dotEDU: Higher Education Policy Explained

In a special episode, Fred Lawrence, secretary and CEO of Phi Beta Kappa, returns to dotEDU to help explain how tensions between free speech and campus safety can lead to the unrest happening at some campuses in response to the war in Gaza. He also addresses how campus communities of different viewpoints can and should move forward to address conflicts before crises start. Tweet suggestions, links...

In this episode, ACE hosts Jon and Sarah, alongside special guests Lev Gonick, chief information officer of Arizona State University, and ACE's Derrick Anderson, delve into the dynamic world of generative AI in higher education. They unpack its benefits, from personalized learning to groundbreaking research, while candidly discussing the challenges, including ethical considerations, implementation...

With Congress back from spring break, Jon and Sarah look at what's on the agenda in DC, including a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing on "FAFSA Fail," President Biden's newly unveiled student loan forgiveness plan, and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona's testimony on Biden's education budget request. They also preview the latest House hearing on antisemitism, which focused on Co...

Hosts Jon and Mushtaq are joined by ACE President Ted Mitchell to examine the complexities of college admissions in 2024. They discuss the potentially devastating impacts of the problems with the redesigned FAFSA form, reflect on the repercussions of the 2023 Supreme Court ruling on race in admissions, and examine the issues surrounding legacy admissions and the resurgence of standardized testing...

ACE's Steven Bloom, assistant vice president of government relations, joins hosts Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer to explore the complicated relationship between student-athletes and unions. They also talk about efforts to get Congress focused on addressing the growing student mental health crisis on college campuses. Plus, they look at Congress' federal spending bill for FY 2024 and what it mean...

Hosts Jon and Mushtaq are joined by special repeat guest Justin Draeger, president and CEO of NASFAA, to talk about the Education Department's flawed rollout of the new FAFSA form and the implications for students and colleges as well as what happens next. They also dive into the proposed legislation that would extend Pell Grants to short-term career training programs.   Tweet suggestions, links,...

ACE's Emmanual Guillory, senior director of government relations, joins hosts Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer to talk about the College Cost Reduction Act—the new Higher Education Act reauthorization bill from House Republicans—as well as the status of funding the federal government for FY 2024 and the latest on the Department of Education's problematic FAFSA rollout. Tweet suggestions, links, an...

Nicholas Dirks joins Jon, Sarah, and Mushtaq to discuss his new book City of Intellect and his time as chancellor of University of California, Berkeley. Dirks offers insights on critical campus issues like working with state governments and balancing free speech with safety. The hosts kick off the episode with an update on the problems with the Education Department's new FAFSA form.  Tweet suggest...

In the first dotEDU Live of 2024, hosts Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer discuss how the 2024 presidential election might impact higher education. They also delve into problems with the new FAFSA, the latest House Higher Education Act reauthorization bill, short-term Pell, and more.   Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to  @ACEducation or podcast@acenet.edu .  Here are some of the links and r...

As higher education enters the new year under heightened scrutiny from legislators, campuses are getting back to business. Jon, Sarah, and Mushtaq are thrilled to speak with ACE Board member and American University President Sylvia Burwell as she prepares to finish out her final year at the helm of the Washington, DC, campus. She talks about the challenges she faced during her tenure and what she...

In the final episode of the year, hosts Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer discuss the top higher education issues of 2023. The overarching theme is working through the chaos in Washington, and the lineup includes student loan forgiveness, the Supreme Court ' s decision on race in admissions, institutional accountability, the uptick in international students, and more. Tweet suggestions, links, and...

Jon, Sarah, and Mushtaq are thrilled to mark the 100th episode milestone of dotEDU! Also, ACE President Ted Mitchell joins Mushtaq and Jon to dive into the upcoming changes to the renowned Carnegie Classifications along with Timothy Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or podcast@acenet.edu . Here are...

Hosts Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer are joined by their ACE colleague Steven Bloom to discuss how the never-ending threats of a government shutdown are impacting funding legislation for higher education. They look at the Education Department's proposed timeline for the new FAFSA and what's left for Congress to deal with after the Thanksgiving holiday, and Steven shares insight into the Departme...

Cynthia Teniente-Matson, president of San José State University, joins the podcast to talk about her first year at the California campus in the heart of Silicon Valley, particularly how to create equitable spaces at public institutions. But first, ACE President Ted Mitchell talks about campus protests over the war in Israel and Gaza and how presidents are responding. Tweet suggestions, links, and...

Hosts Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer discuss the House speaker race and its implications for the packed agenda—such as the ongoing spending battle—in Congress, as well as its impact on the Biden administration. Then Heidi Tseu, ACE's newly appointed assistant vice president of national engagement, drops by to talk about the increased scrutiny higher education is facing at the state level.   Here...

Scott Jaschik, formerly of Inside Higher Ed , joins the podcast to talk about what he sees as the top 10 leading trends shaping higher education this year and his predictions for what's ahead. But first, the hosts dive into the chaos happening in Congress this week, as the House tries to carry on without a Speaker while facing a looming shutdown. They also look at what the new gainful employment r...

A government shutdown is looming on the horizon, and ACE's Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer are back to answer your questions and break down what this means for the higher education community, as well as other issues on this fall's policy agenda.  Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or podcast@acenet.edu . Here are some of the links and references from this week's show: Democra...

Hosts Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer are once again joined by Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, to talk about what is happening on campuses in terms of financial aid now that the Supreme Court has struck down race-conscious admissions and the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan in back-to-back rulings. Tweet su...

The U.S. Supreme Court has released its long-awaited decision in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill , striking down colleges' use of race-conscious admissions nationwide. Madelyn Wessel, senior counsel at Hogan Lovells, and Peter McDonough, vice president and general counsel at ACE, join Mushtaq Gunja to offer initial thoughts about...

The impact of years of COVID-19 pandemic learning disruptions is coming into focus, and the picture is not good. To address the challenges P-12 students face, the Biden administration launched the National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS) in July 2022 and followed up last month with a call for colleges and universities to partner with their local school systems to help. The NPSS's Mariko Yos...

Hosts Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer are joined by Emmanual Guillory, ACE's newest government relations staffer, to discuss the ongoing saga of the Education Department's gainful employment rules. They open the show with a brief chat about how the debt ceiling bill will impact higher education funding, student loans, and more. Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or podcast@ac...

Kelly Damphousse was a Canadian with dreams of playing in the NHL, who then became a correctional officer—four-year college was never part of the original plan. Now he's president of one of the largest universities in Texas. In this episode, he explains how he plans to take Texas State University to the next level of research excellence and explores why new funding for higher education can help ra...

The American College President: 2023 Edition reveals that presidents of color make up a little more than one out of every four college and university leaders. While the undergraduate student population continues to diversify, people of color remain underrepresented in the presidency. Recorded live at the American Council on Education's recent annual meeting, this episode features Bill Pink, presid...

With the deadline to raise the federal debt ceiling fast approaching, Jon Fansmith and Sarah Spreitzer explain why the outcome matters to higher ed, including how it will impact budget proposals over the next few months. They also give updates on third-party servicer guidance, answer questions about Title IX regulations, and more. Tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @ACEducation or podcast@...

Recorded live at the American Council on Education's recent annual meeting, this is the first of two episodes unpacking results from ACE's new report, The American College President: 2023 Edition. Pamela Eddy and Kenya Ayers-Palmore discuss the different pathways men and women take to the college presidency and what the higher education community can do to promote more women campus leaders. Eddy i...