Gabe Spalding’s Post

I continue to believe in the value of a bachelor's degree - it has made a significant difference in my life and I am forever grateful for my time at Trinity University. I have posted recently in disagreement with narrative that "college is not worth it" - this article provides excellent context on this issue that plays out in the media daily - https://lnkd.in/gC7rPWt8

SHOUT OUT to University of California, Davis for being recognized within the TOP TEN BEST PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES in the United States‼️🎉🎈 ALL of the PUBLIC universities that rank higher are missing out on the full opportunity of #InclusiveCollege. 1. UCLA - who is ranked number one - has a two-year program. 2. UC BERKELEY - home of the #DisabilityRights movement - has NO #InclusiveCollege program 3. University of Michigan - NO #InclusiveCollege program 4. University of Virginia - NO #InclusiveCollege program 5. University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill - has a summer program 6. UC San Diego - NO #InclusiveCollege program TIE for #7. University of Florida - NO #InclusiveCollege program and University of Texas, Austin - has a three-semester program TIE for #9. Georgia Tech and UC Davis - BOTH have FOUR-YEAR with RESIDENTIAL LIVING #InclusiveCollege Programs‼️ Your #Education is BETTER when you are living and learning with peers who have #IntellectualDisabilities. The teaching gets better. The opportunities are better. The learning gets better. My Hot Take 🔥 Some day (and it won’t be long) #USNewsAndWorldReport will include #InclusiveCollegePrograms in their calculations for what makes the BEST universities in the nation. Over here at UC Davis, we will be ready. 💙🌲💛

It's true that some people go to college just to get a job. But isn't it more beneficial to individuals and to society to also get an education? That way, you become the kind of employee that can think, collaborate, communicate, innovate, and care deeply about our world. But none of this has any value if higher education is out of reach. Le Moyne College's President, Dr. Linda LeMura, shared this Op Ed about how to address waning trust in higher education: accessibility and affordability. (Let me also highlight that 97% of Le Moyne students are employed or in graduate school within 6 months of commencement.) #lemoyne #criticalthinking #liberalarts #value #access

I love Laura and Kelly's book Broke: The Racial Consequences of Underfunding Public Universities. It stays on top of my bookshelf today. This book is a great resource for making the case to state legislatures about the decline of state funding over the past four decades at state universities for other priorities such as health care and prisons. It is essential to understand that education and healthcare are interconnected. Investing in education not only leads to positive outcomes for healthcare but also reduces the likelihood of recidivating by 43%. Furthermore, individuals who drop out of high school are 63% more likely to be incarcerated compared to their peers with four-year college degrees. So why not hit the gas and invest more in higher education and not less?

As a university president, I am deeply aware of the responsibility higher education has to foster intellectual freedom and civil discourse. Dartmouth’s new institutional restraint policy, developed by our faculty, reflects this commitment by ensuring that Dartmouth remains a home for diverse perspectives—a place for critics, not the critic itself. Not taking a side on hotly contested political and social issues is the boldest choice university leaders can make. Restraint in institutional statements allows us to focus on what matters most: preparing the next generation of leaders, advancing innovation, and serving as a bridge in an increasingly divided society. This policy creates space for open dialogue and critical thinking, empowering our students and faculty to engage freely without institutional bias. It’s about fostering an environment where diverse voices thrive—and where real solutions to complex challenges can emerge. As Megan Zahneis notes in The Chronicle of Higher Education, this approach reinforces Dartmouth College’s role as a place for open debate and intellectual exploration.

The news is out! Wabash College has climbed higher in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings. 55th in national liberal arts colleges— the top third of all liberal arts colleges! Other rankings to celebrate: Best Value (29th) 💰 Undergraduate Teaching Programs (61st) 📚 Social Mobility (63rd) 📈 Our commitment to student success, excellent teaching, and providing pathways to a brighter future is stronger than ever. 🔗: https://lnkd.in/gT2HDdpu

How might the presence of tenure in higher education institutions both support and hinder the pursuit of academic excellence and innovation in today's rapidly evolving educational landscape?

Interesting read

A great summary of the challenges we face in higher education. These challenges are also opportunities for innovation and evolution. An exciting time to be in this space.

This article from The New York Times brilliantly highlights the timeless relevance of a liberal arts education. It underscores the value of engaging with great books that tackle life's fundamental questions and champions a broad-based education over immediate specialisation in college. Consider this thought-provoking excerpt: "Although we like to set ourselves apart from the past by appeals to modernity, the fundamental questions that we find ourselves asking are not always modern, and the latest answer is not always right. But how would you know how to think beyond the readily presented check boxes if you haven’t done the work of laying things out and putting them back together for yourself?" This piece is a must-read for anyone contemplating the true purpose of higher education: https://lnkd.in/gc8R2jix