Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed No Relaxing Summer for Higher Ed
Sep 2, 2025
College leaders faced a tumultuous summer as the Trump Administration moved to reshape higher education. Key topics include an unprecedented settlement involving Columbia University and a new executive order impacting college admissions. The discussion highlights the financial strains on prestigious institutions and the rising influence of Artificial Intelligence in academia. Additionally, a new ‘lightning round’ segment introduces rapid-fire insights that keep the conversation lively and engaging.
AI Snips
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Transcript
Episode notes
College World Series Emotions
- Jeff and Michael attended the College World Series and witnessed an emotional ninth-inning comeback by LSU.
- They reflected on how college athletics still carry raw emotion despite professionalization.
Behind-The-Scenes Of A Book Launch
- Jeff visited a printing plant and watched his book being printed, meeting long-time press workers who treated printing as a craft.
- He also recorded 22 hours of audio for a nine-hour audiobook and found narration physically tiring and different from podcasting.
Settlements Look Like Ransoms
- Columbia and Brown paid large settlements to unlock federal research funds, creating a pattern of universities paying to resume operations.
- Jeff warns these feel like random bounties that set a risky precedent for federal pressure on universities.
