Future U. Podcast

@Jselingo and @MichaelBHorn discuss what’s next for higher Ed and talk with the newsmakers you want to hear from most. #highered

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

Division I status has become so central to institutional identity that faculty believe leaving it threatens research rankings. Karen Weaver explores whether schools outside the power conferences can sustain the D1 arms race — or if it's time to rethink the model entirely.

[Michael B. Horn @michaelbhorn]

I talk a lot about the future of education but remembering its history is just as important.

If that rings true to you, check out the first edition of a new timeline game I launched on my Substack.

Order the six landmark events correctly to win…the pride of knowing you know your American education history.

https://t.co/hxZOG9EGxy

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

Gen Z doesn't read the local paper anymore. If you're not on TikTok or Instagram, you're invisible. Karen Weaver on why college athletics must rethink media strategy—fast. New episode with @jeffselingo 🎙️

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

Research is clear: when people feel their core needs—expertise, autonomy, connection—are under threat, they disengage or resist. AI in higher ed won't succeed without addressing faculty's psychological safety first.

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

Hampshire College drew 50%+ of students regionally. Sonoma State lost 40% enrollment in a decade. The shift from local to national markets has reshaped everything. Regional colleges face brutal headwinds—shrinking local pools & changing preferences.

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

Even Harvard is bleeding: $365M deficit in Arts & Sciences alone. The old revenue levers—MBAs, international students, online programs—aren't working anymore. Schools are slashing prices up to 50%. The cross-subsidy model is breaking down.

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

Peter Cory's new essay nails it: we've been fear-based about AI instead of asking "is this our chance to reinvent?" The integration question isn't just tech—it's about purpose. We're exploring this deeper in live events with Google this summer.

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

No university can redesign around AI without faculty at the center. But asking them to experiment while their sense of expertise and job security is challenged? That's not a strategy—it's a recipe for quiet opposition.

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

The faculty "resistance" to AI isn't stubbornness—it's a predictable response when autonomy and expertise feel threatened. Want real innovation? Create the psychological safety that makes experimentation possible.

[Michael B. Horn @michaelbhorn]

How well do you know your education history?

Put your knowledge to the test with the new weekly quiz game. Since May, I have been publishing five-question multiple choice quizzes and six-event timeline challenges about education history, research, and ideas. I’ll also be sharing them with you here, too.

Why?

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

Harvard's arts & sciences school has a $365M deficit. Purdue cut its online MBA by 40%. UC Irvine slashed tuition 38%. The revenue levers colleges pulled since 2008—MBAs, international students, online programs—are breaking. Now what?

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

Blue books might make a comeback—not because of AI, but because of cybersecurity. New data shows higher ed is especially vulnerable to software attacks. When tech fails mid-semester, what's your institution's plan B?

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

The MBA used to be a guaranteed revenue generator. Now schools are offering 50% scholarships and $10K "AI disruption" grants just to fill seats. When your cash cow becomes a cost center, you can't avoid the mission question anymore. Season finale out now 🎙️

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

The MBA fire sales, the international enrollment drops, the online program struggles—these aren't surprises. We knew the cliff was coming after 2008. We just kept pulling levers hoping to buy time. Time's up. #HigherEd

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

Mission used to be a strategic planning exercise. Now it's the difference between staying open and shutting down.

This season proved it again and again across athletics, mergers, enrollment, and AI conversations.

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

Full episode:
https://t.co/arWKCTNx6U

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

Our Season 9 finale is live. Jeff Selingo & Michael Horn look back on a defining year in higher ed — and one word keeps surfacing in every storyline: mission.

[Future U. Podcast @futureupodcast]

As Northeastern's Joseph Aoun put it: higher ed is "diverse but not differentiated." The schools that thrive will get clear on who they serve — and who they don't.