10 Higher Ed Podcasts to Keep University Leaders Up-To-Date

While we hope everyone in Student Affairs and Higher Ed is getting some well-deserved rest and relaxation this summer you might also be looking for ways to stay informed on trends, tips, and advice, as well as stay connected to your Higher Ed community. 

With a little help from our Higher Ed Co-op, we’ve compiled a list of 10 higher ed podcasts that you can stream at your leisure, to help you stay up to date, get back into the work mindset and prepare for the new school year.

SA: Voices from the Field

As a Student Affairs professional, your experience significantly differs from your fellow colleagues and friends in the field. With this podcast meet a new education professional each episode as they share their unique career journey, as well as learn about their diverse experiences and delve into current trends and challenges within higher education today. 

California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Podcast

Curious about the Community College system, specifically those in California? In each episode, Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley is joined by a California educator/stakeholder guest speaker and in it, they navigate central topics within two-year California Community Colleges. Recent conversations include the impact of the pandemic on higher education and supporting adult learners.

Teaching in Higher Ed

With over 300 episodes, Teaching in Higher Ed focuses on the exploration of the art and science of increasing the effectiveness of facilitating learning. The podcast also shares ways to maximize productivity to improve personal and professional development. Each episode features a guest and a subject matter within the categories of digital pedagogy, work and life, teaching, and students.

The Crux of the Story

Hosted by PR veterans and professors, Gary Sheffer and Mike Fernandez, dive into headline media trends and issues within communications affecting journalism, business, politics, and society as a whole. They invite special guests with expertise in PR, journalism, business, or academia to share their perspectives. For those in the communications industry, especially aspiring professionals, this podcast will help you stay up-to-date on the latest trends in your field and the world beyond.

With a Side of Knowledge

In most of our experiences, good conversation and brunch make for a winning combination. From the University of Notre Dame, this podcast originally invited scholars, creators, and professionals typically visiting the campus for an appearance or guest lecture for brunch and they recorded a half-hour casual interview. With four seasons, this fun and innovative podcast concept pivoted their process during the pandemic for a remote recording. Although they switched up their clever method, for the time being, the episodes are still engaging to listen to.

The Higher Ed Entrepreneur 

Maybe you’re thinking about pursuing your own entrepreneurial venture outside of higher ed? We even have a podcast recommendation for you. The Higher Ed Entrepreneur is a collective of entrepreneurs, creative side hustlers, and dedicated Student Affairs professionals whose mission is to help Student Affairs pros to thrive whether it’s establishing your side hustle or pursuing your entrepreneurial business full-time.

School’s In

Led by Stanford’s Graduate School of Education, the two hosts of this award-winning podcast, Dean Dan Schwartz and Denise Pope, hone in on pressing topic matters with a special guest to dig in and examine it from their expertise. Podcast episodes include spotting fake news online, the need for Black teachers, and the discussion of standardized testing in correlation with admissions. As the Dean and Senior Lecturer of Stanford Graduate School of Education, they offer their own experiences to the conversations when applicable, contribute their views to each talk, and ask thoughtful questions building a dynamic conversation.

The EdTech Podcast

Education and technology go hand-in-hand and this #edtechpod’s mission aims to enhance the conversations between “ed” and “tech” to help bolster innovation and impact. Running for over five years, not only does its audience consist of educators worldwide, but startups, investors, government, media, and so many others tune in to hear about the latest conversations in ed tech.

PhDivas Podcast

In this WOC-run podcast, Dr. Liz Wayne (Carnegie Mellon University) and Dr. Christine “Xine” Yao (University College London), joins forces to deep-dive into topics around academia, social justice, and culture across the STEM/humanities fields. While Wayne brings engineering expertise, and Yao shares her English literature prowess, through humorous and captivating dialogue the two PhDivas draw you into their conversation. 

The Higher Ed Geek Podcast

Born out of host Dustin Ramsdell’s unique background, a mesh of his appreciation for geeky stuff, and his work in Student Affairs, the Higher Ed Geek Podcast was formed. This space is dedicated to connecting to other professionals, their stories, and geek out over their nerdy pursuits to foster a positive environment.