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  • Redefining the ‘Dream School’

    Redefining the ‘Dream School’
    Sep 9 2025

    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 month, Future U co-host Jeff Selingo challenges that assumption. For this episode, Jeff moves from the host chair to being a guest to share highlights from the book, ‘Dream School.’ He talks about going beyond which college’s name looks most impressive as a bumper sticker on the family car to focusing on the quality of a college’s teaching, whether it really fits the budget, and other factors that are specific to each student. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.

    Relevant Links:

    Jeff Selingo’s new book, Dream School

    Chapters

    0:00 - Intro
    2:06 - Why write this book?
    3:23 - The ‘New Dream School’ List
    11:28 - When Mismatched Schools Cause Dropouts
    14:26 - Sponsor Break
    16:51 - The Importance of Making Trade-offs
    18:44 - Understanding What’s Motivating Choice
    19:35 - How AI is Impacting Jobs and Causing Uncertainty About College
    20:56 - What Should Colleges Do?
    23:23 - Giving Families ‘Social Proof’ of a Broader Group of College
    25:29 - The Doom Loop of College Finances
    27:56 - How Future U Shaped the Book
    29:14 - How Jeff Gets the Word Out on His Book

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    Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You

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    32 Min.
  • No Relaxing Summer for Higher Ed

    No Relaxing Summer for Higher Ed
    Sep 2 2025

    This summer brought no rest for college leaders. With the Trump Administration’s continuing push to reshape the college world, plus lots of announcements in Artificial Intelligence, there are many higher ed headlines to recap. So Jeff and Michael kick off season 9 with their take on the most important developments of the past couple of months. That includes Columbia University’s unprecedented settlement with the federal government, a new executive order on college admissions, and college trustees pushing for action on AI. And they unveil a new ‘speed round’ segment. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.

    Publications Mentioned:

    The Elite University Presidents Who Despise One Another: Inside the civil war between the Ivy League and the South in The Atlantic

    Great Expectations, Fragile Foundations in On EdTech

    Chapters

    1:36 - Our Summer Recap

    4:09 - Behind the Scenes of Jeff’s Book Launch

    8:10 - Meet the Future U Production Team

    12:18 - Columbia University Settlement

    21:00 - Trump’s Executive Order on Admissions

    30:00 - What College Business Officers Are Talking About

    34:15 - One Big Beautiful Bill’s Impact

    39:30 - New ‘Lightning Round’ Segment

    Connect with Michael Horn:

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    Connect with Jeff Selingo:

    Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You

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    Connect with Future U:

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    47 Min.
  • Rerun: Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige?

    Rerun: Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige?
    Aug 27 2025

    Jeff and Michael are joined by Mushtaq Gunja, Executive Director of the Carnegie Classification Systems and Senior Vice President at ACE, to unpack the sweeping changes to the Carnegie Classifications. They explore how the new system aims to better group institutions, highlight student access and earnings, and shift incentives across funding, accountability, and rankings. The conversation dives into the implications for colleges chasing R1 status, the normative power of classifications, and whether these changes will meaningfully alter institutional behavior or simply create a new hierarchy. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Gates Foundation.

    Links We Mention

    2025 Institutional Classifications, Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education

    2025 Research Activity Designations, Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education

    Chapters

    0:00 - Intro

    05:50 - The Changing Higher Ed Landscape

    08:06 - The Impact of the New Classifications

    10:42 - Anticipating the Normative Effects

    16:55 - New Funding Criteria

    18:13 - Shifting to a Focus on Outcomes

    21:17 - Measuring Access and Earnings

    24:53 - Encouraging Good Use of the New Classifications

    34:24 - Considering the Impact on Research Dollars

    40:28 - Institutional Response to Access and Earnings Designations

    46:30 - What This Means for Rankings

    Connect with Michael Horn:

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    52 Min.
  • Rerun: Learning from the Swiss Apprenticeship Model

    Rerun: Learning from the Swiss Apprenticeship Model
    Aug 19 2025

    The U.S. has a lot to learn when it comes to systematizing apprenticeship. Thankfully, there are successful international models, like Switzerland’s, that we can study. Katie Caves, the Director at Switzerland’s Center on the Economics and Management of Education and Training Systems, joins the podcast to discuss the Swiss model and what can be gleaned from it. They discuss its permeability between academic and vocational tracks, proving its value to employers, the prestige of Swiss apprenticeships, and the principles that hold across borders. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group

    Publications Mentioned:

    Return on investment of apprenticeship systems for enterprises: Evidence from cost-benefit analyses

    by Samuel Muehlemann & Stefan C Wolter

    Chapters

    0:00 - Intro

    3:35 - Swiss Apprenticeship 101

    6:56 - Path Selection and Funding

    13:46 - The Status of Apprenticeship in Switzerland

    18:58 - Borrowing Across Borders

    25:15 - The ROI to Employers

    29:47 - Evaluating Indiana’s Apprenticeship Model

    33:45 - Imbuing Prestige in American Apprenticeship

    38:49 - Striking the Balance

    43:01 - The Influence of Accountability

    Connect with Michael Horn:

    Sign Up for the The Future of Education Newsletter

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    Connect with Jeff Selingo:

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    Connect with Future U:

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    48 Min.
  • Rerun: Chips and Higher Ed: What the Federal Investment Means for Colleges

    Rerun: Chips and Higher Ed: What the Federal Investment Means for Colleges
    Aug 12 2025

    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 Future U., Michael and Jeff dive into what the CHIPS and Science Act—the federal spending package designed to reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign manufacturers for microchips and other advanced technologies—means for a segment of American postsecondary institutions that’s often forgotten in these conversations: community colleges. They talk with nonprofit and government leaders about how the CHIPS supports the education and training of a high tech workforce. They then go deep with the team at the College of Western Idaho to get a view of how they are developing these programs in collaboration with their corporate partner, Micron. This episode is sponsored by Ascendium Education Group.
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    21 Min.
  • AI in the Workplace: Michael Horn Hosts WGU's Future of Work Panel

    AI in the Workplace: Michael Horn Hosts WGU's Future of Work Panel
    Jul 29 2025
    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 a Western Governors University event in Boston, the conversation features insights from industry leaders across technology, consulting, and higher education.Panelists Paul Bingham (WGU), Will Bass (formerly of Comcast), Kara Kara Wieckowski (Accenture), and Wayne Duso (former VP at AWS) explore the transformative impact of AI on workforce development, talent acquisition, and educational models. They discuss whether we should view AI as revolutionary like the smartphone or complementary like the microwave, share strategies for upskilling at both individual and organizational levels, and examine innovative approaches to virtual internships and experiential learning.Whether you're an educator, administrator, business leader, or student contemplating your career path, this episode provides valuable insights on navigating the rapidly evolving intersection of work, technology, and education.Chapters0:00 - Introduction2:34 - AI Perspectives: Optimism vs. Concerns6:28 - The Microwave vs. Smartphone Analogy9:09 - AI as an Accelerant of Change12:29 - Job Anxiety and Workforce Evolution21:22 - Rethinking Talent Acquisition and Development23:25 - Creating a Holistic Talent Approach24:41 - Accenture's AI Talent Strategy27:29 - The Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Approach33:58 - Learning at the Speed of Human Capacity37:23 - Skill Forward: Balancing Organization and Individual Growth40:45 - Learning Models for Different Types of Adopters43:39 - On-the-Job Training and Strategic Learning47:55 - The Challenge of Finding Time to Learn53:04 - Virtual Experiences and the Future of Internships Further Reading"AI Skills Fundamentals Certificate" - Western Governors UniversityWGU's certificate program designed to help professionals develop foundational AI knowledge and skills applicable across various industries, supporting both personal growth and organizational innovation."AI Won't Replace Humans—But Humans With AI Will Replace Humans Without AI" - Harvard Business ReviewAn insightful article by Harvard professor Karim Lakhani explaining how AI will lower the cost of cognition and why business leaders must experiment with AI applications for all employees, not just tech workers."The Upskilling Imperative: Required at Scale for the Future of Work" - McKinseyResearch highlighting how companies can take a larger role in upskilling employees by eliminating barriers of time and cost, with specific strategies for developing critical workforce capabilities."ChatGPT is Going to Change Education, Not Destroy It" - MIT Technology ReviewAn examination of how AI tools like ChatGPT are being reevaluated by educators as potential classroom aids rather than threats, with practical examples of implementation across educational settings."The Future of Skills: Employment in 2030" - PearsonA comprehensive research report that identifies which occupations and skills are likely to be in demand by 2030, considering seven megatrends including technological change, globalization, and demographic shifts. Connect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Sign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedInConnect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.
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    1 Std. und 2 Min.
  • Rerun: The New Student-Ready College

    Rerun: The New Student-Ready College
    Jul 15 2025

    While college-going rates have increased over recent decades, completion rates have hardly budged. On this episode, Michael and Jeff sit down with one entrepreneur working to change that. Mike Larsson is the co-founder and CEO of Duet, an organization collaborating with an online university to provide on-the-ground coaching and physical space for students. They discuss the role wraparound supports play in supporting more students towards graduation, the keys to reengaging students who have stopped out, the nationwide spread of hybrid models like Duet’s, and more.

    Links We Share

    College Reimagined by Jon Gabrieli et al.

    Chapters

    0:00 - Intro

    02:12 - The Founding Story of Duet

    08:53 - Reaching Students with “Some College No Degree”

    11:23 - A Personal Trainer for College

    13:17 - Duet’s Outcomes

    17:07 - “The Hard Policy Answer”

    21:00 - The Growth of Hybrid College

    24:39 - Affordability, Flexibility, and Disruption

    29:46 - Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships to Better Serve Adult Learners

    33:26 - Improving the Outcomes of Community Colleges

    Connect with Michael Horn:

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    37 Min.
  • Rerun: Higher Ed 101: College Budgets Explained

    Rerun: Higher Ed 101: College Budgets Explained
    Jul 1 2025
    As colleges navigate increasing financial pressure, many struggle to balance mission with sustainability. In this episode, Jeff and Michael welcome Rick Staisloff, founder of rpk GROUP, for a crash course in how college budgets really work. From centralized vs. decentralized models to the challenges of tuition discounting, Rick breaks down the major drivers of revenue and expense in higher ed. He also highlights why better business intelligence, clearer accountability, and a shift toward ROI thinking are essential for financial sustainability. Whether you're a board member or just curious, this episode offers practical insight into what’s working—and what’s not—in college budgeting. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Gates Foundation.Chapters0:00 - Intro03:45 - How colleges put together their budgets9:05 - Implementation challenges and best practices15:04 - Non-tuition revenue sources26:21 - Cost drivers29:41 - Solving the “Financial Bucket Problem”35:41 - Deferred maintenance38:11 - Shifting to an ROI mindset41:04 - The levers to pull43:14 - On the margins46:44 - College cash sources49:03 - Our most promising strategiesRelevant LinksRPK Group Official WebsiteAccess the official online presence of RPK Group, the consulting firm founded by episode guest Rick Staisloff. This resource provides further information regarding their advisory services in higher education finance and the development of sustainable institutional business models.Responsibility Centered Management (RCM) Manual - Kent State UniversityThis document offers a comprehensive exposition of Responsibility Centered Management (RCM), a decentralized budgetary framework prevalent within higher education institutions. Review for detailed insight into its operational principles and implementation methodologies.Tuition Discounting Hits Another High - Inside Higher EdConsult this article for current data and analysis pertaining to the escalating rates of tuition discounting at private nonprofit colleges. The content elucidates the impact of institutional financial aid on net tuition revenue, a critical financial metric discussed herein.A National Study of Capital Infrastructure at Colleges and Schools of Agriculture | APLUThis report details the substantial and accumulating challenges of deferred maintenance across tertiary education establishments. It provides quantitative data and analytical perspectives on infrastructure-related financial burdens as referenced by Mr. Staisloff.Understanding Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems in EdTech - EllucianThis resource provides an overview of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, elaborating on their function as integrated platforms for managing administrative and academic operations. It highlights their utility in enhancing institutional efficiency, business intelligence, and data-driven strategic planning within higher education.Connect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Sign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedInConnect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.
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    51 Min.