Cornell President on College-Degree Wealth Gap

The transcript discusses challenges in higher education, focusing on rising tuition costs linked to reduced public funding and cheap student loans. It highlights Cornell's efforts to reduce costs through automation and financial aid. The conversation critiques current university ranking metrics, emphasizing the need for better measures focusing on outcomes and diversity. It also explores demographic trends in university admissions and the importance of free speech on campuses, stressing that suppressing speech often silences marginalized voices.

What is one of the strategies Cornell is using to manage rising tuition costs?

• Increasing class sizes

• Reducing faculty salaries

• Implementing automation outside the classroom

• Eliminating financial aid

How does financial aid impact the cost of attending Cornell?

• It only benefits international students

• It reduces the cost for students with financial need

• It has no effect on the cost

• It increases the overall cost

What is a significant issue with the current U.S. News and World Report ranking system?

• It overemphasizes campus facilities

• It focuses too much on student diversity

• It penalizes schools for reducing costs

• It ignores faculty qualifications

What demographic trend has affected university admissions in recent years?

• Decrease in domestic applications

• Increase in applications from emerging markets

• Decline in interest from millennials

• Stable application rates from international students

Why does the President of Cornell University support free speech on campus?

• To protect the university's reputation

• To maintain traditional values

• To avoid legal issues

• To promote social justice and truth