Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
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 (chronicle.com/article/the-self-flagellating-president) (The Chronicle)
Sian Beilock’s Star Turn (chronicle.com/article/sian-beilocks-star-turn) (The Chronicle)
The University’s Voice: Principled Silence and Purposeful Speech (https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/53766/universitys-voice?srsltid=AfmBOopde-rab1cwosnxD1G6L4wO4sDdD2LfCfnOY56FUFh9yJP_8Ic6) (Johns Hopkins University Press)
Guests
Nell Gluckman (chronicle.com/author/nell-gluckman) , senior reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education
Eric Kelderman (chronicle.com/author/eric-kelderman) , senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education
For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters (chronicle.com/collegematters) . We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.
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 (chronicle.com/article/the-self-flagellating-president) (The Chronicle)
Sian Beilock’s Star Turn (chronicle.com/article/sian-beilocks-star-turn) (The Chronicle)
The University’s Voice: Principled Silence and Purposeful Speech (https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/53766/universitys-voice?srsltid=AfmBOopde-rab1cwosnxD1G6L4wO4sDdD2LfCfnOY56FUFh9yJP_8Ic6) (Johns Hopkins University Press)
Guests
Nell Gluckman (chronicle.com/author/nell-gluckman) , senior reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education
Eric Kelderman (chronicle.com/author/eric-kelderman) , senior writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education
For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters (chronicle.com/collegematters) . We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.
