The current condition of higher education presents an interesting look at its role in American society and society in general.  But it begs the question of how we got here. This kind of cultural inquiry has traditionally been the domain of archeology.  In this episode I’ll examine the current topography of higher ed and excavate several strata down to discover how the ecosystem has evolved from earlier eras. I’ll then discuss what we might expect to see on the current trajectory of evolution, and what we might learn from the ruins of earlier epochs.  Dig it!

EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network.

There is general agreement in higher education on where we are and where we want to go. The problem is how get from point A to point B, and more to the point, why institutions seem to get it wrong on a regular basis. In this episode I’ll examine some of the snags that plague the higher education planning process and offer some simple, modest suggestions on how to “re-think” the process.  I’ll also suggest how creativity and innovation can be employed to look at the path from point A to point B from a different perspective.

EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network.

Well, at least nothing is impossible for the persons who don’t have to do it.  And in higher education that includes entrepreneurs and visionaries who identify the shortcomings of the current higher education and offer up high-level solutions that provide straightforward solutions to things like time to degree, accessibility, return on investment, and workforce needs. When I read such proposals, I have one nagging question. If it’s so easy, why hasn’t someone already done it? And the answer is that if it were as simple as it seems, someone would have done it.  In this episode I’ll explore what makes transformation in higher ed challenging and where would-be revolutionaries often go wrong in approaching the enterprise of higher education. 

EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network 

In 1929 G.K. Chesterton provided a concise admonition about making decisions in life.  If you encounter a fence on the road, he advised, don’t take it down until you know why it was built in the first place.  In short, we need to understand how the status quo came to be before we change it. There may be a good reason for the fence, and removing it could have unintended consequences. In this episode I’ll pursue this line of reasoning as it applies to America (and elsewhere) today, and in particular how it should be instructive for higher education.

EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network

In the last episode I looked at what is fueling the lack of confidence in higher education today and some of the basic decisions that will need to be made to restore the conviction that higher ed is vital to workforce success.  But another decision will need to be made to ensure that that the engine of higher education can continue to operate, namely a viable business model. The current not-for-profit model of higher ed is funded by the three-legged stool of state, federal and private funding.  In other words, higher ed is dependent largely on “the kindness of strangers,” to quote Blanche DuBois. The business model has been in large part related to the view of higher education as a common good that should be above societal and political influence. Well, that ship has sailed, and higher education is now seen as a public commodity from which the public demands accountability and return on investment.  In this episode I’ll challenge the not-for-profit model and suggest that an alternative is all around us. 

EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network

A number of recent studies reveal a lack of confidence in the role of higher education in preparing students for the workforce.  Misgivings about the efficacy of higher education come in large part from the conflicting perspectives of employers, students, and even within the higher education community itself, on the value of education in society. In this episode I’ll look at several of these studies and examine the decisions that will need to be made to keep higher education a relevant and viable part of the education to workforce pipeline.  In short, there will need to be coordinated decisions about who does what, where and when.  As we’ll see, it’s easier said than done.

EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network

Hi, nice weather, eh? How about those Cubs?  Oh, by the way, have you heard?  The art of small talk is on the verge of extinction. Apparently, recent generations have replaced much of casual conversation with texts, Instagram and TikTok. But now they claim to be struggling with face to face interactions in personal and professional situations and are looking for help.  But is small talk really the problem? I don’t think so.  In this episode I’ll connect the dots from conversational ineptitude to widespread cultural clumsiness and look at some root causes.

EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network

Why does the whole issue of student loan forgiveness seem to be dragging on endlessly?  What has been happening and where is the whole process now?  In this episode I’ll review previous efforts and look at how we got to where we are now—in negotiated rulemaking. I’ll look at what negotiated rulemaking is, how it works, and where it is likely to end up. 

EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network

In every election cycle we are subjected to discussions about whether we should abolish the Department of Education. Are there substantive issues here, or are we all attending a football game where education is the football and the playing field is politics? In this episode I’ll look at the major issues that are raised.  Why would we want to abolish ED, how would that be done, and what would that mean?  Join me at the stadium see how this game is played.

EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network

Have you ever wondered why change in higher education seems to be so different from change in other sectors of society? Recently there has been discussion concerning whether changes in higher education like community colleges offering four-year degrees, shorter time to degree completion, and yes, online delivery are eroding academic rigor. But why we would assume that innovation and creativity would affect academic rigor at all?   I don’t think that advances in transportation like autos, trains or air travel impeded the progress of that industry.  And the development of incandescent and LED lights don’t seem to have impacted our lives negatively.  What makes higher education different?  The short answer is, “Nothing.”  At least it shouldn’t. In this episode I’ll explore the resistance to change in higher education and how  the shackles of complexity can be cast off to move higher education forward. And (surprise!) I’ll give an example of how it was already done once!

EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network.