Will This Dumpster Fire Burn Itself Out?

When the sector’s on fire, real leadership means staying calm, not compliant.

58 minutes
By: Trusted Voices

The future of higher ed doesn’t live at Harvard.

In this episode of Trusted Voices, American Council on Education president Ted Mitchell offers a measured, and at times biting, perspective on higher education’s current “dumpster fire” state: policy uncertainty, misinformation, culture wars and research funding cuts.

Mitchell, a former college president and U.S. Undersecretary of Education, speaks with the Trusted Voices co-hosts Erin Hennessy and Teresa Valerio Parrot about the exhausting churn campus leaders face. Institutions are reacting to executive orders and political pressures before policies are finalized—often going further than required. His advice? Resist the urge to overreact. 

“Don’t just do something—sit there,” he says. “Wait for the dust to settle.”

The conversation doesn’t shy away from critiques of higher ed either. Mitchell notes the sector’s past tendency to focus on storytelling rather than substance, to assume clearer messaging alone could fix its reputation. But last spring’s protests, he says, exposed deep internal fractures: “Our own people were upset with us. And we didn’t know what to do with that.”

There’s hope, though. Mitchell brings up examples of institutions like the University of Kansas that rethink how they connect with the public. From spotlighting the research that matters locally, to asking the essential question: “What’s in it for me?”

He also pushes back against the public’s fixation on elite institutions. 

“Most students are being educated on regional campuses and community colleges,” Mitchell says. “That’s where the real work is happening—and we need to keep telling that story.”

Mitchell’s message is honest, reflective and optimistic. 

“Higher ed builds America,” he says to finish off the discussion. “It’s as true today as it was 30 years ago.”

Trusted Voices

Trusted Voices

Podcast

Trusted Voices explores the complex intersection of leadership and communication in higher education. Each episode, hosts Teresa Valerio Parrot and Erin Hennessy chat with university presidents, industry thought leaders—and each other—about the latest news in the industry and the challenges and opportunities facing those in the most visible roles in higher ed.

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