Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed

Resist or Reform? Vanderbilt’s Chancellor Speaks Out

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Should colleges actively resist the Trump administration or find ways to engage and compromise? Vanderbilt University’s chancellor, Daniel Diermeier...

Takeaways from 2025 and Predictions for Next Year

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the year comes to a close, Jeff and Michael step back to review some themes from recent episodes. They home in on how to build innovative campus cu...

Rerun: Visiting Bowie State University: HBCUs, Employer Partnerships, and Student Engagement

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On the latest stop of Future U.'s campus tour, hosts Michael Horn and Jeff Selingo visit Bowie State University to speak with President Aminta Breaux,...

Navigating a Merger as a College Trustee

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Marymount Manhattan College’s board of trustees decided last year to merge with Northeastern University, becoming a part of that Boston-based u...

Preparing Students for an AI-Infused Workforce

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode recorded live at Adobe’s EduMAX conference, Jeff and Michael explore practical ways to harness AI in higher education to pre...

How States Can Meet the Moment In Higher Ed

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this time of uncertainty and pullback of federal support for higher education, is it time for states to step up and play a greater leadership role ...

Visiting Butler: Sparking a Culture of Innovation

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On the latest stop of Future U.'s campus tour, Michael and Jeff visit Butler University to talk with Butler president Jim Danko and other campus leade...

The Impact of AI on Student Motivation

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can AI be adopted in a way that turns more students into “explorers” rather than “passengers” in their learning? This week we bring you a ...

How AI Could Reshape Higher Ed

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Parents and prospective students want to know how colleges are responding to the rise of generative AI — and to other recent developments like feder...

Why a University Proactively Sought a Merger

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mergers and acquisitions are usually seen as bad things in higher ed. But there’s a growing sense that many colleges could benefit by teaming up, es...

Reporters Roundtable: How Trump Is Shaking Up Higher Ed

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’re bringing back a favorite format to go behind the headlines with top beat reporters covering colleges. Our latest roundtable focuses on how the...

Redefining the ‘Dream School’

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this era of uncertainty, many parents view highly-selective colleges as the best bet for their student’s futures. In his new book just out this m...

No Relaxing Summer for Higher Ed

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This summer brought no rest for college leaders. With the Trump Administration’s continuing push to reshape the college world, plus lots of announce...

Rerun: Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige?

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Michael are joined by Mushtaq Gunja, Executive Director of the Carnegie Classification Systems and Senior Vice President at ACE, to unpack th...

Rerun: Learning from the Swiss Apprenticeship Model

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. has a lot to learn when it comes to systematizing apprenticeship. Thankfully, there are successful international models, like Switzerland’s...

Rerun: Chips and Higher Ed: What the Federal Investment Means for Colleges

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does a community college in Idaho have to do with mounting economic tensions between the U.S. and China? A lot, actually. On this episode of Fut...

AI in the Workplace: Michael Horn Hosts WGU's Future of Work Panel

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this special bonus episode of Future U, Michael Horn moderates a panel discussion on the future of work and learning in the age of AI. Recorded at ...

Rerun: The New Student-Ready College

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While college-going rates have increased over recent decades, completion rates have hardly budged. On this episode, Michael and Jeff sit down with one...

Rerun: Higher Ed 101: College Budgets Explained

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As colleges navigate increasing financial pressure, many struggle to balance mission with sustainability. In this episode, Jeff and Michael welcome R...

Rerun - The Lost Boys of Higher Ed

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We revisit one of the most impactful episodes from season 8, The Lost Boys of Higher Ed. Women have outnumbered men on college campuses for decades, b...

Season 8 Wrap Up: Looking Back and Ahead

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Michael conclude the eighth season of Future U. with a one-on-one discussion of the lessons and themes from this year’s conversations. They...

Former Governor Dishes on Connecting Work and College

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift joins Jeff and Michael to explore how to rebuild the broken college-to-career pipeline. Now ...

Higher Ed on the Hill: Getting College Back on the Congressional Agenda

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With higher education policy increasingly driven by executive action, Michael and Jeff explore why Congress has been largely absent from the conversat...

Live from Milken: Hurdles and Hopes in Higher Education

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a special episode recorded at the Milken Global Institute, Jeff moderates a wide-ranging panel with higher education leaders including the presiden...

Live from Milken: One-on-One with Bill Ackman

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this second part from the Milken Global Institute, Jeff Selingo engages in a provocative conversation with investor and Harvard critic Bill Ackman....

Making Sense of the First 100 Days

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode, recorded live at the ASU+GSV Summit, hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn dive into the rapidly evolving higher ed landscape i...

Reporter’s Roundtable: A Quarter Century of Higher Ed Controversies

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a special crossover episode, Michael and Jeff are joined by Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Jack Stripling to discuss a recent piece by the ...

Building an Apprenticeship System in Indiana: How the Hoosier State is Adapting the Swiss Model

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In part two of their series on apprenticeships, Jeff talks with Claire Fiddian-Green, president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, about ...

Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige?

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Michael are joined by Mushtaq Gunja, Executive Director of the Carnegie Classification Systems and Senior Vice President at ACE, to unpack th...

Higher Ed 101: College Budgets Explained

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As colleges navigate increasing financial pressure, many struggle to balance mission with sustainability. In this  episode, Jeff and Michael welcome ...

Learning from the Swiss Apprenticeship Model

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. has a lot to learn when it comes to systematizing apprenticeship. Thankfully, there are successful international models, like Switzerland’s...

Building an AI-Ready College

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI is evolving at a rapid rate, and its implications for higher ed are changing in lock step. So, Michael and Jeff dove back into the topic at the Goo...

A Midwest Merger: How Two Ohio Colleges Are Coming Together

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mergers aren’t easy. They demand careful analysis, difficult decisions, and tricky stakeholder management. But they are becoming increasingly necess...

Accepted without Applying: The Growth of Direct Admissions

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This year, thousands of students will be accepted to colleges without ever submitting a formal application. That’s because more and more schools are...

The Lost Boys of Higher Ed

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Women have outnumbered men on college campuses for decades, but the divergence in postsecondary success has widened in recent years, and it is both a ...

A New Era for Higher Ed?

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At the turn of the new year, Jeff and Michael dive into the predictions and trends set to shape the landscape of higher education in 2025. They discus...

Making "Job Moves"

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, Jeff sits down with one of the authors of Job Moves: 9 Steps To Making Progress in Your Career, Future U.’s very own Michael B. Hor...

The Resiliency of Remedial Education

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

More than a decade ago, a wave of research pointing to the inefficacy of remedial education was followed by a massive investment in rethinking how we ...

Chips and Higher Ed: What the Federal Investment Means for Colleges

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What does a community college in Idaho have to do with mounting economic tensions between the U.S. and China? A lot, actually. On this episode of Fut...

Developing a Tech Mindset at the Leadership Table

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Technology is an increasingly important element of everything that colleges do, yet it remains a distinct and separate function at too many schools. J...

How One Regional University Is Growing

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Regional public universities have been hit harder than most colleges by recent enrollment decreases. On this episode, Michael and Jeff sit down with P...

The New Student-Ready College

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While college-going rates have increased over recent decades, completion rates have hardly budged. On this episode, Michael and Jeff sit down with one...

Visiting Western Governors University: Growing and Evolving Pathways for Educating Teachers

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of the Future U. Campus Tour, Michael and Jeff sit down with leaders from Western Governors University to learn about innovations arou...

Cutting College Costs, Board Tensions, & Consultant-mania

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, Michael and Jeff riff through a range of topics. Among them: how no constituency is actually in favor of cost cutting on college camp...

The Seismic Impact of College Athletics

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The impact of college athletics is felt throughout institutions, but too often sports are considered separate from the rest of higher ed. On this epis...

AI Goes to College: In the Classroom and Beyond

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Much of the buzz around artificial intelligence centers on its potential to transform the college of tomorrow, but there are many schools making meani...

Searching for Fit: The Impacts of AI in Higher Ed

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, Jeff and Michael tackle the question everyone is asking: how will AI transform higher ed? For help in finding the answer, they turn t...

So Long, Summer: We're Back

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To kick off Season 8, Michael and Jeff break down the summer’s higher ed headlines. They discuss this year’s FAFSA rollout, recent campus protest ...

Rerun: The Wild West of Dual Enrollment: Its Growth, Benefits, and Drawbacks

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jeff and Michael dive into the complex world of dual enrollment, examining its rapid growth, potential benefits, and emerging challen...

What's Next for Skills-Based Hiring

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode, Jeff engages in a lively conversation with Tina Gridiron of ACT and Kennon Harrison of ETS about the future of skills-base...

Rerun: The Future of the Ph.D.

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Rerun: How Small Schools Can Thrive As Higher Ed Changes

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this rerun from episode 150, Jeff Selingo welcomes Lynn Perry Wooten, President of Simmons University, for a conversation on the unique position of...

Rerun: The Role of Higher Ed in the American Dream

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New York Times columnist and author David Leonhardt discusses his new book, “Ours Was The Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream." In his c...

Rerun: Leveraging Apprenticeship to Bolster the Rural Talent Pipeline

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In too many rural areas, workers lack access to affordable training pathways to high-quality jobs. Jeff and Michael sit down with Mallory Dwinal-Palis...

Rerun: The Future of Online Ed

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Michael are joined by the CEOs of Academic Partnerships, Fernando Bleichmar, and Coursera, Jeff Maggioncalda, to talk about the future of onl...

Season 7 Wrap Up

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this season 7 wrap-up episode of Future U., Jeff and Michael go to a rapid-fire format and break down six topics in higher education: recent enroll...

The Competency-Based Approach to Validating Learning in Higher Ed

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Learning is at the heart of higher ed’s purpose, but how many institutions have a strong sense of the skills and knowledge students are gaining? On ...

On the Board: The Role of Trustees in Higher Ed

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Boards of Trustees are the principal governing bodies of higher ed institutions, but they can also be the furthest from their day-to-day operations. S...

When College is About the Job

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There has been an exodus from higher ed - that much is understood. But what's causing it and what can we do to ensure students are still accessing pat...

Measuring the True Value of Community Colleges

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Michael examine the complex world of community colleges and challenge traditional notions of success. Drawing from recent research by Strada ...

Fighting for Free Speech on Campus

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this thought-provoking episode of Future U., we sit down with Greg Lukianoff, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Express...

The Wild West of Dual Enrollment: Its Growth, Benefits, and Drawbacks

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jeff and Michael dive into the complex world of dual enrollment, examining its rapid growth, potential benefits, and emerging challen...

Apprenticeship in America: Rethinking the Role of Community Colleges

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

More and more business leaders, policy makers, and educators are looking to apprenticeships to prepare the American workforce for in-demand careers. T...

The Simplified FAFSA’s Complicated Rollout

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Testing, Athlete Labor & the FAFSA

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Future of the Ph.D.

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

“College Unbound” from the Traditional Model

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last season, Jeff and Michael explored the reinstatement of the Pell Grant for incarcerated learners. The question now is what’s next for these lear...

Reporters Roundtable: Enrollment, Loan Forgiveness, & FAFSA Simplified

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 headl...

Student Success 2.0

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How do you engage learners in the post-pandemic age? Hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn are joined by Carrie Bartek, from Wake Technical Community Co...

How Small Schools Can Thrive As Higher Ed Changes

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To kick off the new year, host Jeff Selingo welcomes Lynn Perry Wooten, President of Simmons University, for a conversation on the unique position of ...

Season 7 Midterm Report

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn wrap up 2023 by discussing some headlines in higher ed, including the reaction on campuses to the Israel-Hamas War...

The Role of Higher Ed in the American Dream

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

New York Times columnist and author David Leonhardt discusses his new book, “Ours Was The Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream." In his c...

Visiting Michigan: Balancing Local Impact with Global Reach

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn take their conversation on the road with another stop on the Future U. Campus Tour, this time visiting the University of...

Leveraging Apprenticeships to Bolster the Rural Talent Pipeline: Part 2

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of our conversation with Mallory Dwinal-Palisch, Chancellor of Reach University, we discuss why their model of the apprenticeship teacher i...

Leveraging Apprenticeships to Bolster the Rural Talent Pipeline: Part 1

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In too many rural areas, workers lack access to affordable training pathways to high-quality jobs. Jeff and Michael sit down with Mallory Dwinal-Palis...

How Colleges Can Cultivate Relationships to Improve the Student Experience

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author Ana Homayoun joins hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn to discuss her new book "Erasing the Finish Line: The New Blueprint for Success Beyond G...

Future of Online Ed

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Michael are joined by the CEOs of Academic Partnerships, Fernando Bleichmar, and Coursera, Jeff Maggioncalda, to talk about the future of onl...

Deep into Data Analytics

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn delve into the world of data analytics, as they discuss the evolution of data science needs acros...

Community Colleges, the Value of Degrees, and Changes in Admissions

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn review  recent headlines around higher ed before they speak in person to a community college board at a retreat in Sun ...

Building Resilience in Students, Deliberately

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts Jeff and Michael are joined by President Jim Gash of Pepperdine University to discuss student resilience and mental health and Pepperdine’s at...

Demise of Pac-12, Campus Spending, and DeSantis at Yale

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this Season 7 kickoff episode, Jeff and Michael discuss a wide array of headlines from the summer that have long-term impacts on higher education.K...

Promoting Belonging in Diverse Classrooms

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of the Future U Podcast, hosts Michael Horn and Jeff Selingo engage in a lively conversation with faculty members Crystal Whit...

Season 6: Final Report

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff and Michael look back on Season 6 and the stories they’ve covered, from college rankings and affirmative action to religion and student mental ...

Visiting Marymount: Liberal Arts Education and What Really Prepares Students for the Future

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On the Marymount University campus, Michael speaks with University President Irma Becerra about the university's decision to incorporate the liberal a...

Higher Ed 101: Accreditation Explained

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Far too often, individuals in higher education don't understand the nuances of how accreditors operate and the role they play in supporting—or const...

Religion and Higher Education

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Even as higher education in America has its roots in religion, over the centuries it's drifted away from those beginnings. And yet, as our guest infor...

Learner Mobility and Transfer in Higher Ed

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a discussion with George Mason University president Dr. Gregory Washington, Jeff and Michael delve into a few ways to get to and through college: p...

Future U Live from NAIS

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At the recent National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) annual meeting, Debra Wilson, the incoming president of the NAIS, flips the script an...

Do College Rankings Matter and is a Bachelor’s Degree Even Worth It?

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s often a forgone conclusion that you should not only go to a four-year college, but also that the better the university’s ranking, the better ...

A Look Back at Governor Jeb Bush’s Florida Higher Ed Policies

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

With Florida politics and the current governor’s recent moves in higher ed attracting so much attention, we caught up with former Florida Governor J...

What We're Missing When It Comes to Colleges and AI

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As Chat GPT and other AI tools have garnered immense interest in the last few months, people have begun to wonder how these tools will impact higher e...

Acronyms Galore: TPS, OPM, and K12 ESAs

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The role of Online Program Managers (OPMs) in the recruitment of students for online university programs has been a controversial issue, and one that ...

Higher Ed’s Role in Growing Rural Economies

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The digital economy has been driving job growth across the country for much of the last decade-plus. But nearly all of those jobs, no matter the indus...

The Affirmative Action Conversation Colleges Should Be Having

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As the Supreme Court prepares to rule on affirmative action yet again, the president of James Madison University, who played a key role as a lawyer in...

Will the Teens Be OK?

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

New CDC data show that more than half of teenaged girls in the U.S. felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, but it's not just girls who are struggl...

A Looming Wave of Mergers and Acquisitions

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic didn’t bring the wave of mergers and acquisitions that many in higher ed expected. Michael and Jeff talk with the head of Northeastern ...

Short, Affordable Alternatives to College

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Historically, rapid technological change sidelines unskilled or under-skilled workers.  Michael and Jeff talk to the leaders of Merit America and the...

Reporters' Roundtable: Florida, Amenities U. and the Future of the BA.

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Back by popular demand: Reporters' Roundtable. Pam Kelley on how a motivational speaker and businessman turned around High Point University; Emma Pett...

Great Resignation in Higher Ed

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A record 50.5 million Americans quit their jobs in 2022. Most left for offers of higher pay or the ability to work remotely. Higher Ed isn’t immune....

Re-engaging Students after Covid

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Three years after the start of the pandemic, professors still report a disconcerting level of disconnection among students even as campuses return to ...