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College Matters from The Chronicle

College Matters from The Chronicle

By: The Chronicle of Higher Education
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Higher education is at the center of the biggest stories in the country today, and College Matters is here to make sense of it all. This podcast is a production of The Chronicle of Higher Education, the nation's leading independent newsroom covering colleges.The Chronicle of Higher Education Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Another U. of Florida Search Goes Sideways

    Another U. of Florida Search Goes Sideways
    Jun 24 2026
    The leadership carousel at the University of Florida has turned swiftly of late. Now on its second interim president in as many years, and fresh off of a failed presidential search last summer, the state’s flagship is desperate to install a permanent leader. This month, the university's Board of Trustees voted to give the job to Stuart Bell, defying critics who have assailed the former University of Alabama leader over his past support for diversity initiatives. All of this has made for a rocky process, casting doubt on Bell’s prospects for confirmation from a state-level governing board. But the battle over Bell’s appointment may say more about a political fight to control higher education than it does about diversity or even Bell himself. Related Reading U. of Florida Plays Punching Bag — Again (The Chronicle) The U. of Florida Rejected a Former DEI Champion. Will Stuart Bell Face the Same Fate? (The Chronicle) Santa Ono Wanted a Presidency. He Became a Pariah. (The Chronicle) Guest Jasper Smith, staff reporter at 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.
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    32 mins
  • Is Michigan State’s Board Broken?

    Is Michigan State’s Board Broken?
    Jun 3 2026
    College Matters listeners, we want to hear from you. Please help us to improve our show by completing a brief audience survey at chronicle.com/podcastsurvey. Last week, Kevin Guskiewicz took a pay cut to leave Michigan State University’s presidency for the top job at Clemson University. And he lobbed a grenade on the way out by criticizing the institution’s trustees, a group of eight elected officials who in recent years have been accused of dysfunction and backbiting. It’s the latest example of how partisan governing boards, willing to throw their weight around in new ways, are making presidents uncomfortable. Are those boards overstepping their bounds? Rema Vassar, an outspoken Michigan State trustee, argues that leadership tension is “a gift” — and discusses an audio recording in which she told students how they might “crucify” a past president. Related Reading He Came From the Frying Pan. Can He Manage the Fire? (The Chronicle) After an Embarrassing Report, Squabbles on Michigan State’s Board Head Toward a Political Conclusion (The Chronicle) The New Order (The Chronicle) Guests Andy Thomason, assistant managing editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education Rema Vassar, member of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters. We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.
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    55 mins
  • Dan Ariely and the Epstein Files

    Dan Ariely and the Epstein Files
    May 20 2026
    College Matters listeners, we want to hear from you. Please help us to improve our show by completing a brief audience survey at chronicle.com/podcastsurvey. Dan Ariely has made a career of examining the dark side of humanity. As a social scientist and a Duke University professor, he has drawn attention — and some criticism — for his research into subjects like lying, cheating, and criminality. Of late, though, it’s Ariely’s long-running email correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, the notorious sex offender who died in 2019, that’s drawing interest and scrutiny. What did Ariely want from Epstein? What did Epstein want from him? And why was Ariely asking Epstein for a woman’s phone number? Related Reading: Is Dan Ariely Telling the Truth? (The Chronicle) Inside the Epstein Files (College Matters) Unmasking Academe’s Gilded Boys’ Club (The Chronicle) Guest Dan Ariely, professor of business administration at Duke University For more on today’s episode, visit chronicle.com/collegematters. We aim to make transcripts available within a day of an episode’s publication.
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    51 mins
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