Future U Podcast - The Pulse Of Higher Ed podcast

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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 Mention Higher Ed Controversy Draft , College Matter from the Chronicle Chapters 0:00 - Intro 5:12 - March Madness for Higher Ed Controversies 8:53 - Controversies on the Bubble 12:30 - Jetgate 16:17 - The UVA Re-Hire 20:01 - Presidential Compensation 23:49 - The Prominent Role of Athletics in Scandals 28:42 - Who’s Watching Higher Ed? 31:38 - What Scandals Tell Us About Higher Ed Financing 38:38 - The State of the College Presidency 48:59 - Fighting Factions…

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Building an Apprenticeship System in Indiana: How the Hoosier State is Adapting the Swiss Model 34:58

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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 Legislatures Apprentice 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. Horn Chapters 0:00 - Intro 3:32 - Focusing Indiana on CTE 5:00 - Applying Lessons Learned from Swiss Apprenticeship in Indiana 8:05 - Building an Apprenticeship System at Scale 10:58 - Adjusting Graduation Requirements 13:52 - The Keys to Successful Stakeholder Collaboration in Indiana 15:10 - Centering Permeability 19:05 - States in the Lead on Apprenticeship 21:56 - Putting Employers in the Driver’s Seat 26:30 - Carving Out Apprenticeship Pathways in High Schools 31:30 - Bringing it Back to the Why…

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Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige? 50:21

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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…

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Higher Ed 101: College Budgets Explained 51:01

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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. Chapters 0:00 - Intro 03:45 - How colleges put together their budgets 9:05 - Implementation challenges and best practices 15:04 - Non-tuition revenue sources 26:21 - Cost drivers 29:41 - Solving the “Financial Bucket Problem” 35:41 - Deferred maintenance 38:11 - Shifting to an ROI mindset 41:04 - The levers to pull 43:14 - On the margins 46:44 - College cash sources 49:03 - Our most promising strategies 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 YouTube Threads Instagram Facebook LinkedIn 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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Learning from the Swiss Apprenticeship Model 47:10

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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 analyses by Samuel Muehlemann & Stefan C Wolter Chapters 0:00 - Intro 3:35 - Swiss Apprenticeship 101 6:56 - Path Selection and Funding 13:46 - The Status of Apprenticeship in Switzerland 18:58 - Borrowing Across Borders 25:15 - The ROI to Employers 29:47 - Evaluating Indiana’s Apprenticeship Model 33:45 - Imbuing Prestige in American Apprenticeship 38:49 - Striking the Balance 43:01 - The Influence of Accountability…

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Building an AI-Ready College 36:58

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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 - Intro 1:40 - Campus-Wide AI Strategy 6:02 - Skills in the Age of AI 9:52 - AI Policy and Faculty Training 11:49 - The Dislocation of Entry Level Jobs 15:33 - Teaching AI 18:39 - Mounting the Liberal Arts Comeback 21:25 - The Future of Academic Research 24:37 - Building Access through Partnership 31:12 - Questionable Assumptions 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 YouTube Threads Instagram Facebook LinkedIn 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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A Midwest Merger: How Two Ohio Colleges Are Coming Together 42:41

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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 Mention Strategic Mergers in Higher Education by Ricardo Azziz et al. Chapters 0:00 - Introduction 01:32 - Future U’s Coverage of M&A 03:26 - A Merger in Northwest Ohio 04:44 - Pursuing a Partnership 08:29 - Finding the Right Fit 10:45 - The Challenging Federal Approval Process 16:21 - Managing Stakeholder Communications 22:09 - Lessons Learned 27:04 - The Leadership Characteristics Required 30:46 - The Timeline of Mergers 39:03 - Managing the Emotional Element 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 YouTube Threads Instagram Facebook LinkedIn 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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Accepted without Applying: The Growth of Direct Admissions 40:58

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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. Chapters 0:00 Intro 02:26 - The Backstory on Direct Admissions 06:35 - How Niche Direct Admissions Works 09:09 - The Benefit to Students and Institutions 11:29 - Another Application Count Booster? 14:25 - Obstacle or Litmus Test? 15:56 - Changing Dynamics 19:40 - The Competitive Landscape 20:41 - What’s Next? 25:38 - The Three Parts of Admissions 30:23 - Weighing the Pros and Cons of Direct Admissions 36:26 - Reimagining the College Admissions Process 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 YouTube Threads Instagram Facebook LinkedIn 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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The Lost Boys of Higher Ed 50:42

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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 Share Of Boys and Men:Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What To Do About It by Richard Reeves https://www.menincollege.com American Institute for Boys and Men Chapters 00:00 - Intro 04:15 - Where We Are (and Aren't) Seeing the Gender Divide 05:56 - Designing College with The Modern Young Man in Mind 12:28 - Drivers of the Higher Ed Gender Divide 16:30 - The Effects of the Pandemic 19:41 - The Larger Significance of the Problem 26:50 - Opting Out of Adulting 31:52 - Masculinity and Majors 34:22 - K12 Solutions: Nobody's Fault, Everyone's Responsibility 37:32 - What Higher Ed Can Do 41:47 - International Parallels 44:38 - Rebalancing Education Systems 49:06 - Zero-Sum Game or Growing the Pie?…

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A New Era for Higher Ed? 36:54

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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 Chapters 0:00 - Intro 01:49 - A Year of Reckoning for Higher Ed 09:57 - The Changes Needed 16:51 - Quick Hits: Athletes as Employees, Hostile Competition, and More 26:37 - Expanding Research Outside of Academia 30:58 - Shortening Degree Programs…

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Making "Job Moves" 41:06

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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 Mention Job Moves: 9 Steps for Making Progress in Your Career Career and Technical Education for All by Michael B. Horn and Daniel Curtis, Education Next Chapters 0:00 - Intro 02:40 - Job Moves in a Nutshell 04:02 - How Job Moves Applies to Colleges 07:17 - Balancing Skills Development Against Credentials 09:26 - Helping Students Make More Informed Choices 16:16 - Next Steps for Higher Ed 22:43 - Michael's Process for Writing a Book 26:55 - Making the Time to Write 29:53 - Planner or Plunger? 32:36 - Working with a Publisher 35:49 - The Hard Part that No One Talks About 38:32 - Where to Find More on Job Moves…

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The Resiliency of Remedial Education 37:22

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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 Share Incomplete: The Unfinished Revolution in College Remedial Education by Anne Kim, FutureEd Student Success 2.0, Future U . The New Student Ready College, Future U Chapters 0:00 - Intro 02:49 - Remedial Education in Context 07:26 - Calls for Change 11:29 - A Wave of Reform 14:53 - Progress Stalls 16:59 - Recommendations for a Reform Rebound 19:33 - Responding to Criticisms of Remedial Ed 24:58 - A New System with More Options 31:00 - Correcting a Broken Business Model…

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Chips and Higher Ed: What the Federal Investment Means for Colleges 20:56

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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 .…

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Developing a Tech Mindset at the Leadership Table 44:24

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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. Chapters 0:00 - Intro 5:49 - IT Then and Now 9:02 - 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…

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How One Regional University Is Growing 53:26

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