In this episode of Unfixed, we unpack the mounting pressures that are destabilizing higher education. From the looming enrollment cliff and partisan political attacks to the unresolved trauma of COVID-19 and the disruptive arrival of generative AI, universities are being pulled in multiple, often contradictory, directions. Nik and Zach explore how these forces intersect to create what they call the “insecure university.” What does it mean to learn, teach, and lead in institutions struggling to justify their very existence?

Inside Higher Ed, “College-age demographics begin steady projected decline”

Rufo in City Journal

Venkatesh Rao, “Knowledge Under Siege” (cooked with AI)”

Nils Gilman on Theory of Change podcast

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You can find the full show notes and our writing at meltsintoair.org