S2:E4: Special Edition: A conversation with Neg Reg negotiators and a Mercer pulse check

SASFAA's Swoonpies and Money · Nov 5, 2025 · 54m

Welcome to a special edition of Swoonpies and Money. Today, we’re peeling back the curtain on one of the most consequential—and misunderstood—rituals in higher education policymaking: negotiated rulemaking. Think of “Neg Reg” as the Department of Education’s version of group therapy—except instead of talking feelings, they’re hashing out the fine print of federal regulations that will have a profound impact on all of us.To help make sense of it all, Daniel Barkowitz sits down with two of the appointed negotiators who’ve been in the room trying to shape the future of higher education policy…