Episodes

  • Biden Camp Defends Its Record

    Biden Camp Defends Its Record
    Jan 28 2025
    On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to do away with the U.S. Department of Education, leaning on a Republican mantra that the federal government meddles too much in decisions that are better left to state officials. But a very different philosophy prevailed in Washington during the presidency of Joe Biden, who embraced student-debt relief as a key priority and leaned on the education department to execute a bold — if not always successful — agenda. In an exit interview with The Chronicle, the Biden administration’s under secretary of education, James Kvaal, reflects on the department’s work, its failures, and the future of Democratic higher-ed policy. Closing the Department of Education? (4:16 - 7:25) Biden and student-debt relief (7:25 - 11:14) Is debt relief dead? (11:17 - 14:20) FAFSA failure (14:55 - 22:45) Public confidence in higher ed (22:46 - 23:56) Abandoning college for all? (23:56 - 26:07) Culture wars, discrimination, critiques of higher ed (26:08 - 31:32) Related Reading: Biden’s Debt-Cancellation Plan Draws Praise and Skepticism $189 Billion in Student-Loan Forgiveness (The Washington Post) What the FAFSA Just Happened? (College Matters from The Chronicle) Guest: James Kvaal, former under secretary of education For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters. We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.
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    38 mins
  • The Cheating Vibe Shift

    The Cheating Vibe Shift
    Jan 21 2025
    With the help of ChatGPT and other AI tools, cheating in college has become so easy and commonplace that some students don’t see much wrong with a little academic dishonesty. Meanwhile, professors are screaming into the void, trying to convince students that relying on AI to do their work will hurt them in the long run. But is the battle for academic integrity already lost? Related Reading: Cheating Has Become Normal I’m a Student. You Have No Idea How Much We’re Using ChatGPT. ChatGPT Is a Plagiarism Machine Is Reading Over for Gen Z Students? (podcast) Guest: Beth McMurtrie, senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters. We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.
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    52 mins
  • Season 2 Trailer

    Season 2 Trailer
    Jan 14 2025
    Higher education is undergoing a period of intense political, cultural, and technological transformation. We'll dive into all of it on Season 2 of our show, starting January 21st.
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    2 mins
  • Before There Was Woke, There Was 'PCU'

    Before There Was Woke, There Was 'PCU'
    Dec 10 2024
    In 1994, a movie called PCU opened in theaters to little fanfare. But three decades on, the cult classic feels like an on-the-nose satire of the kinds of identity politics, liberal extremism, and right-wing intolerance that fuel many of today’s hottest disputes in higher education. In a conversation with The Chronicle’s Jack Stripling, Zak Penn, a co-writer of PCU, talks about how the film looks in 2024. Later, Chronicle staff share their impressions of the movie. Related Reading: A Decade of Ideological Transformation Comes Undone: What the congressional antisemitism hearing really means. What Does ‘Woke’ Mean Anyway? The Oral History of PCU, the Culture Wars Cult Classic Guest: Zak Penn, a co-writer of PCU For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters. We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.
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    51 mins
  • Is That Our Chancellor in the Porno?

    Is That Our Chancellor in the Porno?
    Dec 3 2024
    Months after he’d announced his coming retirement as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, Joe Gow made a fateful decision: He posted on the internet pornographic videos of himself and his wife. Wisconsin’s Board of Regents promptly fired him as chancellor and, more recently, terminated him as a tenured professor. His case presents some thorny First Amendment questions that are expected to play out in court. Meantime, Gow spoke with The Chronicle’s Jack Stripling about how he balanced his X-rated private hobby with his important public job — and what motivated him to release those videos. Related Reading: A Chancellor is Fired for Porn Videos I Made Porn. That Shouldn’t Cost Me Tenure. U. of Wisconsin System President Reprimands La Crosse Chancellor for Bringing Porn Star to Campus Guest: Joe Gow, former chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters.
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    59 mins
  • Meet Professor Robot

    Meet Professor Robot
    Nov 19 2024
    Office hours with an android? We’re not quite there yet, but the science-fiction future of higher education is closer than you might think. Thanks to a slew of new products known as courseware, college professors can practically run a class on autopilot. Related Reading: The Substitute Teacher: Millions of students have to use courseware. Often, the product replaces the professor. The Homework Tax: For students already struggling to afford college, courseware can add to the burden. The ‘Textbook’ That Reads You: When students use courseware, how much personal data is it collecting? Guest: Taylor Swaak, tech and innovation reporter at The Chronicle of Higher Education For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters. We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.
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    31 mins
  • Is Loneliness as Bad for Students as Smoking?

    Is Loneliness as Bad for Students as Smoking?
    Nov 12 2024
    Cap down. Earbuds in. Eyes on phones. Despite what you may see in college viewbooks, many students say they feel lonely on campus — isolated in dorm rooms or walled off in tech bubbles. But talking about student loneliness is a tricky issue for colleges. Related Reading: Overcoming Student Loneliness: Strategies for Connection (Full Report) Fighting the Mental-Health Crisis Narrative: Do young people misunderstand everyday stress? Guest: Alexander C. Kafka, senior editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters.
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    43 mins
  • Trump's Pet-Eating Claim Meant Crisis for This Campus Leader

    Trump's Pet-Eating Claim Meant Crisis for This Campus Leader
    Nov 5 2024
    During his September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump amplified a debunked rumor that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating people’s pet cats and dogs. Soon, Wittenberg University, a private institution in Springfield, began receiving violent threats. Michael Frandsen, the university’s president, feared the worst — and got an education in the viral power of misinformation. Related Reading: At 2 Colleges, the Fall Semester Has Been Disrupted by Trump’s Lies About Eating Pets If Trump Wins … His allies are preparing to overhaul higher education. The sector is woefully ill-prepared to defend itself. 4 years of Fighting: Trump vs. Higher Ed Guest: Michael Frandsen, president of Wittenberg University For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters. We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.
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    40 mins