Reconnecting to Community

Keynote Interview: What’s Wrong – and Right – With American Higher Ed

Too much of the American higher-education system operates with “the logic of a night club,” restricting access to participants. This is one of the key criticisms from Malcolm Gladwell, author of Tipping Point, Outliers, and three other New York Times bestsellers. With higher education, one of the writer’s self-described obsessions, this session featured his critiques, what he’s learned in his reporting on how underprivileged students access the system, and his ideas for how colleges can improve.

The Evolving University

American universities have evolved into a global standard for their roles in scientific discovery, teaching, and public service. But their evolution is often incremental. In a time of rapid societal and economic change, how do they reinvent themselves?

Communicating Science in a Climate of Mistrust

Universities and scholars today face a fraught environment when discussing their research. As the pandemic highlighted, facts frequently do not always have a foothold in the public discourse, and social media provides a new express lane for misinformation to spread. This panel explored how higher-ed administrators and professors should best communicate scientific information to the public and how to enhance trust in science.

Reconnecting a Divided America

How have colleges helped create the country’s cultural and political divisions? How can colleges help repair them? Join a conversation with Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Will Bunch as he discussed his new book and the right role for higher education in society.

The Power of Audio in the Classroom

The emergence of podcasts as a powerful media format has prompted many to say we're in a "Golden Age" of audio. Pushkin Industries is at the leading edge of this movement, tapping some of the world's greatest thinkers and writers to tell stories in audio. Why are podcasts and audiobooks so popular now and how can this content be applied in the classroom?

Reconnecting Campuses, Communities, and Careers through Digital Storytelling

High-impact pedagogies that connect curriculum, community, and career offer a lot of possibilities to enable student engagement in the new era. Hear from Adobe Pedagogical Evangelist, Todd Taylor, to learn what steps institutions can take to ensure their students have the necessary skills to succeed in their careers and beyond.

Visual key takeaways

Download this visual note-taking infographic summarizing the key takeaways of each of the day’s sessions.

Other Resources

I Hate the Ivy League, a recently released audio book that collects Malcolm Gladwell’s podcasts on higher education. Use code ChronFestIvy7 to download for free.

The Edge, Goldie’s weekly newsletter on innovation in and around academe

Todd Taylor’s slides

Will Bunch’s book, After the Ivory Tower Falls, from Harpers Collins