EAB’s Ed Venit is joined by University of Montana President Seth Bodnar who talks about his unorthodox journey to higher education leadership. A West Point graduate and former Green Beret, Seth shares strategies he has used to grow enrollment, improve student retention, and help UM achieve R1 classification as a research university. He and Ed also discuss why declining college-going rates place the US at a competitive disadvantage and threaten national security.
Oct 03, 2023•37 min
EAB’s Tara Zirkel is joined by Dr. Tiffany Ray-Patterson, VP of Student Services at Germanna Community College, to discuss her “One Front Door” approach to student onboarding that is breaking down institutional silos and connecting more students to the guidance they need. The two contrast the “One Front Door” method versus traditional bifurcated onboarding and share some of the tangible improvements the new approach is having on students. Dr. Ray also shares valuable insights for community colle...
Sep 19, 2023•30 min
EAB’s Vashae Dixon and Brett Schraeder discuss the ways in which financial aid professionals are adapting to the recent SCOTUS ruling barring consideration of race or ethnicity in university admissions. The two share best practices for institutions on how to navigate the intersection between financial aid optimization and diversity. They also talk about criticisms they are hearing from university leaders in response to guidance offered to date by the Department of Justice.
Sep 08, 2023•28 min
EAB’s Madeleine Rhyneer and Autumn Baggett-Griggs explore findings from a recent poll that identifies the top concerns of enrollment leaders. The two discuss the growth of the non-consumption market, the challenges of recruiting Gen P students—those heavily impacted by the pandemic—as well as unexpected impacts from the recent Supreme Court ruling on ways that colleges engage with prospective students. They also share advice for admissions leaders on how to address these challenges.
Aug 29, 2023•42 min
EAB’s Paul Gunther is joined by Missouri State University Provost John Jasinski to talk through a highly successful transformation effort that resulted in more than $5 million in cost savings at MSU without cutting staff or programs. The two discuss how MSU leadership earned the cooperation and support from faculty and other university stakeholders. They also share advice for other institutional leaders on how to avoid common pitfalls and build flexibility into the strategic plan for any transfo...
Aug 22, 2023•36 min
EAB’s Emily Mittermaier welcomes Long Beach City College Dean of Student Equity, Sonia De La Torre, and the Director of First-Year Experience at the school, Esteban Alfaro, to discuss the transformation of the school’s approach to student success. They examine the role of technology, goal setting, and how they collected data to measure the impact of their efforts on students and the institution. The three also share tips for other schools on how to gain buy-in from stakeholders, act on their fee...
Aug 15, 2023•36 min
EAB’s Jonathan April is joined by Kimberly Williams from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan to talk about creative ways to attract out-of-state students from underserved populations. Their discussion is focused primarily on the school’s use of fly-in programs and all-access weekends in which prospective students and their parents are invited (all expenses paid) to travel to the campus to explore, meet staff and students, and participate in fun group activities. A current M...
Aug 08, 2023•36 min
EAB’s Ed Venit, Becky Carpenter, and Jessica King encourage colleges to treat belongingness as a key component of student mental health. The three share tips for identifying students who may feel like they’re not fitting in and offer outreach strategies to help them feel like they belong. They also discuss ways to differentiate between students who may be naturally introverted but feel just fine with their level of engagement, versus those who are feeling isolated and may be at risk of dropping ...
Aug 01, 2023•35 min
In this second of a three-part series focused on student mental health, EAB’s Ed Venit, Lindsay Schappell, and Matt Mustard share ways to encourage and support help-seeking behavior by students. The three touch on the role of technology, the importance of promoting self-service resources effectively, and how to follow up with students to see what additional help they might appreciate. They also offer tips to university leaders on how to engage students and support them along their journey to bec...
Jul 25, 2023•30 min
EAB’s Lindsay Schappell, Matt Mustard, and Ed Venit explore the eight dimensions of wellness as they related to keeping students engaged, healthy, and on path academically. The three offer data that highlight the magnitude of the student mental health challenge and the extent of staffing challenges that are decimating college counseling centers. They also share tips for university leaders on better ways to identify students who may be struggling and support those students with a coordinated care...
Jul 18, 2023•28 min
EAB’s Wenie Lado is joined by Dr. Brian Peterson from the University of Pennsylvania where he teaches, advises students, and serves as the Director of Penn’s Makuu Black Cultural Center. The two discuss Dr. Peterson’s work at Penn and what they’ve each learned through their respective research on ways race and ethnicity help shape everything about a student’s academic development. Recorded prior to the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in admissions, the two also speculate on pot...
Jul 11, 2023•47 min
EAB’s Pam Royall and Camilla Arias unpack findings from a new survey conducted jointly by EAB and NAGAP to assess the current environment for those working in graduate enrollment. The two examine ways that schools are adjusting recruiting tactics and course modalities to meet evolving student preferences. They also offer tips on how to engage with senior leaders to ensure that graduate enrollment growth goals are supported by external market data and reflect internal staffing constraints.
Jun 27, 2023•21 min
EAB’s Paul Gunther hosts a conversation with Drexel University President John Fry and Saxbys founder and CEO Nick Bayer about the Saxbys Experiential Learning Platform–-a network of cafés entirely designed for and run by college students. The cafés provide undergraduates with real-world experience and tangible lessons in entrepreneurship that complement their classroom learning. Though still in its infancy, the project has employed 500 students and paid almost $2M in salaries to date, all while ...
Jun 20, 2023•38 min
EAB’s Kathy Ruby and Madeleine Rhyneer explore changes to FAFSA forms themselves and to how the federal government calculates eligibility for student financial aid. They highlight winners and losers under the new federal formula and examine how the changes may impact different types of institutions. They also share advice for university leaders on how to communicate with students and parents who are struggling to understand what the coming changes may mean for them.
Jun 13, 2023•36 min
Generation Hope founder and CEO Nicole Lynn Lewis joins EAB’s Christina Hubbard to discuss the unique challenges and needs of students who are providing and caring for at least one child while they attempt to earn a degree. The two provide context around the relative size and educational outcomes of this vulnerable but highly motivated cohort. They also point to smart steps (some simple and some more complex) that forward-thinking universities are taking to value student-parents and the contribu...
Jun 06, 2023•29 min
EAB’s Tara Zirkel is joined by Center for Community College Student Engagement Executive Director Dr. Linda Garcia, as well as Associate Director of Publications, Dr. Courtney Adkins, to discuss new research on student engagement. The three unpack recent criticisms leveled at the community college sector and share new data that point to a number of bright spots. They also offer advice to community college leaders on ways to make measurable improvements in student retention and enrollment.
May 23, 2023•36 min
Drs. Raijanel Crockem and Naomi Lawrence-Lee from Texas Southern University join EAB’s Joanie Garcia to discuss their work to strengthen TSU’s approach to student success. The three share tips on collecting and using data to convince faculty and senior leaders to become enthusiastic partners in the effort. They also touch on the role of technology in identifying struggling students quickly and connecting those students with the right advisors and resources to get them back on track.
May 16, 2023•39 min
Reporter Jon Marcus joins EAB’s Tara Zirkel to explore the root causes behind steep enrollment declines and poor student outcomes at community colleges. Marcus points to deficiencies in the culture and processes at many two-year schools that make it harder than it has to be for students to earn their associate degree or transfer to a four-year institution. Zirkel and Marcus also discuss low-cost customer service best practices from the private sector that community colleges can implement to deli...
May 09, 2023•36 min
EAB’s Katie Herrmann is joined by Dr. Carl Dindo, the Director of Counseling Services for Northern Arizona University, to discuss innovative approaches to meeting student mental health needs. Dindo and his team have focused on connecting students with the right information, counseling, and other mental health resources in places and ways that students find most helpful. Among the strategies they’ve implemented are getting counselors out of their office more often and “embedding” them in places w...
May 02, 2023•31 min
EAB’s Michael Fischer and Maya Graham discuss findings from a new survey of higher education facilities leaders. The survey explores topics such as talent retention, carbon neutrality efforts, deferred maintenance, space utilization, and computerized maintenance management systems. Maya and Michael offer insights and advice for facilities managers on ways to prioritize and make meaningful progress on all these challenges.
Apr 25, 2023•28 min
EAB’s Carla Hickman joins David Kuehl to trace the evolution of online program managers and offer advice to today’s university leaders on how to partner with OPMs to boost online enrollment. Carla and David explore the current regulatory environment as well as different contract models that minimize upfront costs without sacrificing long-term revenue growth potential. The two also urge listeners to build accurate financial models to help you forecast when your OPM partnership should begin genera...
Apr 18, 2023•28 min
EAB’s Michael Koppenheffer and Colin Koproske discuss ways that virtual reality is already transforming higher ed. Colin recently hosted a delegation of university presidents on a tour of the Dreamscape Learn offices in Los Angeles where they got to “kick the tires” on new virtual reality course content that Dreamscape developed in partnership with Arizona State University. Michael explains what separates an average virtual campus tour from a great one, and explains why they have become an indis...
Apr 11, 2023•27 min
EAB’s Beth Donaldson and Dave Kuehl discuss how to reach prospective graduate school students who are looking to switch careers and enroll in business programs that may be very different from their undergraduate field of study. They encourage institutions to develop a data-driven approach to identify this unique student population and craft messages that will resonate with that audience. Beth and Dave also offer tips on ways to eliminate administrative obstacles and on the importance of focusing...
Apr 04, 2023•29 min
EAB’s Michelle DiMenna and Emily Upton discuss the growing “stealth shopping” phenomenon that is forcing colleges to change how they recruit and engage prospective students. Michelle and Emily identify the best ways to connect with stealth shoppers early in their college search by optimizing your website for recruitment, refining your social media strategy, and by enlisting faculty in the effort to make meaningful connections with potential applicants.
Mar 28, 2023•30 min
EAB’s Maggie Everett is joined by the University of New England Dean of Students and VP of Student Affairs, Jennifer DeBurro. The two discuss Jennifer's efforts to build a better student mental health counseling framework at UNE. That work began with an unflinching study of existing approaches, intensive data collection, and establishment of benchmarks to measure progress going forward. The initial impact report was then used as a mechanism to initiate critical conversations with faculty, staff,...
Mar 21, 2023•35 min
EAB’s Tara Zirkel and Mike Saxvick examine systemic weaknesses within the admissions practices at two-year institutions that allow far too many prospective students to fall through the cracks. They urge listeners to begin cataloging all the “side doors” through which prospective students inquire about your school and then capture those disparate data points into a unified CRM and student retention platform. Doing so helps short-staffed admissions team streamline subsequent communication efforts ...
Mar 14, 2023•33 min
EAB’s Angela Street is joined by DC-based PR professional Stacy Skelly from The Reis Group, for a conversation on managing PR during a crisis. The two discuss how to prepare a crisis communications plan before disaster strikes, how to communicate with key audiences, and pitfalls to avoid in the heat of the moment. They also discuss ways to overcome challenges common within the university setting, that can make it difficult to reach consensus when developing messages for public consumption.
Mar 07, 2023•29 min
EAB’s Jarrell Anderson and Alexa Silverman explore proactive steps that colleges can take to help Black and Latino men build a stronger sense of connection with their campus community. With Black and Latino men lagging nearly every other demographic in terms of college graduation rates, colleges are trying creative new approaches to drawing these students in and making them feel valued. Jarrell and Alexa share innovative programs that are working for partner institutions and identify four key mo...
Feb 28, 2023•32 min
Juli Scalf, part of the College Greenlight team at EAB, is joined by Jordan Wesley, Managing Director of Partnerships for a community-based organization called Let’s Get Ready. The two discuss ways to forge better partnerships with CBOs by understanding the role they play in helping students overcome obstacles when applying to colleges. Jordan also shares tips for admissions teams who want to communicate and work more effectively with CBOs to boost enrollment.
Feb 21, 2023•40 min
EAB’s Michael Fischer and Ron Yanosky discuss whether ChatGPT represents an existential threat to higher education. The two review the current state of play and examine ways that institutions are adapting to force students to complete assignments and demonstrate mastery of course material without the aid of artificial intelligence “shortcuts.” They also explore ways that institutions might evolve to incorporate the use of AI to complement but not replace a student’s own creative thought.
Feb 14, 2023•31 min
