Ep. 152: Higher Ed Now and What’s Next

In this episode of The Key, we turn the tables on host Sara Custer, editor in chief at Inside Higher Ed, as she joins David Hummels, professor of economics and dean emeritus at Purdue University, and Jay Akridge, trustee chair in teaching and learning excellence, professor of agricultural economics and former provost at Purdue, in conversation with host Colleen Flaherty, senior editor, special content, at Inside Higher Ed. They discuss the findings from the Inside Higher Ed/Hanover Research 2025 Survey of College and University Presidents, which show that two in three presidents doubt the value of tenure, half think that higher ed has a real affordability problem and a mere 3 percent say that higher ed has been highly effective at responding to the growing education divide in the electorate.

Hummels and Akridge are also co-authors of a Substack newsletter called Finding Equilibrium, which seeks to provide data-driven, research-informed takes on where higher education is and where it’s going. They’ve done recent deep dives into tenure, the college value debate and more.

The conversation doesn’t suggest that there’s any silver lining to what’s happening to higher education at the moment. But it does highlight opportunities for action, including local engagement, pricing transparency, career readiness and targeted sharing of the tangible benefits of higher education to counteract declining public confidence.

This episode is sponsored by Strada Education Foundation.