On this episode, Michael and Jeff sit down with leaders from Western Governors University to learn about innovations around the university, with special attention paid to those at WGU’s fast-growing School of Education. They discuss the expansion of work-based learning with President Pulsipher and Provost Hills McBeth, examine the drivers of the Ed. School’s growth with Dean Ludwig Johnson, and hear from a student, Madelyn Hurst, on how the college’s competency-based approach is shaping her teaching. This episode is made with support from Western Governors University.

03:26 - The History and Students of Western Governors University

09:48 - Drivers of WGU’s Growing Programs

16:36 - Expanding Apprenticeship-Based Degrees

20:52 - The Future of the Degree in Skills-Based World

24:10 - How AI Will Change the Work and Learning Landscape

29:47 - The Current State of K-12 Education

33:07 - How WGU has Evolved to Meet Changing Needs of Schools

36:17 - Taking the Long View

38:25 - The Downstream Effects of Competency Based Teacher Education

42:47 - The Growth of WGU’S School of Education

45:05 - How Apprenticeship is Transforming Teacher Education

47:35 - Closing Thoughts

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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 campuses; whether consultants can play any productive role in higher ed; and how Disney’s succession drama holds many lessons for boards of trustees at colleges and universities. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Philanthropy and the Gates Foundation.

Chapters

0:00 - Introduction

3:37 - Lessons for Higher Ed from Disney Succession Drama

08:12 - Boards of Trustees and College Rankings

13:57 - Cutting into the Cost of College

19:18 - Consultants in Higher Ed

23:51 - Professional Networks Built On-Campus

31:30 - The Leaky K-12 to College Pipeline

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The impact of college athletics is felt throughout institutions, but too often sports are considered separate from the rest of higher ed. On this episode, Michael and Jeff connect the dots between recent changes to college athletics and the campus-wide ripple effects they could have. They are joined by Matt Brown, author of the college sports newsletter, Extra Points, to chat NIL (Name, Image, Likeness), the transfer portal, and the implications of the student-athlete employment case. This episode is made with support from the Gates Foundation and Ascendium Education Group.

Extra Points Newsletter by Matt Brown

(0:00) - Introduction
(05:59) - Why College Athletics Impacts All of Higher Ed
(08:16) - The NIL Case
(16:06) - Will Student-Athletes Become University Employees?
(18:36) - The General Manager Role in College Athletics
(23:10) - The Transfer Portal
(27:02) - The Implications for Lower Revenue Sports and Divisions
(33:19) - Conference Realignment
(35:51) - The Intersection of Politics and College Athletics
(40:42) - The Interdependency of Colleges
(47:20) - The Transfer Portal’s Impact on Student Success
(52:45) - Potential Ripple Effects of Student-Athlete Employment Ruling

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Much of the buzz around artificial intelligence centers on its potential to transform the college of tomorrow, but there are many schools making meaningful change with this technology today. On this episode, we go deep on the applications of AI from recruitment to instruction to supporting post-grad success. We sit down Lev Gonick, Chief Information Officer at Arizona State University, and Ashley Budd, Senior Marketing Director at Cornell University, to dig into the ways their colleges are leveraging the power of AI. This episode is made with support from CollegeVine.

0:00 - Intro
01:19 - A Brief Recent History of AI
05:05 - AI Partnerships at ASU
08:29 - An Admonition on Privacy
10:56 - Classroom and Administrative Applications of AI
15:46 - Prioritizing Projects
18:15 - ASU’s Approach to Tech Partnerships
22:35 - AI in the Year Ahead
25:50 - AI’s Impact on Research
30:11 - Diversifying the Project Portfolio
33:55 - AI and Stanford’s Conference Decision
35:27 - AI’s Applications in Recruitment and Admissions
44:06 - Standardizing the Transcript
48:51 - The AI Arms Race
54:20 - Transactional or Transformational?

AI-powered educational experiences underway at ASU

Four Singularities for Research by Ethan Mollick

Reading Ease Calculator created by Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink, authors of Writing for Busy Readers

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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 to bestselling author and professor of computer science at Georgetown University, Cal Newport. They discuss AI’s academic and operational implications, its ethical and practical considerations, and the stages and timeline over which we can expect this technological transformation to unfold. This episode is made with support from CollegeVine.

“Bad Bets,” Lightcast

“Good Jobs in Bad Times,” Future U

(0:00) Intro
(4:06) Contextualizing AI in Higher Ed History
(7:03) Factors Delaying Implementation
(8:50) How AI is Changing Knowledge Work
(11:19) Should we Be Teaching about AI?
(18:45) Educating Students on AI’s Ethical Implications
(21:51) Differential Effects on Coding and Writing
(23:46) How AI Could Impact Higher Ed Inside and Outside the Classroom
(29:21) “The Development of AI That We’re Worried About”
(33:12) Parallels with the Days of The Early Internet
(40:56) AI’s Impacts on Writing
(43:15) Adaptations Required to Integrate AI in Higher Ed

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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 fallout, leadership changes, college closures, online program management providers, the presidential election, and high school grading. This episode is made possible with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Gates Foundation.
Key Moments

0:00 - Intro
03:49 - Jeff and Michael’s Summer Updates
09:32 - This Year’s FAFSA Rollout
10:25 - More Campus Protest Fallout
13:07 - Florida A&M’s Gift Controversy
17:28 - College Closures
34:51 - Online Program Management Providers
36:20 - The Presidential Election
38:25 - High School Grading

"Varying Degrees 2024” Survey, New America

“How High School Students Are Thinking About Higher Ed” Survey, Third Way

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In this episode, Jeff and Michael dive into the complex world of dual enrollment, examining its rapid growth, potential benefits, and emerging challenges. They speak with John Fink, a senior research associate at the Community College Research Center, to understand the various dual enrollment arrangements, the students they serve, and the outcomes they achieve. The conversation also explores the financial incentives for districts and colleges, the concerns around course quality and rigor, and the implications for high school and college experiences. This episode is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ascendium Education Group.

(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

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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-based hiring. The discussion, recorded live during the Horizons Summit powered by Jobs for the Future (JFF), revolved around how employers can better assess the skills job candidates have, how candidates can better understand what skills are needed for most jobs, and ultimately, the role of higher ed in this ecosystem.

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