Best Jeff Selingo Podcasts (2025)

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What Higher Ed CIOs Get Wrong About AI: An Honest Talk with CollegeVine’s CTO 32:54

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5d ago32:54

32:54

Most people in higher ed hear “AI in admissions” and think: “Ah, so… another chatbot.” In this episode of The VineDown, I sit down with CollegeVine’s own CTO, Chris Coffey, to pull back the curtain on what we’re actually building: autonomous AI agents that act more like teammates than tools with guardrails, reasoning, and real responsibility. We ge…

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Rerun: Visiting Bowie State University: HBCUs, Employer Partnerships, and Student Engagement 48:42

13d ago48:42

48:42

On the latest stop of Future U.'s campus tour, hosts Michael Horn and Jeff Selingo visit Bowie State University to speak with President Aminta Breaux, as well as faculty and administrators at the Maryland institution about increased enrollment at HBCUs, partnerships with employers, and student engagement. With support from Salesforce.org.…

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Navigating a Merger as a College Trustee 52:40

20d ago52:40

52:40

When Marymount Manhattan College’s board of trustees decided last year to merge with Northeastern University, becoming a part of that Boston-based university’s global system, the vote was unanimous. As Jeff and Michael continue their ongoing exploration (some might say obsession) with mergers and acquisitions in higher ed, they talk to one of Marym…

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Preparing Students for an AI-Infused Workforce 54:44

26d ago54:44

54:44

In this special episode recorded live at Adobe’s EduMAX conference, Jeff and Michael explore practical ways to harness AI in higher education to prepare students to be more effective creators. They were joined by a panel of industry and academic experts including Jennifer Sparrow, New York University’s chief academic technology officer; Simon Koh, …

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How States Can Meet the Moment In Higher Ed 54:53

1M ago54:53

54:53

In this time of uncertainty and pullback of federal support for higher education, is it time for states to step up and play a greater leadership role in helping colleges better serve students? And if so, how? Jeff and Michael debate those questions on this episode. To set the stage, they talk with Ruth Watkins, president of postsecondary education …

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Visiting Butler: Sparking a Culture of Innovation 55:53

1M ago55:53

55:53

On the latest stop of Future U.'s campus tour, Michael and Jeff visit Butler University to talk with Butler president Jim Danko and other campus leaders. They explore how, out of a mix of excitement about serving students and fear of potential competitive threats on the horizon, the university built a culture and infrastructure to encourage innovat…

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The Impact of AI on Student Motivation 57:59

2M ago57:59

57:59

How can AI be adopted in a way that turns more students into “explorers” rather than “passengers” in their learning? This week we bring you a conversation with the co-author of a book on student disengagement in school, Rebecca Winthrop, who is also researching the impact of AI on education. The episode is by one of Future U’s producers, Jeff Young…

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From First-Gen Student to Enrollment Leader: Shawana Singletary’s Playbook 46:48

2M ago46:48

46:48

What happens when a first-generation college student grows up to lead enrollment at a major university? In this episode of The VineDown, Emily Smith sits down with Shawana Singletary, Assistant Vice President and Chief Enrollment Officer at Adelphi University. Drawing from her own journey (from working double shifts to pay tuition, to leading admis…

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How AI Could Reshape Higher Ed 39:43

2M ago39:43

39:43

Parents and prospective students want to know how colleges are responding to the rise of generative AI — and to other recent developments like federal budget cuts to research. On this episode, Jeff and Michael share what they’re both hearing as they visit campuses around the country this fall. And they offer their analysis of what AI could mean for…

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Why a University Proactively Sought a Merger 44:20

2M ago44:20

44:20

By Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn

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The Truth About Independent Counselors: Yvonne Espinoza on Ethics, Access, and Student Success 45:46

2M ago45:46

45:46

What does it really mean to put students first in the college admissions process? In this episode of The VineDown, Emily Smith sits down with Yvonne Espinoza, CEP, nationally recognized counselor, City of Austin Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, and founder of YESpi College Counseling. After 19 years serving Title I and alternative schools in Austin, …

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Reporters Roundtable: How Trump Is Shaking Up Higher Ed 40:28

3M ago40:28

40:28

We’re bringing back a favorite format to go behind the headlines with top beat reporters covering colleges. Our latest roundtable focuses on how the Trump administration’s many executive orders, research grant cancellations, and crackdowns on international students are changing the higher ed landscape in the U.S. and globally. Jeff and Michael are …

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What Families Get Wrong About College Admissions with Jeff Selingo 33:49

3M ago33:49

33:49

Families obsess over “dream schools.” Colleges obsess over rankings and yield. Somewhere in between, the real truth about admissions gets lost. In this episode of The VineDown, I sit down (again!) with bestselling author and higher ed strategist Jeff Selingo to cut through the myths and talk candidly about what really drives admissions decisions to…

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Redefining the ‘Dream School’ 32:14

3M ago32:14

32:14

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 …

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No Relaxing Summer for Higher Ed 46:56

3M ago46:56

46:56

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…

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Rerun: Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige? 51:30

3M ago51:30

51:30

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, accou…

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Rerun: Learning from the Swiss Apprenticeship Model 48:04

4M ago48:04

48:04

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 gle…

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Rerun: Chips and Higher Ed: What the Federal Investment Means for Colleges 21:14

4M ago21:14

21:14

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 …

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Paid Internships for All: Provost Joe Hartman on How UMass Lowell Redefined Student Success 38:37

4M ago38:37

38:37

What happens when universities stop thinking of “student experience” as a buzzword and start treating it like an outcome-driven mission? In this episode of The Vinedown, host Emily Smith sits down with Joe Hartman, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at UMass Lowell, to explore how his university reimagined student success …

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AI in the Workplace: Michael Horn Hosts WGU's Future of Work Panel 1:02:06

4M ago1:02:06

1:02:06

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 (f…

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Enrollment Funnels Are Bloated. Here’s How Wayne State Keeps It Personal, with VP of Enrollment Management Kevin Halle 35:01

5M ago35:01

35:01

What if the secret to enrollment success isn’t about bigger funnels, but about smaller friction? In this episode of the Vine Down, I chat with Kevin Halle, VP of Enrollment Management at Wayne State College: a public institution serving a student body that’s nearly 50% first-gen. Kevin breaks down how Wayne State has not only grown enrollment signi…

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Rerun: The New Student-Ready College 37:03

5M ago37:03

37:03

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 s…

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Why Your AI Strategy Matters More Than Ever – Dan Garcia @ UNM on Staying Ahead in Enrollment 43:26

5M ago43:26

43:26

In this episode, Emily Smith sits down with Dan Garcia, VP of Enrollment Management at the University of New Mexico, to unpack the realities and anxieties around adopting AI in enrollment and retention strategies. Dan gets candid about shifting from if to how to use AI, the outdated tactics to abandon, and the core enrollment fundamentals he’ll nev…

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Rerun: Higher Ed 101: College Budgets Explained 51:10

5M ago51:10

51:10

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 majo…

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Why Colleges Get Retention Wrong: A Radical Rethink with Katie Condon, VP of Enrollment at Eastern Michigan 41:01

6M ago41:01

41:01

If your institution treats student recruitment separately from retention, you’re missing a critical connection. On this episode of The Vinedown, Emily Smith speaks with Katie Condon, Vice President of Enrollment Management at Eastern Michigan University. Katie draws from her own experiences as a first-generation college student to explain why stude…

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Rerun - The Lost Boys of Higher Ed 51:02

6M ago51:02

51:02

We revisit one of the most impactful episodes from season 8, The Lost Boys of Higher Ed. Women have outnumbered men on college campuses for decades, but the divergence in postsecondary success has widened in recent years, and it is both a cause and symptom of the struggles of the modern man. Richard Reeves, author of Of Boys and Men joins the podca…

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Season 8 Wrap Up: Looking Back and Ahead 46:46

6M ago46:46

46:46

Jeff and Michael conclude the eighth season of Future U. with a one-on-one discussion of the lessons and themes from this year’s conversations. They address the range of topics covered - from the transformative effects of AI to the recent flurry of Federal executive orders to the reckoning to be done in higher education. For each, they summon the i…

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Former Governor Dishes on Connecting Work and College 34:34

6M ago34:34

34:34

In this episode, former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift joins Jeff and Michael to explore how to rebuild the broken college-to-career pipeline. Now leading Education at Work, a nonprofit that provides work-based learning opportunities for undergraduates, Swift shares how her organization supports first-generation and Pell-eligible students with p…

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Higher Ed on the Hill: Getting College Back on the Congressional Agenda 55:48

7M ago55:48

55:48

With higher education policy increasingly driven by executive action, Michael and Jeff explore why Congress has been largely absent from the conversation—and what that means for students and institutions. They’re joined by James Kvaal, former Under Secretary of Education under the Biden Administration, and Preston Cooper of the American Enterprise …

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Live from Milken: Hurdles and Hopes in Higher Education 51:23

7M ago51:23

51:23

In a special episode recorded at the Milken Global Institute, Jeff moderates a wide-ranging panel with higher education leaders including the presidents of Dartmouth, Stanford, UC San Diego, Yeshiva University, and the CEO of ETS. The conversation explores the crises and critiques facing higher ed—from campus protests and declining public trust to …

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Live from Milken: One-on-One with Bill Ackman 21:02

7M ago21:02

21:02

In this second part from the Milken Global Institute, Jeff Selingo engages in a provocative conversation with investor and Harvard critic Bill Ackman. They discuss the challenges facing elite higher education today—from DEI rollbacks and government funding threats to what Ackman describes as Harvard's financial crisis and governance failures. Ackma…

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The Hidden Cost of AI Ambiguity: How Colleges are Failing Students, with Emily Pacheco, Associate Director @ Case Western Reserve University 40:47

7M ago40:47

40:47

Colleges are stuck sending mixed messages about AI—and students are paying the price. Emily Pacheco, Associate Director at Case Western Reserve and founder of the AI in College Admissions (AICA) group, joins Emily Smith on The Vinedown to break down how the absence of clear AI policies in college admissions is quietly damaging student belonging, cr…

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Making Sense of the First 100 Days 51:57

7M ago51:57

51:57

In this special episode, recorded live at the ASU+GSV Summit, hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn dive into the rapidly evolving higher ed landscape in President Trump’s second term. They discuss massive cuts at the U.S. Department of Education, mounting challenges around international student enrollment, and looming threats to federal research fun…

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Reporter’s Roundtable: A Quarter Century of Higher Ed Controversies 55:05

8M ago55:05

55:05

In a special crossover episode, Michael and Jeff are joined by Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Jack Stripling to discuss a recent piece by the Chronicle: a March Madness-style bracket of the most memorable higher ed controversies of the last 25 years. The trio relives infamous scandals—from Jetgate and Varsity Blues to faculty feuds, preside…

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Enrollment’s Data Reckoning: Why Most Colleges Are Unprepared (And How to Fix It) with David Burge 51:56

8M ago51:56

51:56

Enrollment leaders, listen up—it’s time to confront an uncomfortable truth: colleges stuck in old models of recruitment and data management risk falling dangerously behind. In this eye-opening episode, Emily Smith sits down with David Burge, VP of Enrollment Management at George Mason University, to unpack the critical issues facing higher educatio…

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Building an Apprenticeship System in Indiana: How the Hoosier State is Adapting the Swiss Model 34:58

8M ago34:58

34:58

In part two of their series on apprenticeships, Jeff talks with Claire Fiddian-Green, president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, about Indiana’s ambitious efforts to adapt lessons from Switzerland’s gold-standard model. They explore how Indiana is transforming high school graduation requirements, building industry-led talent associat…

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Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige? 50:21

8M ago50:21

50:21

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, accou…

1
Higher Ed 101: College Budgets Explained 51:01

9M ago51:01

51:01

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 majo…

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How Regional Publics Can Thrive by Breaking the Rules, with Reggie Hill 42:04

9M ago42:04

42:04

In this episode, Emily Smith sits down with Reggie Hill, Vice Chancellor for Strategic Enrollment at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. They discuss innovative approaches to recruitment at regional public universities, building community partnerships, and adapting to changing enrollment landscapes in higher education.TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introducti…

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Enrollment on a Hunger Strike: Heath Einstein on Navigating Higher Ed’s Existential Moment 43:25

9M ago43:25

43:25

In the latest episode of The VineDown, Heath Einstein, the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at Texas Christian University, reflects on the evolving challenges and responsibilities we face in higher education today.

1
Learning from the Swiss Apprenticeship Model 47:10

9M ago47:10

47:10

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 gle…

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How To Be Zen When Everything Goes Up In Flames, with Sean Whitten, Director of Strategic Partnerships at SMU in Dallas 41:47

9M ago41:47

41:47

In this episode, Emily sits down with Sean Whitten, Director of Strategic Partnerships at SMU in Dallas, to explore workplace psychology, emotional wellbeing, and managing stress in higher education. They dive into the neuroscience behind our stress responses, tactics for maintaining emotional health during workplace conflicts, and practical strate…

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Building an AI-Ready College 36:58

9M ago36:58

36:58

AI is evolving at a rapid rate, and its implications for higher ed are changing in lock step. So, Michael and Jeff dove back into the topic at the Google Public Sector GenAI Live & Labs Conference with a panel of experts: Ann Krischner of CUNY and ASU, Pace University’s Marvin Krislov, and Google’s Chris Hein. They discussed the necessity of an ins…

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A Midwest Merger: How Two Ohio Colleges Are Coming Together 42:41

10M ago42:41

42:41

Mergers aren’t easy. They demand careful analysis, difficult decisions, and tricky stakeholder management. But they are becoming increasingly necessary as dropping enrollments make going it alone less viable for more and more institutions. So, Michael and Jeff sat down with the presidents of two colleges in Ohio that are in the process of merging a…

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Accepted without Applying: The Growth of Direct Admissions 40:58

10M ago40:58

40:58

This year, thousands of students will be accepted to colleges without ever submitting a formal application. That’s because more and more schools are automatically accepting students who meet preset performance thresholds through direct admissions programs. To learn more about this growing trend, Michael and Jeff welcome Luke Skurman who is CEO of N…

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Where the Future of Higher Ed is Going, with Jeff Selingo 36:21

10M ago36:21

36:21

Higher Ed expert Jeff Selingo (former Chronicle of Higher Education editor) joins The Vinedown to discuss the future of colleges in 2025 and beyond. Will two dozen colleges close this year? What separates surviving institutions from truly thriving ones?In this episode, we dive deep into:- Which colleges are just "limping along" vs innovating for th…

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The Lost Boys of Higher Ed 50:42

10M ago50:42

50:42

Women have outnumbered men on college campuses for decades, but the divergence in postsecondary success has widened in recent years, and it is both a cause and symptom of the struggles of the modern man. Richard Reeves, author of Of Boys and Men joins the podcast to discuss the drivers of these challenges, promising interventions, and whether we sh…

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A New Era for Higher Ed? 36:54

10M ago36:54

36:54

At the turn of the new year, Jeff and Michael dive into the predictions and trends set to shape the landscape of higher education in 2025. They discuss how this may be a year of reckoning for colleges and where changes will be required to make long-needed improvements. They dig in on infrastructure adjustments, reimagined degree programs, and what …

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Letting Go of the Edge: Why Colleges Fear (But Need) Tech Transformation, with Adam Park 43:32

11M ago43:32

43:32

For years, colleges have been navigating technological change. Many institutions today KNOW they need to embrace new technology, but they remain tightly gripped to familiar processes.In this conversation, Adam Park, the CEO of Softdoc, gives candid insight into why this happens. It's not just about resistance to change – it's deeper than that. It's…

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The Art and Science of Swag in Enrollment Marketing, with PJ Woolston 31:48

11M ago31:48

31:48

Enrollment marketing may not seem like the most glamorous aspect of higher education, but for PJ Woolston, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management at IU Indianapolis, it’s an art form. During our recent conversation on The Vinedown, PJ shared insights into the role of swag (yes, swag!) in creating memorable and lasting connections with prospectiv…