Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed

The 23-campus California State University system was among the first to announce in the spring it would go mostly online for the fall (and eventually for the spring). As a complement to the previous episode where Jeff and Michael talked about what it took to welcome students back to campus, in this episode they talk with the president of Sonoma State University about why the Cal State system made the early call to go online.   Questions? Comments? Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook, or email FutureUpodcast at gmail dot com.

As colleges considered whether to open their campuses to students in-person for the fall, different institutions approached the question from different vantage points. In this episode, Michael and Jeff talk with the president of Boston University, which welcomed students back, to understand what went into that decision and the logistics behind pulling it off. Questions? Comments? Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook, or email FutureUpodcast at gmail dot com.

Emily Oster joins Michael and Jeff as the debate over reopening both K–12 schools and colleges has reached a fever pitch. Oster, a Brown University economist, has been at the forefront of the public conversation about schools and COVID-19. Jeff and Michael asked Oster about the dynamics of being a public intellectual on a university campus and how she deals with criticism. Questions? Comments? Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook, or email FutureUpodcast at gmail dot com.

Regional public universities are the workhorses of the higher ed systems of many states. Overall, the 400-plus regional public universities across the U.S. educate some 40% of all American undergraduates. But often they are stuck in the middle between better known public flagship universities and community colleges. After years of declining state revenues, and in some states declining enrollments, many have arrived at a crossroads. In this episode, Dan Greenstein, the chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, talks about his plan to remake the Pennsylvania system as well as why similar institutions elsewhere need to recapture their affordability edge. Questions? Comments? Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook, or email FutureUpodcast at gmail dot com.

When we think of hybrid education we tend to think of the classroom–a mix between online and face-to-face learning. In this episode, Marni Baker Stein, provost and chief academic officer at Western Governors University talks about how the fast-growing online institution had to rethink all its services and offerings to students in the virtual world, providing a roadmap to traditional institutions in what a hybrid world after Covid-19 might look like. Questions? Comments? Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook, or email FutureUpodcast at gmail dot com.

Southern New Hampshire University has skyrocketed to the top of largest higher education institutions over the past decade, as its president, Paul LeBlanc, has led it through a dramatic transformation. In this episode, LeBlanc talks about the perilous state of higher education, its importance for the nation and world, what Covid-19 and the recession will and won’t accelerate, and how the distinction between learning online and on campus may fade in the years to come. Questions? Comments? Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook, or email FutureUpodcast at gmail dot com.

With international enrollment down sharply, especially in STEM fields, and potential students questioning the worth of mostly online education, how can graduate schools adapt and innovate? We talk to David Poole of the University of Miami College of Engineering and Jillian Baer of Liaison International about graduate admissions in 2020 and beyond. Questions? Comments? Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook, or email FutureUpodcast at gmail dot com.

Jeff and Michael preview Jeff’s new book, Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, which goes on sale September 15. Jeff, who embedded in three different college admissions offices, pulls back the curtain on how admissions decisions get made and discusses how their choices are much more than just GPAs and test scores. Please make sure to order your own copy of Jeff’s book today! https://archive.org/download/episode-64-s-4-e-3/Episode%2064%20%28S4%2C%20E3%29.mp3 Questions? Comments? Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook, or email FutureUpodcast at gmail dot com.

Higher education is now facing another fall of remote learning, just months after many colleges and universities had announced they’d be coming back to campus. Jeff and Michael talk to the president and CFO at one of the first institutions that decided to reverse course, Dickinson College. They also catch up with the College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College. https://archive.org/download/episode-63-s-4-e-2/Episode%2063%20%28S4%2C%20E2%29.mp3 Questions? Comments? Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook, or email FutureUpodcast at gmail dot com.

Is summer over already? Higher ed didn’t have much of a summer break this year, and Michael and Jeff begin the fourth season of FutureU by reviewing the big headlines and talk about the trends that will shape the coming academic year — as well as a preview of Jeff’s new book that will be released in September. https://archive.org/download/episode-62-s-4-e-1/Episode%2062%20%28S4%2C%20E1%29.mp3 Questions? Comments? Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook, or email FutureUpodcast at gmail dot com.