As public attitudes toward higher education sour, many college presidents are either staying mum or defending their institutions. But a handful of high-profile college leaders have taken a different tack of late, publicly conceding that the sector’s critics have a point. Concerns about rising tuition, the value of degrees, and higher education’s liberal tilt are all valid, these leaders argue. But what’s driving these self-critical administrators? Is this about principle? Branding? Or is it just a cynical ploy to cozy up to the Trump administration?

Related Reading

The Self-Flaggelating President (The Chronicle)

Sian Beilock’s Star Turn (The Chronicle)

The University’s Voice: Principled Silence and Purposeful Speech (Johns Hopkins University Press)

Guests

Nell Gluckman, senior reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education

Eric Kelderman, senior writer for 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.