King Alexander
F. King Alexander has been a president and chancellor of four public universities in the United States for over two decades including Louisiana State University, Murray State University in Kentucky and California State University, Long Beach, which recently led the nation in improving student social mobility in the Social Mobility Index rankings. He currently serves as a professor of educational leadership, finance, law and public policy at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida. Additionally, he is a Senior Faculty Fellow at the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama, a faculty researcher at the University of Oxford’s Centre for Global Higher Education (UK) and a former Faculty Affiliate at the Cornell University Higher Education Research Institute for two decades. He has authored or co-authored five books and authored thirty-two book chapters and academic journal articles. He also has testified to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate three times on the issue of rising college costs and has been a contributor to many media outlets including The Economist, The Washington Post, the Financial Times, Politico, Inside Higher Education, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Hechinger Report and the Times Higher Education (THE) of the London Times. His areas of academic expertise are higher education and education policy, finance and law. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Oxford (UK) and St. Lawrence University in New York.
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College And University Leadership And Why College Is Still Important
In this talk, I will explore the value of education and higher education and why educational attainment and public policy really matters—for both individuals and society. I bring over two decades of experience leading large universities in places like Kentucky, California, Louisiana, Oregon, as well as education policy experience in Washington D.C. to the conversation. I will share what I’ve learned as a university president and education policy, finance and law professor along the way. It’s a way to learn what colleges and universities are offering students today and what information is needed to make the best collegiate decisions that will matter the most after graduation.
The College Cost Crisis
This talk examines the roots of today’s student debt crisis and the broader policy failures that are both federal and state decisions that have contributed to a financial crisis for younger generations. I also will discuss the larger economic and demographic impacts this is having on society going forward.
I’ve written and researched on this topic, with pieces published in the London Times and World University New. That work helped shape the award-winning documentary Fail State, which was named “Education Documentary of the Year” in 2017. I was the chief consultant, and the film was executive produced by Dan Rather from CBS News. I’ll also offer state and federal policy recommendations on how to change future policies.
The Department Of Education: Where Do We Go From Here?
This lecture takes a substantive examination of the U.S. Department of Education—how it got to where it is today and what needs to change. We’ll dig into the policies that have shaped higher education, the challenges we’re facing now, and what a better path forward could look like.
Grounded in both research and practical engagement with education and higher education policy and leadership, this talk invites thoughtful discussion about the future of where and how these federal education responsibilities will be adapted by 50 different states.
The Impact Of Covid & What We Can Learn From International Education Models
This lecture explores how COVID-19 has impacted early educational outcomes, especially through the shift to online and remote learning. We’ll look at what countries around the world have learned from using tools like Zoom and other non-face-to-face teaching methods. It’ll also look at what we can learn from overseas education models: Do we really need 13 years of school before college—and then four (or more) years after that? The senior year of high school is often seen as the least useful, and in places like the UK, students finish college in just three years. Is it time to rethink the whole structure?
What Colleges And Universities Are Worth The Money?
College is a big investment—so how do you know which schools are actually worth the cost? This talk dives into what makes a college a smart choice financially and academically. We’ll look at factors like debt, job outcomes, and real value, not just rankings or brand names. It’s all about helping students and families make better, more informed decisions. I have authored many articles about college and university rankings and published international Op-Eds and worked with the Times Higher Education magazine as part of the London Times to rank international universities.