What Will It Take to Rebuild Trust in Higher Education?

Aired May 12, 2026

Yale University’s Committee on Trust in Higher Education spent a year examining the forces behind declining public confidence in colleges and universities and came back with 20 recommendations for how institutions can respond. Julia Adams, cochair of the committee, walks us through the findings and what they might mean for campuses nationwide.

Here are some of the links and references from this week’s show:

Report of the Yale Committee on Trust in Higher Education (PDF)
April 10, 2026

Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations
Federal Register | May 1, 2026

The Rule That’s Blocking the Next Generation of Health Care Workers
Higher Education Today | May 12, 2026

Education Department’s Final Rule on Financial Aid Locks in Restrictive Graduate Loan Limits
ACE | May 1, 2026

Contact Congress: Help Students Access Professional Degree Programs

Justice Denied: How Trump's Office for Civil Rights Reached a 12-Year Low in Protecting Students from Discrimination

Court blocks Education Department’s data demands for over 170 more colleges
Higher Ed Dive | April 27, 2026

Hosts and Guests

Julia Adams

Margaret H. Marshall Professor of Sociology, Yale University

Guest

Julia Adams

Margaret H. Marshall Professor of Sociology, Yale University

Mushtaq Gunja

Executive Director

Carnegie Classification Systems

Mushtaq Gunja serves as executive director of the Carnegie Classification systems and senior vice president at ACE, where he is in charge of running and reimagining the Carnegie framework. Prior to joining ACE, Gunja served as assistant dean in academi...

Co-host

Mushtaq Gunja

Executive Director

Carnegie Classification Systems

Jon Fansmith

Senior Vice President

Government Relations and National Engagement

Jonathan Fansmith is the senior vice president for Government Relations and National Engagement at the American Council on Education (ACE), where he leads federal advocacy efforts on behalf of the nation's colleges and universities. He oversees ACE's e...

Co-host

Jon Fansmith

Senior Vice President

Government Relations and National Engagement

Sarah Spreitzer

Vice President and Chief of Staff

Government Relations

Sarah Spreitzer represents ACE and its members on matters related to research policy and funding, federal policy, international students, immigration, and legislative issues. Before joining ACE, Spreitzer held senior positions in higher e...

Co-host

Sarah Spreitzer

Vice President and Chief of Staff

Government Relations

Transcript

Transcript to come

About the Podcast

Each episode of dotEDU presents a deep dive into a major public policy issue impacting college campuses and students across the country. Hosts from ACE are joined by guest experts to lead you through thought-provoking conversations on topics such as campus free speech, diversity in admissions, college costs and affordability, and more. Find all episodes of the podcast at the dotEDU page.

Listen and Subscribe

Join Us for dotEDU Live

Talking about these issues is not just important—it’s necessary. Be part of the conversation: Sign up for the dotEDU Live email list to join our regular live podcast recordings.

ACE's email opt-in form uses iframes. If you do not see the form, please check your tracking or privacy settings.

Connect With Us

Send suggestions and questions to podcast@acenet.edu.

See all episodes

What Will It Take to Rebuild Trust in Higher Education?

Join Us for dotEDU Live​

​​Connect ​With Us

Join Us for dotEDU Live

Connect With Us