Jay Hamilton has prioritized two things since taking office Jan. 1 as the Freeman-Thornton Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education: listening and learning.

A professor of communication in the School of Humanities and Sciences since 2013 who also serves as director of the Stanford Journalism Program, Hamilton is both an economist who studies how markets for information work and an expert at asking insightful questions that elicit thoughtful answers. As the author of a new book that explores how students can make the most of their college experience, he also brings a unique perspective to the question: What makes the undergraduate experience at Stanford special?

“VPUE has been driven by its mission over its three decades at Stanford to create innovative pathways that introduce undergraduates to faculty and their areas of research. VPUE also fosters experiential learning opportunities across undergraduate research, service, and study away – opportunities which enable students to apply their Stanford education to their passions and pursuits. I’m grateful to be part of an organization that aims to cultivate such a deeply meaningful undergraduate journey for our students.”

In a recent interview, Hamilton talked about new initiatives within VPUE, challenges facing higher education, and his new book, which aims to help students navigate and make the most of their college years.

What drew you to this particular leadership opportunity within VPUE?

VPUE connects students with transformative experiences through many avenues: intensive writing experiences, engagement with public service, study away, support for research, advising, and seminars and courses meant to spark deep connections with ideas, classmates, and faculty. As a parent of two recent Stanford grads, I’ve seen how connecting outstanding faculty with stellar students produces insights, mentoring, and – on some days – even fun. As a faculty member, I appreciate that students here are distinctively curious, open to new ideas, people, and experiences, optimistic about their ability to understand and to change the world, and impressively unconventional. My hope is that my work as VPUE raises the probability that students connect with resources and experiences that allow them to excel and enjoy their time at Stanford.

Among VPUE’s top priorities is the multiyear initiative Leveling the Learning Landscape (L3) that you’re now co-leading. How do you hope this initiative will make a difference to faculty and students at Stanford?

L3 is designed to equalize educational access and opportunity for Stanford students, and I’m thrilled to be part of such an innovative effort. A new pre-orientation program we’re launching this summer, which builds upon the many successes of prior summer bridge programs at Stanford, will offer on-campus and online program options for students who are first-generation, or from high schools with limited course offerings, or who feel they need more preparation. This program aims to bolster students’ academic preparation, build community and a sense of belonging, and equip students with the tools and confidence they need to prosper at Stanford.

We will also be continuing the Stanford Summer Fellows Program this year, which offers an eight-week, on-campus experience for FLI students heading into sophomore year that combines taking a summer course with a faculty-mentored research placement. Our work also continues supporting faculty ingenuity through the Curriculum Transformation Project, which provides funding for faculty teams to experiment and design introductory courses that are more accessible and equitable.

Beyond your teaching and research, you’ve worked with a variety of VPUE programs. Which experiences have proven most meaningful or illuminating?

Chairing the First-Year Requirement Governance Board helped me see how the COLLEGE program has evolved with significant input from staff, lecturers, faculty, and students. And when I hit a roadblock in my course Comm 124: Perspectives on American Journalism, a consultation and reading list from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) gave me successful tips on making class discussions and assignments more engaging.

In addition, teaching in the Stanford in Kyoto program last spring helped me see how staff and faculty in the Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) work to help students learn about themselves and about the wider world. In week three in Kyoto I overestimated my language abilities. I went to the barber for a trim and emerged with a shaved head, underscoring for the students the importance of their daily language classes.

What challenges and opportunities are you eager to help Stanford navigate in the coming years?

The challenges are many, including teaching writing in an era of generative AI, fostering constructive dialogue in an age of polarization, and winning a battle for time and attention in a swirling, algorithmic world of social media. The good news is Stanford’s focus on liberal education takes on these challenges by offering courses that cultivate critical thinking skills, self-knowledge and moral development, citizenship, and an intrinsic love of learning. The great news is if you’re a student interested in civic life and public service, there are an increasing number of courses and experiences to explore through efforts such as ePluribus Stanford, COLLEGE, the Haas Center for Public Service, the Stanford Civics Initiative, and the Democracy Hub.

You have a new book coming out in March called You Got In! Now What? 100 Insights into Finding Your Best Life in College. What interested you in exploring this topic?

During Stanford’s Long-Range Planning process I proposed the university create a book of essays about navigating college for students to read the summer before they arrive on campus. That idea was not adopted, but I became interested in the puzzle of what insights would help students on their journey. I read more than 300 books by Stanford alums and professors, decades of graduation and convocation speeches, and scores of student opinion pieces from the Stanford Daily. The resulting book focuses on how to get an education, not just a degree, with sections focused on meaning, purpose, thinking, choosing, connecting, identity, and citizenship. Each lesson is one sentence, accompanied by a 300-word essay and an illustration by Stanford alum Jim Toomey, the creator of the syndicated cartoon Sherman’s Lagoon.

What would you most like students to know about you that they may not have discovered in one of your classes?

I arrived at college hoping to become a doctor. When I took introductory economics to fulfill a distribution requirement, I discovered a new way of looking at the world that led me to change my major. After college I worked as a research analyst in a management consulting firm, with plans to get an MBA. The first time I stepped on Stanford’s campus was actually as an admitted MBA student. Comparing my management consulting experience with the time I spent on my senior honors thesis, I realized that I would be happier pursuing a PhD in economics because of the freedom to explore ideas that I found interesting. My hope is that on a campus with the motto “The wind of freedom blows” students will realize they have more freedom than they realize to change majors, careers – and the world.