Stephen sits down with longtime friend and former college president Steven Poskanzer for a wide-ranging, no-spin conversation on the role of universities in a turbulent culture. They explore what higher education is uniquely for—pursuing truth, forming judgment, and curating reliable knowledge—and where it’s falling short. Topics include academic freedom, free speech vs. platforming, the populist suspicion of expertise, DEI as mission-aligned practice, the difference between political debate and scholarly discourse, and how AI stress-tests our systems for validating truth. Along the way, Poskanzer shares insights from his new book, The University’s Voice: Principled Silence and Purposeful Speech (Johns Hopkins), and a simple lodestar for institutions and leaders alike: fidelity and focus.

You can buy Steven’s Book HERE

Chapters00:00:00 — Welcome & today’s guest: Steven Poskanzer00:01:16 — Who is Steve? Lawyer, scholar, 20 years a college president00:02:57 — Back to the classroom: teaching constitutional law00:04:17 — New book: The University’s Voice and why it matters00:05:53 — “Fidelity and focus”: mission as a decision filter00:07:46 — Making room for reflection: what the academy can still do00:08:24 — Are universities succeeding? A candid yes (with caveats)00:09:47 — The long view: anti-intellectualism & populist cycles00:11:03 — Disruption by design: research, new ideas, creative friction00:18:58 — Classroom culture: can unpopular ideas get a fair hearing?00:21:28 — Indoctrination vs. education: peer correction and standards00:22:18 — Free speech on campus: who gets a mic—and why00:24:30 — Brandon jumps in: debate culture and false equivalence00:24:45 — Context matters: street politics vs. seminar rules00:26:01 — Civility as a tool for thinking (and its misuses)00:28:23 — Crisis of curation: when every “fact” looks equal00:31:39 — Peer review & replication: authenticating knowledge00:33:44 — AI as super-curator? Power, risk, and validation00:46:39 — Who needs college? Value without credential worship00:50:19 — Regulation, pace, and the iPhone lesson of AI00:41:58 — When should institutions speak? Academic freedom & funding00:43:28 — Case studies: teaching bans, affirmative action, DACA00:45:17 — Collective voice: ACE, AAU, and informal coalitions00:53:35 — Final word: trust, knowledge, and why universities still matter

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