In this episode, Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn speak with Dartmouth University President Sian Beilock about how she’s led her campus through controversial world events, the rise of AI, and increased doubt in the value of a college degree. Beilock also discusses her perspective on the role of the modern college president and emphasizes the importance of listening to student voices, maintaining clarity of mission, and aligning campuses with the realities of the outside world.
Commenting on the shared purpose of higher education institutions, Beilock emphasizes that “our mission is education and knowledge production. We’re not a political institution. We’re not a social action organization, even though those are important…I think we have a responsibility as higher ed leaders to talk about what we can do to regain the trust of the American people.”