135. Bo Rutledge, The Transformative Power of Higher Ed

Show Notes:

Bo Rutledge, a professor and dean at the University of Georgia Law School, opens the conversation by talking about his parents, who made sacrifices to support their children's education, and how he felt called to serve and worked for the governor in California where he met many inspiring civil servants.  

A Graduate Degree and Long-Distance Relationship
In Scotland, he obtained a graduate degree and met his wife Birgit, who is Austrian. They had a wonderful year together overseas and then spent three years in a long-distance relationship while Bo attended law school and Brigit studied to become a teacher. After graduating, Bo clerked for two years, and briefly practiced law in Europe. After the birth of their first child, Bo and Birgit decided to become teachers, Bo as a law professor and Brigit as a foreign language teacher. They have both been teaching for nearly 22 years.

Inspiring Students as a Professor and Dean
Bo's parents instilled in him an appreciation for education and the power of education. As a professor and dean, he has worked to inspire students about the power of education and the ability to realize their full potential without letting debt hinder them in their careers. In the ten years he has served as Dean, his efforts have led to a significant reduction in student debt and the creation of a generation of people who feel the freedom Bo experienced thanks to his parents.

A Law School Crisis
Bo faced a crisis in 2014-15 due to a decline in law school applications. Legal education had experienced a 40% drop in national and 50% drop in local applications. To overcome this, Bo focused on the institution's values. Inspired by the belief that “public higher education is the greatest engine of upward socio-economic mobility in our society”, he acknowledged that tuition increases contributed to the student debt crisis and decided not to increase tuition for the students at the University of Georgia Law School.

Building Support for Students
In conjunction with a freeze on tuition fees, the school also communicated with the school's supportive alumni cohort, who provided financial support, job opportunities, and counsel. They had a team of 125 people, including faculty and staff, who cared about the impact they could have on students' lives who helped support measures taken to accommodate the low intake of students. They cut 7.5% of their operating budget in the first 18 months, and invested in revenue-generating opportunities and fundraisers. As Dean, Bo measured success ruthlessly, using values rather than spending per student. They focused on student success, job creation, and debt reduction. This approach helped the university navigate the crisis and refine its message. Bo talks about how the recession caused a decline in public investment in public institutions, and how he helped drive support for students and inspire students.

One Student Success Story
Bo shares the reason why one student decided to go to law school, and how the relationship with alumni presented a strong support group for this student. This story has galvanized Bo’s resolve to focus on helping students over the years. Bo mentions that one focus of the school is to support first-generation graduates. He emphasizes that higher education is truly special in a world where most people in prior generations and societies couldn't afford or attend college, and it offers the opportunity to connect with a mentor.  

The Higher Education Affordability Crisis
Bo believes that the affordability crisis in higher education is fixable and has written published articles on this topic. He believes that the student loan industry is a mixed blessing. It allows people access to institutions they otherwise couldn't afford, but it also makes it easier for institutions to raise tuition. He also highlights the lack of clear ownership lines or a clear line of accountability to boards and shareholders in most higher education institutions. He learned that, as a dean, one must figure out their accountability mechanisms and constituencies in a world without a simplified structure. In summary, Bo's experience as dean has taught him about the economics of institutions, the difficulty of shaping the culture, and the importance of accountability in higher education institutions.

Travel Personally and Professionally
Bo has traveled extensively for nearly 40 years. He spent his first couple of years in Vienna, Austria, practicing law at an international law firm. Two places that stuck with him were Budapest, Hungary, and Ostrova, Czech Republic. He shares stories of the people he met and how their experience gave him insight into living under communist rule. He has also traveled to countries like Poland and India, where their university traditions are both historically rich and still very nascent, and how they are inspired by the education system in the U.S. Bo has had the privilege of meeting people from different backgrounds and this has allowed him to understand the challenges and opportunities faced by students in different countries, and to bring these experiences back to the university.

Influential Harvard Professors and Courses
Bo mentions professors Michael Sandel, Dennis Thompson, and Stanley Hoffmann. He cites Sandel's justice class as an inspiration for a course he teaches to undergrads on moral dilemmas, which, in addition to the course topics, focuses on teaching the ability to discuss and debate socially divisive topics. He mentions Dennis Thompson's teachings on Political Ethics and Public Policy, Stanley Hoffman's teachings on Ethics and International relations, and Paul Pierson and Mark Peterson. Pierson taught Bo how to have faith in his ideas, while Peterson taught him how to write. He believes that Harvard is both intellectually intimidating and liberating, as it allows students to confront ethically nettlesome issues.

Timestamps:

03:26: Early Career and Mentorship 

05:02: Service and Educational Reform

16:33: Inspiring Students and Overcoming Challenges 

23:55: Lessons Learned as Dean 

28:53: Influential Books and Personal Growth 

34:05: Travel and Professional Experiences 

41:27: Influential Professors and Courses 

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Featured Non-profit: 

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is recommended by Bill Ashmankas who reports:

“Hi. I'm Bill Ashmanskas, class of 1992. The featured nonprofit of this episode of the 92 report is the Delaware Valley golden retriever rescue since 1993 DVGRR has successfully placed 1000s of golden retrievers and other DVGRR dogs into new homes throughout eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and beyond. DVGRR has been recognized for its innovative work in rescuing and rehabilitating puppy mill breeder dogs. Allison and I adopted our first DVGRR dog in 2015 and our current dog in 2021 both retired breeder dogs, and we've been regular donors since 2015 you can learn more about their work at D, V, G, R, R.org, and now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode.” 

To learn more about their work, visit: www. DVGRR.org.