Trusted Voices S3. Ep.12 - Will This Dumpster Fire Burn Itself Out?
May 7, 2025
Ted Mitchell, President of the American Council on Education, shares his insights on the current turmoil in higher education. He tackles serious issues like funding cuts, misinformation, and policy uncertainty. Mitchell emphasizes the crucial role of community colleges and regional campuses often overlooked in the broader conversation. He discusses the need for grassroots advocacy and fosters communication between educational institutions and lawmakers. The conversation balances the urgent challenges with a hopeful perspective on collaboration and reform.
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Planning Is Hobbled By Constant Federal Flux
- Ted Mitchell says the current federal environment makes planning nearly impossible because rules and signals change daily.
- He urges restraint: don’t overreact to gray policy language and wait for concrete changes before rewriting operations.
Protests Exposed Internal Weaknesses
- The 2023 protests revealed internal institutional weaknesses and amplified external critiques about higher education.
- That moment exposed gaps in inclusion, completion, and transfer systems that critics now seize on.
Mobile Clinics Lost To Research Cuts
- Mitchell relays Southern University's mobile medical/dental clinic story to show research cuts' direct local harms.
- He warns policy moves that punish institutions can simultaneously punish vulnerable community residents.
