Dean’s Fireside Chat — The Federal Government and Universities: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It

Join John N. Friedman, Vascellaro Family Dean of the Thomas J. Watson Jr. School of International and Public Affairs, for a discussion of the future of higher education with former Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal. James Kvaal served as the Under Secretary of Education from 2021 until 2025. As the Department’s third-ranking official, he led its work on higher education, student financial aid, and career education. Kvaal works to build a higher education system that helps all students graduate, find a job, and go on to a better life. His work has led to millions of borrowers receiving student loan forgiveness, more affordable repayment plans, and stronger safeguards against unaffordable debts. Kvaal also served in the White House under President Clinton and President Obama, including more than three years as deputy domestic policy adviser to President Obama. He was the policy director on President Obama’s 2012 campaign. Immediately prior to joining the Biden Administration, Kvaal was president of The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), a research and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to affordability and equity in higher education. Kvaal has taught at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy and graduated with honors from Stanford University and Harvard Law School.