Jeff and Michael examine the complex world of community colleges and challenge traditional notions of success. Drawing from recent research by Strada Education Foundation, they explore the multifaceted roles these institutions play in students' lives and the importance of looking beyond degree completion rates to assess their true value. With insights from Strada’s Senior Vice President, Dave Clayton, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the value of community colleges and their vital role in empowering students personally and economically in the 21st century. This episode is made with s ..read more

In this thought-provoking episode of Future U., we sit down with Greg Lukianoff, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and co-author of the bestselling book "The Coddling of the American Mind," as well as the new book, "The Canceling of the American Mind." Lukianoff shares his insights on the state of free speech on college campuses and examines the rise of cancel culture, the debate over the limits of free expression, and the potential double standards in how universities approach these issues. He argues that certain campus trends, such as "safetyism ..read more

Key Moments (0:00) - Intro (4:02) - Dual enrollment programs and their benefits (12:48) - Dual enrollment sustainability and transferability of credits (16:51) - Dual enrollment programs and their effectiveness in higher education (21:44) - Improving dual enrollment programs for underrepresented students (27:34) - Dual enrollment courses and their impact on college readiness (33:21) - Dual enrollment courses' rigor and value (37:50) - Dual enrollment courses and their impact on higher education Connect with Michael Horn: Sign Up for the The Future of Education Newsletter Website LinkedIn X (Tw ..read more

More and more business leaders, policy makers, and educators are looking to apprenticeships to prepare the American workforce for in-demand careers. The US system leans on its community colleges to facilitate these programs, but they have not always been the most effective quarterbacks.  On this episode, we hear from two innovators helping community colleges better play their lead role in growing apprenticeship in America. We spoke with Mtichell Harp, Dean of Apprenticeship Programs at Trident Technical College, about the keys to his school’s thriving program. We also sat down with Pierre ..read more

Michael and Jeff go deep on the revised FAFSA and the challenges encountered in its rollout. They sat down with Andrew LaCasse, who helped develop the simplified FAFSA in his former role as a senior education policy advisor on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, to learn about the back-story behind the legislation and its underlying policy goals. They also spoke with John Marshall, President of Colorado Mesa University, about how they are supporting students through the delay and confusion caused by the FAFSA’s rocky rollout. The episode is sponsored by the Bill and ..read more

Jeff and Michael dive into the higher ed acronyms that have been in the headlines these past few weeks: SAT/ACT, NLRB, and FAFSA. What's next for test-optional after announcements from Dartmouth and Yale; what does it mean that the Dartmouth men's basketball team is trying to unionize; and what will the impact be of the difficult FAFSA rollout. This episode is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ascendium Education Group. Key Moments (0:00) - Introduction (3:21) - Test-optional admissions and its impact on students and institutions (8:45) - AI in admissions (13:45) - Colle ..read more

Hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn are joined by Dr. Len Cassuto, an author and professor at Fordham University, and focus their conversation on the role of PhD students and what the challenges in that part of academia might mean for higher ed. They dive into the subjects that Len explores in his new book, The New PhD: How to Build a Better Graduate Education, such as the changes that should be made to better prepare PhD students for their careers, and how universities might be exploiting free labor from students under the guise of an academic apprenticeship. The episode is sponsored by the B ..read more

Hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn are joined by Dr. Len Cassuto, an author and professor at Fordham University, and focus their conversation on the role of PhD students and what the challenges in that part of academia might mean for higher ed. They dive into the subjects that Len explores in his new book, The New PhD: How to Build a Better Graduate Education, such as the changes that should be made to better prepare PhD students for their careers, and how universities might be exploiting free labor from students under the guise of an academic apprenticeship. The episode is sponsored by the B ..read more

Last season, Jeff and Michael explored the reinstatement of the Pell Grant for incarcerated learners. The question now is what’s next for these learners and where can they actually get to use their federal funds? In this episode, Jeff and Michael look at the innovative College Unbound model with co-founder and president Adam Bush and Jose Rodriguez, the assistant vice president for community and belonging. College Unbound is an accredited college with a single degree and a model that allows learning to happen wherever it happens, in kitchens or even in prisons. The episode is sponsored by Asce ..read more

The Hechinger Report’s Jon Marcus and Chris Quintana of USA Today join hosts Jeff and Michael for a roundtable discussion to talk about recent headlines in higher ed. Jon discusses the impact of lower birth rates in Japan on university enrollment, while Chris dives into the current state of the Biden Administration’s student loan debt repayment plans. Other topics include efforts by universities to articulate the value of higher ed, the rollout of the simplified FAFSA, and culture wars on campus. The episode is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ascendium Education Group ..read more