Dr. Connie Ledoux Book: Elon University, Gen Z, and the Future of Higher Ed Consolidation

**One in four teenagers told researchers they had sought emotional support from a chatbot. The president of Elon University says that is a very different student than a decade ago.** Dr. Connie Ledoux Book is the president of Elon University, Ryan Vet's alma mater. She joins Ryan to answer the question he hears most from listeners and COLLIDE readers: what is going on with higher education, and will colleges still be around when his kids get there? Her starting point is a Gallup finding that public confidence in higher education is declining, and that the decline is nonpartisan. Republicans, Democrats, and independents are all trending down. She ties it to rising costs, graduates carrying debt without the career payoff they were promised, and a sector that has to do a better job of listening to employers. Her counterweight: "Not everybody needs to go to college, but everybody needs to make a living." And her bet that face-to-face education will still exist in a hundred years, even if it becomes the more expensive option. Then the conversation turns to the generation arriving on campus. More STEM-minded, more double majors, and purpose first, profession second. Elon's answer includes a free January course on finding purpose. But they also communicate through tools institutions barely reach, and Elon's own study with a Washington Post placement found teens preferring a chatbot because it will not judge them. Ryan pushes back with his friction thesis: you need friction in life, because that is how we learn. With colleges merging and closing across the country, she also explains why Elon is merging with Queens University in Charlotte, and what consolidation means for the future of higher education. The last stretch looks 25 years out. She describes trusting a self-driving car after 30 minutes, a coming $20,000 household robot, and the question she says matters most. If machines give us back our time, what will the next generation do with it? **In this episode:** - Why public confidence in higher education is falling across party lines, and what colleges owe students who take on debt - Why she believes face-to-face education will exist in a hundred years - Why college consolidation is accelerating, and the Elon and Queens University merger - How AI is forcing faculty to rethink how learning gets measured - Why Gen Z is putting purpose first and profession second - The study showing one in four teens sought emotional support from a chatbot, and Ryan's case for friction - What happens to a generation when robots hand back the time **Connect with Dr. Connie Ledoux Book:** - Elon University: elon.edu - Office of the President: elon.edu/u/administration/president **Go deeper:** Ryan writes about generational shifts in leadership, work, and culture every week in his COLLIDE newsletter. Read it free at ryanvet.com/collide. Send us Fan Mail # **About Ryan Vet** Ryan Vet is a USA TODAY bestselling author, futurist, and international keynote speaker whose insights on generations, culture, and the future of work have been featured in *Forbes, Financial Times, ABC, NBC,* and *CBS*. His research helps leaders understand emerging generational patterns and anticipate societal shifts before they fully unfold. # **Join 20,000+ Leaders for Weekly Insights** If you want deeper research and behind-the-scenes insights on generations and the future of culture and society, join Ryan’s weekly newsletter: 👉 https://ryanvet.com/collide