Season 1: #7 - Bryan Alexander, Higher Ed Consultant and Futurist

Topics Discussed in this Episode:The next generation of higher education and the future of where colleges and universities could go.Sustainability as the biggest challenge for universities today.The financial pressure that higher ed institutions are under, which is exacerbated by rising discounting rates, funding cuts to public higher ed, and student debt.The challenges of the adjunctification of faculty and of cultural and political skepticism towards higher education.Anxiety produced by escalating income and wealth inequality in the U.S.and the role that higher ed plays in contributing to that divide.The shrinking middle class in the U.S. and how higher ed might no longer be the gateway to greater economic and professional success due to increasing debt and changes to work (e.g. automation).The ways in which higher education is still viewed as a luxury for a segment of the U.S. population.Preserving the cultural identity of an institution undergoing a merger and/or closure.Whether we have too many colleges and universities in the U.S. and if mergers and closures are efficient ways to deal with a declining population of traditional college-aged students.The unpopularity of considering the option of planning for smaller enrollments.Optimism for the future of higher ed through internationalization, open education, and online technology.Resources Discussed in this Episode:Bryan AlexanderCentenary CollegeNITLEAcademia NextMusic Credits: “Come Right Here” by Tendinite, licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 CC-BY-NC-ND license.