College Matters from The Chronicle

You may not have heard much about higher education in the presidential campaign, but it’s definitely on the ballot.Related Reading:  Rhetoric and Records Shape the Presidential Race College for All? Not Anymore. Obama’s Legacy: An Unlikely Hawk on Higher Education Guest: Rick Seltzer, senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher EducationFor more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters. We aim to make  transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.

Outside consultants are helping cash-strapped colleges cut majors, like foreign languages, that once seemed essential — and are taking the heat for those unpopular decisions.Related Reading:  When Cost-Cutting Universities Hire Consultants, Who’s Really Making the Decisions?  Is Higher Ed Growing or Shrinking? Gordon Gee’s Last Stand Guest: David Jesse, senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher EducationFor more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters. We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.

As president of the U. of Florida, Ben Sasse, a former U.S. senator, steered millions of dollars toward consultants and hired his Republican allies to serve in lucrative jobs. And he threw some expensive parties.Related Reading: Sasse’s spending spree: Former UF president channeled millions to GOP allies, secretive contracts (The Independent Florida Alligator)  Lavish Catering Under Ex-UF President (Fresh Take Florida)  Ben Sasse Spent Far More Than His Predecessor. Including on These Reports.  Ben Sasse is U. of Florida’s Next President. His Critics are Seeing Red.  Guest: Garrett Shanley, reporter for The Independent Florida Alligator / intern at The Chronicle of Higher EducationFor more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters.

Would big-name universities pay a magazine to write puff pieces about them? You bet.Guest: Francie Diep, senior reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education Related Reading: The Colleges That Pay for Positive Coverage Even for ‘Mad Men’ Obsessives, Higher Ed Marketing Inspires Unease  Welcome to the Sponsored Campus: More parts of the college experience are up for sale than ever before, experts say. For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters.

A feud among three professors inspired a debate over woke politics in academe.Guest: Emma Pettit, senior reporter for The Chronicle of Higher EducationRelated Reading:  When a Department Self-Destructs: Battles over money. Allegations of racism. A chair ousted.  Weird at My School - Aaron Kunin’s newsletter  For more on today's episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters.

The lure of decent-paying jobs available without college degrees has some people rethinking whether college is necessary. The trend has big implications for the workforce, society, and the communities where people live and work.Guest: Eric Kelderman, senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher EducationRelated Reading: The Lure of Work: In Iowa, enrollments are falling as businesses recruit high-school grads. Can colleges come up with a better pitch? College for All? Not Anymore. Democrats have drastically changed their tune on the necessity of a bachelor’s degree. The Public Perception Puzzle: A series by The Chronicle to examine higher ed's public perception problem — and the solutions to it. For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters. 

When protests against the Israel-Hamas war swept across college campuses this past spring, student activists were joined in some cases by their professors. That’s what happened at Indiana University, where state police led a particularly aggressive crackdown on demonstrators. The professors’ reasons for participating were varied and complex, but their decisions point toward a thorny and persistent question: Do faculty members have any business joining student protests?Guest: Kate Hidalgo Bellows, staff reporter at The Chronicle of Higher EducationRelated Reading:  Mideast War, Midwest Crisis: Indiana U. made a series of unpopular decisions. Then it called the police on protesters.  ‘These Terms are Just Absurd’: How One University Disciplined Professors Accused of Assisting an Encampment As an 8-Day Protest Shut Down a University, Administrators and Faculty Sparred Over What to Do Cooley law firm’s review Indiana University’s handling of protests.  For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters.

In this discussion, senior writer Eric Hoover from The Chronicle of Higher Education delves into the chaos surrounding the new FAFSA rollout. He highlights the emotional strain on students and families facing financial aid uncertainties. Hoover explores the alarming drop in FAFSA completion rates, particularly among low-income and mixed-status families. He shares compelling stories, including the struggles of a homeless student desperately seeking support. The conversation raises important questions about equity and trust in higher education amidst this crisis.

Beth McMurtrie is a senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education, known for her insights into education trends. In their discussion, they dive into why Gen Z students struggle with reading endurance and motivation, exacerbated by distractions from social media. Professors express frustration over students' waning engagement with complex texts. The conversation also touches on the pressures of modern education, exploring the need for innovative teaching methods to reconnect students with reading and critical thinking.

Everything happening in the world converges in one place: higher education. College Matters from The Chronicle, coming September 10.