustees pushing for action on AI. And they unveil a new ‘speed round’ segment. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.

    Publications Mentioned:

    The Elite University Presidents Who Despise One Another: Inside the civil war between the Ivy League and the South in The Atlantic

    Great Expectations, Fragile Foundations in On EdTech

    Chapters

    1:36 - Our Summer Recap

    4:09 - Behind the Scenes of Jeff’s Book Launch

    8:10 - Meet the Future U Production Team

    12:18 - Columbia University Settlement

    21:00 - Trump’s Executive Order on Admissions

    30:00 - What College Business Officers Are Talking About

    34:15 - One Big Beautiful Bill’s Impact

    39:30 - New ‘Lightning Round’ Segment

    Connect with Michael Horn:

    Sign Up for the The Future of Education Newsletter

    Website

    LinkedIn

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    Threads

    Connect with Jeff Selingo:

    Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You

    Sign Up for the Next Newsletter

    Website

    X (Twitter)

    Threads

    LinkedIn

    Connect with Future U:

    Twitter

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    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.
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    47 分
  • Rerun: Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige?

    Rerun: Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige?
    2025/08/27

    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 Mention

    2025 Institutional Classifications, Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education

    2025 Research Activity Designations, Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education

    Chapters

    0:00 - Intro

    05:50 - The Changing Higher Ed Landscape

    08:06 - The Impact of the New Classifications

    10:42 - Anticipating the Normative Effects

    16:55 - New Funding Criteria

    18:13 - Shifting to a Focus on Outcomes

    21:17 - Measuring Access and Earnings

    24:53 - Encouraging Good Use of the New Classifications

    34:24 - Considering the Impact on Research Dollars

    40:28 - Institutional Response to Access and Earnings Designations

    46:30 - What This Means for Rankings

    Connect with Michael Horn:

    Sign Up for the The Future of Education Newsletter

    Website

    LinkedIn

    X (Twitter)

    Threads

    Connect with Jeff Selingo:

    Sign Up for the Next Newsletter

    Website

    X (Twitter)

    Threads

    LinkedIn

    Connect with Future U:

    Twitter

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    Threads

    Instagram

    Facebook

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    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.
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    52 分