Why many enrollment leaders struggle with “student-centric” adult learner program design
What do strategic enrollment planning and extreme sports have in common? More than you might think, according to Kevin Shriner, an expert on market research and adult learner program design at EAB and a former faculty member and associate dean of institutional research. Kevin has worked with faculty to develop over 200 graduate, online, and…
What we learned from 12 system-wide technology implementations
A few weeks ago, EAB partnered with the California State University (CSU) System to host a system-wide student success summit. Hearing positive feedback and stories from the team not only re-energized me, but also got me thinking about how EAB could replicate their experiences to better support our other system members. After seven years leading…
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MoreThese three activities could help improve post-graduate outcomes
It’s an all too common story: Around the middle of senior year of college, students become overcome with a sudden, acute dread that the “real world” is imminent. Despite a hazy enthusiasm for post-college life, many are blanketed with fear—especially those students who took out student loans and are now expected to pay them back.…
Summer reading for college presidents
With Memorial Day behind us, summer is officially here. In addition to the chance for a well-earned vacation and time to catch up on administrative work, these quieter months offer a great opportunity for reading and reflection. We’ve asked each of the researchers on the Higher Education Strategy Forum for their summer reading recommendations: The…
What Starbucks can teach enrollment leaders about using analytics to inform strategy
Walk down the street in any urban area, and it seems like there’s a Starbucks on every corner. I love coffee as much as the next person, but I often wonder how all of their stores can succeed. How do adjacent stores not cannibalize each other’s sales? Don’t bespoke high-end cafes, local shops with loyal…
3 types of data every department chair needs (but usually doesn’t have)
Back in 2014, I worked with a team of researchers at the Gates Foundation to pinpoint main drivers of academic costs. We identified specific analyses that would empower department leaders to make smarter resource decisions. Over the past few years, these analyses are even more relevant as more colleges and universities face state budget cuts,…
How to support college stopouts and prevent dropouts
I am a two-time college stopout. For those unfamiliar with the term, stopout refers to students who withdraw from college temporarily and re-enroll at a later date. Whenever an academic term comes to an end, I wonder how many more students like me have left their starting institution, never to return. When I decided to…
Blockchain in brief: Six ways it can transform higher education
A new report from the European Commission sets out eight different scenarios for the application of blockchain technologies in education administration. In this blog post, the IT Forum explores the potential for some of these scenarios to disrupt status quo models for colleges and universities in North America. Despite the hype, blockchain’s transactional speeds are…
Why you should invest in holistic talent reviews
57% of fundraising directors had no training before starting their first management job, yet they are expected to effectively manage staff from day one. This career trajectory means that managers are often overwhelmed and underprepared. Additionally, gift officers often do not receive the support they need, because professional development conversations focus on resolving current problems,…
The marketing metrics you should be tracking, but aren’t
Impressions. CTR. Conversions. Sometimes marketing jargon can feel like another language. This was top of mind for me as I pored over the results of our recent survey of deans. Over half of these deans told us they anticipate marketing will become more decentralized in the next two to three years. If deans expect to…
What we learned from 12 system-wide technology implementations
A few weeks ago, EAB partnered with the California State University (CSU) System to host a system-wide student success summit. Hearing positive feedback and stories from the team not only re-energized me, but also got me thinking about how EAB could replicate their experiences to better support our other system members. After seven years leading…