Higher Ed Spotlight

With traditional higher ed getting more scrutiny than ever in 2025, Kathleen deLaski, author of "Who Needs College Anymore?", wants us to think much more expansively about exactly how we define college. Her goal? To make it more relevant, and more accessible, to more people. Kathleen, a former TV correspondent and founder of the influential Education Design Lab, explains that she used to be on the...

The global race for technological dominance is transforming how nations approach education and workforce development. In the U.S., the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act is a multibillion-dollar initiative to boost semiconductor manufacturing, counter China's influence, and drive economic growth. But what does this legislation mean for college students, higher education and workforce training? In th...

Two-thirds of future jobs are projected to require post-secondary credentials, but too few workers hold them. Western Governors University President Scott Pulsipher explains how WGU is tackling this challenge with a new approach to higher education. Its innovative competency-based education model allows students to earn college degrees for skills they've already mastered, fast-tracking their prepa...

The troubled launch of what was supposed to be a new and improved Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, has created frustration for students and parents. The widespread delays have left students uncertain about the future of their education and sparked headlines nationwide. In this episode, Ben sits down with Harvard professor and financial aid expert Susan Dynarski to unpack the FAF...

In this episode of Higher Ed Spotlight, we speak with Nicholas Lemann, professor of journalism at Columbia University, about his latest book, Higher Admissions: The Rise, Decline, and Return of Standardized Testing. Twenty-five years after his seminal work, The Big Test, Lemann revisits the role of standardized testing in college admissions during a pivotal moment in higher education.  With debate...

In this episode, John B. King, Jr., Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY) and former U.S. Secretary of Education, explores the pivotal role public universities play in promoting student success and advancing equity in higher education. He discusses SUNY's commitment to affordable education that opens doors to social mobility and economic advancement, particularly for low-income stu...

In this episode, Dan Porterfield, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute and author of Mindset Matters, explains how fostering a growth mindset can unlock new learning and drive student success, empowering learners helping them to thrive in a world increasingly shaped by AI. He shares powerful insights from his years as an educator and mentor, introducing different kinds of student mindsets like...

As the job market evolves at lightning speed, the conversation around skills, degrees, and higher education's role in preparing college students with both - has never been more critical. In this episode, Matt Sigelman, President of the Burning Glass Institute, explains degree inflation—the trend of requiring college degrees for jobs that previously didn't need them. He explores why, despite the bu...

Back to School, Back to Standoffs? CDI's Mission for Civil Discourse on College Campuses. As the back to school season begins, fostering real dialogue amongst students, faculty, and the broader community on college campuses has never been more urgent. In this episode, we spotlight the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) and its mission to promote civil discourse in higher education.  Our guest,...

Today we explore the hidden struggles faced by low-income students at elite colleges, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our guest is Anthony Abraham Jack, author of "The Privileged Poor," who sheds light on the often-overlooked challenges these students encounter. Jack's new book, "Class Dismissed," shifts focus to how external inequalities still affect students' college experiences. He argues t...

In a world increasingly dominated by phones and screens, the value of genuine human relationships in education cannot be overstated. We speak with Isis Artze-Vega, the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Valencia College, who is a leading advocate for relationship-rich education and co-author of "Connections are Everything: A College Student's Guide to Relationship-Rich Education."...

On today's episode of Higher Ed Spotlight, we sit down with Tim Renick, executive director of the National Institute for Student Success at Georgia State University. Tim shares how his own journey as a student from a modest background at an elite Ivy League college profoundly shaped his approach to boosting student success at Georgia State.  We explore how the university now has one of the fastest...

This week, we are joined by Ethan Mollick, author of the New York Times bestseller 'Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI'. Ethan introduces the concept behind his book —  co-intelligence — and explains the need for a collaborative relationship between humans and AI in which humans retain firm control over AI systems. He explores the transformative potential of AI across various industries,...

On today's episode of Higher Ed Spotlight, we travel down under in a fascinating conversation with Australian National University's newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Genevieve Bell. We delve into her childhood experiences in Australia's Aboriginal communities, which shaped her journey to a PhD in cultural anthropology at Stanford and then her groundbreaking work at Intel in user experience. Genevie...

Today, we're turning our attention to the world of higher education in California — a state where, in 1960, a master plan for higher ed was released that was hailed as a model for other states. However, six decades later, it may need a critical update to tackle current challenges in access and affordability. Su Jin Jez, CEO of California Competes, joins us to discuss the issues facing California c...

This week we navigate the rocky terrain of the current Canadian higher education landscape with Alex Usher, the president of Higher Education Strategy Associates. The recent decision by the Canadian federal government to impose a cap on international student applications has reverberated across the student body, leading to internal conflicts among Canadian college leaders, including some pretty sp...

Despite some success in American Higher Ed's efforts to increase accessibility to degrees and credentials, completion rates continue to disappoint. With over 40 million Americans in the "some college no degree" population, it's clear that the focus must now shift to supporting higher ed students  - including adult learners - throughout their journey. Courtney Brown, vice president of Impact and Pl...

Welcome back to Higher Ed Spotlight, a podcast that explores the key questions shaping the future of higher education. In our third season, we continue to delve into major debates with the country's leading thinkers, while also expanding our conversations internationally. Our biweekly podcast starts April 09, 2024.    Hosted by veteran journalist and higher education policy expert Ben Wildavsky. S...

In this bonus episode, we turn the tables. Ben Wildavsky discusses his new book, The Career Arts: Making the Most of College, Credentials and Connections. He makes the case for why degrees still matter, despite the popular rhetoric calling for skills-based hiring. Goldie Blumenstyk, a veteran reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education, guest hosts this episode.   Higher Ed Spotlight is sponsor...

Battles over free speech and the boundaries of civility are roiling college campuses. Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway sees these as high stakes issues connected to student learning and their engagement with citizenship and democracy. He and a group of 12 other college leaders are reiterating the importance of free speech, respectful debate, and civility at their institutions.   Higher Ed Spotl...

Sally Kornbluth is the new president of MIT - probably the most prestigious STEM school around. But she also stands up for the arts and the humanities and champions their integration within the sciences. Sally believes that graduating students with great technical skills isn't enough in today's demanding job market, nor will rigid academic silos help us face our most pressing challenges, like clim...

The Biden administration recently urged 16 governors to rectify their state's chronic underfunding of Historically Black Colleges and Universities - HBCUs. That underfunding reached hundreds of millions to, in some cases, billions of dollars. Darrick Hamilton is an Economics Professor and founding director of The New School's Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy. He argues for the proper...

Peter Norvig is a big deal in AI. He's currently at Stanford's Human-Centered AI Institute. But he built his reputation mainly at Google, where he helped shape the most powerful and widely used search engine today. What does an AI expert have to say about higher education's adoption of new technologies, the dangers of AI-assisted cheating, and the bigger question of academia's purpose?   Higher Ed...

Arizona State University President Michael Crow is known as an education innovator and early tech adopter. Most recently, his university turned to Hollywood to revamp its intro biology labs into a full VR experience. How does he navigate the concerns and often reluctance of higher ed to innovate around learning and tech?    Higher Ed Spotlight is sponsored by Chegg's Center for Digital Learning an...

Higher education is in trouble. A declining birthrate means fewer young people applying to college. But what if we did more to cater to older students and not just recent high school grads? Eloy Ortiz Oakley, the President of College Futures Foundation and former head of the California Community Colleges system, has been advocating for higher ed to pay attention to the needs of adult learners for...