17 What if Higher Ed Started Over on the West Coast? With Dan Greenstein
Is college still the best investment we can make in our future—or a broken promise on borrowed time?
In this episode of Pacific Time, Greg speaks with Dan Greenstein, former Chancellor of Pennsylvania’s state university system and a seasoned voice in U.S. higher education. From ballooning student debt to declining public trust, Greenstein unpacks the long arc of American higher ed—from its postwar heyday to its current crisis of confidence.
We explore how federal disinvestment, demographic shifts, and partisan distrust have collided to upend a once-revered institution—and what it will take to rebuild value and values in the college experience while facing down existential threats from the Trump administration. For West Coast families, students, and civic leaders, the stakes couldn’t be higher. If we want higher education to serve all of us again, we may need to start reimagining it from the ground up.
Highlights
Highlights
- The long boom—and sudden bust—of U.S. higher ed
- Why 40% of students never finish college—and what that means
- The $1.7 trillion elephant in the room: student debt
- How culture wars are eroding public trust in universities
- What red states are getting wrong—and right—about college
- The hidden role of public colleges in saving lives and communities
- What a West Coast–led higher ed renaissance could look like
Guest Bio
Dan Greenstein is the former Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, overseeing 14 public universities. He’s a historian by training, the former head of Higher Ed at the Gates Foundation, a senior leader in the University of California system, and a long-time champion of public colleges and universities. Greenstein has written and spoken widely about higher ed reform, institutional accountability, and rebuilding public trust in a polarized America.
Suggested Resources
Suggested Resources
- Gallup Study of Public Trust in Higher Ed
- Inside Higher Ed: Various Approaches to Measuring ROI in Higher Ed
- Dan Greenstein Blog
- Dan Greenstein on LinkedIn
Related Pacific Time Episodes
- Ep 13: What If National Service Jump Started the West Coast Workforce? With Nicole Trimble
- Ep 09: A West Coast Wake-up Call as the US Scrambles the World Order? With John Zysman
- Ep 02: How Can the West Coast Redesign Itself? With Mickey McManus
Join the movement:
Participate in active, civil conversations with your neighbors on the West Coast who are asking ‘What if…?’
For example, what would make higher ed better worth the price? If you could subscribe to higher education throughout your adult life, what would you have studied and what would you want to study?
Subscribe (for free) and let’s discuss on Substack.
Follow:
Pacific Time is making good trouble asking questions about the future of the West Coast on BlueSky, Instagram, and Facebook
Listen:
Pacific Time Podcast is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many other platforms. Follow, share, and leave a review.
Thanks to:
Participate in active, civil conversations with your neighbors on the West Coast who are asking ‘What if…?’
For example, what would make higher ed better worth the price? If you could subscribe to higher education throughout your adult life, what would you have studied and what would you want to study?
Subscribe (for free) and let’s discuss on Substack.
Follow:
Pacific Time is making good trouble asking questions about the future of the West Coast on BlueSky, Instagram, and Facebook
Listen:
Pacific Time Podcast is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and many other platforms. Follow, share, and leave a review.
Thanks to:
- Our Sponsor: Share It Music
- Our Featured Music Guest from Share It: San Gabriel
- Producer: Tim Wohlfarth