Welcome to 2025

The future of higher education faces uncertainty as 2025 approaches, emphasizing the need for innovation, inclusivity, and economic mobility. The episode discusses the critical role of artificial intelligence, the challenges rejective institutions will face, and the ongoing fight for equity.

• Reflection on 2024 achievements and past guests 
• Challenges and opportunities for higher education in 2025 
• The role of AI in transforming learning experiences 
• Economic mobility and value as guiding principles 
• The defensive position of less inclusive institutions 
• The importance of inclusivity in educational spaces 
• Ongoing struggle for equity and its broader societal implications 
• Call for listener engagement and active participation in educational reform

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:10

Hi, this is the lawyer, cheese Oakley, and welcome back to the RENT podcast, the podcast where we pull back the curtain and break down the people, the policies and the politics of our higher education system. 2025 is here. Happy New Year. Thank you to all of our listeners and our viewers. You made 2024 a year to remember here on the Rant podcast. We saw tremendous growth on the podcast and it's thanks to all of you. I also want to thank our great guests throughout the year, everyone from US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to motivational speaker Tim Story and all of our great guests in between. We had some really amazing conversations with some interesting and impactful people from throughout the country. I also want to thank our sponsors, who, without their support, we wouldn't Alliant International University, branded and, last but not least, college Futures.

Speaker 1: 1:34

2025 will bring even more great guests and I can't wait to sit down with them here on the rant, because there will be no shortage of issues to rant about in 2025. There will be no shortage of issues to rant about in 2025. Speaking of 2025, I know that there is a lot of uncertainty in the world of higher education and while some of that uncertainty will be cause for concern, there will be many more issues that will take shape in favor of the learners that we care about here on the Rant. Innovation in education will continue to march forward and take shape. Ai will be embedded in every aspect of learning and there will be an ongoing, sometimes uneasy, partnership between the private, public and non-profit sectors in higher education. Economic mobility and value will become the newest North Stars and, at the same time, also become the most overused terms in higher education. The most rejective colleges and universities will be on the defensive, while the most inclusive institutions will be in the spotlight. Humanity will be under attack, but the drive for equity will overwhelm hate and the push to divide us along ethnic, racial and economic lines will fail. There will be many, many themes and headlines throughout the year that turn our stomachs, but democracy will survive and, along the way, a great post-secondary experience will continue to be a key lever to access economic mobility and the American dream, no matter where you came from in this country. I look forward to continuing the conversation with all of you in 2025 and to many, many, many more rants throughout the year.

Speaker 1: 3:31

Thanks for joining us everyone. Continue to follow us on this YouTube channel. Hit subscribe so you don't miss an episode of the rant podcast. If you're listening to us on your favorite podcast platform, continue to follow us, hit, subscribe and, as always, leave me your comments in the comment section, or you can always reach me at Eloy at fourleggedmediacom or visit our website at wwwfourleggedmediacom. I look forward to joining you here on the Wren and engaging with you throughout the year. Let us know how we're doing, suggest great guests and I look forward to seeing you all again shortly on the next episode of the Rant podcast. Take care, everyone, and Happy New Year. Thank you.