Breaking Silos

In the final episode of Breaking Silos, host Shane Baglini sits down with Vince Slomsky, Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the University of South Florida, to explore the challenges and opportunities of stepping into a new leadership role in higher ed marketing. Vince shares his experiences transitioning across institutions, the importance of relationship management, and how fresh perspectives can break through outdated traditions. This conversation is packed with insights on building trust, fostering collaboration, and embracing change to drive impactful marketing strategies.

Guest Name: Vince Slomsky, Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications, University of South Florida

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinceslomsky/

Guest Bio: Vince Slomsky is the Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Brand at the University of South Florida. A former TV news journalist, Vince is a storyteller at heart who lets the good stories guide marketing efforts. His higher education career includes stops at Penn State, Encoura, and his alma mater, Kent State University. Outside of work, Vince reports directly to his three young kiddos and has a dotted line to his wife, Mrs. Slomsky. He is a lifelong Cleveland sports fan and enjoys sneaking in a round of golf when his children let him. 

Shane Baglini sits down with Kimberly Hallman, Senior Vice President of Institutional Marketing at 160over90, to explore a topic that many higher ed professionals wrestle with—how to effectively integrate marketing and communications efforts on campus. While these two functions are often grouped together under the MarCom umbrella, they serve distinct purposes, and treating them as interchangeable can hinder their effectiveness. Kim breaks down the fundamental differences between marketing and communications, shares insights on best practices for collaboration, and offers advice on structuring teams to maximize impact. If you’ve ever wondered how to strike the right balance between storytelling and sales, this conversation is for you.

Guest Name: Kimberly Hallman, SVP, Institutional Marketing, 160over90

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyhallman/

Guest Bio: Now in season 12 at 160over90, Kim leads the agency’s institutional marketing practice, helping colleges and universities, research institutes, health enterprises, and cause-based organizations raise awareness and raise funds to support a core impact mission. A former journalist turned publicist now all-around communications strategist, she first penned bylines in The Post-Standard in upstate New York, then worked as an editorial assistant for the National Campaign for the Arts in London, before landing on the marketing scene 18+ years ago. Originally focused in retail and hospitality PR, Kim quickly found that education category work fulfills her desire for healthy intellectual debate and mental nourishment. She holds a BA in English from Bucknell University and a master’s degree in Print Journalism from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. These days, when Kim’s not working, she’s soaking up all the firsts of new motherhood (and still trying to make some time for sleep).

• Marketing and Communications Are NOT the Same: While related, marketing is sales-driven and focuses on lead generation and conversions, while communications is about message clarity, reputation, and stakeholder engagement.
• Successful Integration Does NOT Mean Merging the Two: Effective collaboration requires recognizing the strengths of each function and ensuring they complement rather than compete with each other.
• Start with a Shared Content Strategy: Aligning messaging across both marketing and communications efforts helps create a cohesive brand experience while still allowing each team to focus on their core objectives.
• Social Media Lives in the Middle: Social media plays both a marketing and communications role, requiring a thoughtful balance of engagement, storytelling, and calls to action.
• Challenges in 2025: Higher ed institutions face increasing external scrutiny, leadership turnover, and financial constraints, making strategic MarCom collaboration more critical than ever.

Too often, higher ed institutions lump marketing and communications into one broad function, assuming they are interchangeable. However, Kim Hallman argues that these are two distinct disciplines, each with its own skill set and objectives.

Communications answers the question: What is the message? It focuses on institutional positioning, reputation management, and audience engagement through storytelling, PR, and internal messaging. Key metrics for communications teams include brand sentiment, message clarity, and stakeholder trust.

Marketing, on the other hand, asks: How do we get people to act? It is sales-driven, aiming to increase enrollment, event attendance, or donations. Marketers use advertising, digital campaigns, and targeted content strategies to drive measurable actions. Their KPIs often include conversion rates, lead generation, and revenue growth.

While these two areas overlap, conflating them can weaken their effectiveness. Instead, institutions should recognize their unique value and ensure they work together in a complementary way.

1. Create a Shared Content Strategy

One of the best ways to align marketing and communications is by developing a joint content strategy. Both teams should work from a common roadmap that includes:

• Institutional priorities: Align messaging with university goals and areas of excellence.
• Audience needs: Understand whether a communication should inform, inspire, or drive action.
• Cultural context: Ensure messaging remains relevant to the broader landscape beyond the institution.

By defining these pillars, institutions can ensure marketing and communications efforts reinforce each other rather than compete for attention.

2. Develop a Unified Content Calendar

To avoid message fatigue or misalignment, institutions should maintain a joint MarCom calendar that outlines:

• Key events and milestones: Academic calendar highlights, admissions deadlines, and major institutional initiatives.
• Content distribution channels: Social media, email, print, earned media, and paid advertising.
• Storytelling opportunities: A mix of informative communications and compelling marketing messages.

A shared calendar allows institutions to plan their messaging strategically while maintaining a balance between engagement, information, and persuasion.

3. Collaborate on Execution

Integration doesn’t just mean planning together—it means working together throughout the execution process. Some best practices include:

• Leveraging earned media in marketing efforts: If a faculty member is featured in a major publication, marketing teams should amplify it through paid media and social campaigns.
• Ensuring consistent branding across all messaging: Whether a press release, a social post, or an ad, the tone and messaging should align.
• Optimizing storytelling for different formats: A strong institutional story can live in a news article, a marketing video, and a social media campaign—each tailored for its respective audience.

One of the most debated topics in higher ed MarCom is where social media fits within an institution. Is it a communications tool, designed for engagement and public relations? Or is it a marketing tool, meant to drive recruitment and conversions?

Kim argues that social media sits in the middle of the MarCom Venn diagram. It is both a storytelling platform and a conversion tool, requiring a balance between:

• Community engagement (communications): Answering questions, fostering discussions, and reinforcing institutional values.
• Promotional messaging (marketing): Driving attendance to events, boosting applications, and increasing donor participation.

Because of this, institutions should be intentional about how they use social media, ensuring it serves both purposes effectively.

As higher ed institutions navigate an increasingly complex landscape, MarCom teams face unique challenges:

1. Leadership Turnover: Many institutions are experiencing high turnover at the executive level, making long-term branding and communications strategies difficult to sustain.
2. External Pressures: Political scrutiny, donor influence, and public perception are putting institutions under the microscope.
3. Budget Constraints: Many teams are being asked to do more with fewer resources, leading to staff burnout and inefficiencies.
4. The Need for Strategic Issues Management: With crisis communications becoming an everyday reality, MarCom leaders often struggle to balance long-term storytelling with immediate response needs.

For institutions to successfully integrate marketing and communications, they must recognize these challenges and invest in the right staffing, training, and strategic planning.

Kim highlights a few institutions that are leading the way in MarCom integration, including:

• University of Pittsburgh – A forward-thinking MarCom team that embraces both branding and institutional storytelling.
• University of Virginia – Operates under "University Communications," signaling a commitment to strategic messaging.
• UW-Madison – A centralized approach that aligns public affairs, brand strategy, and marketing efforts.

What do these successful teams have in common?

• Leadership that understands the distinction between marketing and communications.
• A culture of collaboration where storytelling and conversion efforts support each other.
• Clear strategic alignment between branding, enrollment, fundraising, and reputation management.

For institutions looking to better integrate marketing and communications, Kim suggests starting with two key conversations:

1. With Leadership: Advocate for dedicated resources and strategic alignment between marketing and communications goals.
2. With Your Team: Assess existing skills, identify gaps, and clarify roles to ensure everyone is playing to their strengths.

Ultimately, institutions that invest in a structured, strategic MarCom approach will be better positioned to navigate the challenges of 2025 and beyond.

In this episode of Breaking Silos, host Shane Baglini welcomes Taylor Stakes, Media Production Manager at TimelyCare, to discuss how mental health services are directly tied to student success and graduation rates.

Taylor shares insights from TimelyCare’s research, which found that 73 percent of students believe access to mental health services improves their chances of graduating. Despite this, many institutions still treat mental health support as a secondary resource rather than an essential part of student success. This episode unpacks why that mindset needs to shift and how marketers, student affairs professionals, and university leaders can better integrate mental health messaging into their overall communication strategies.

• Mental health services are a retention tool – Research shows that students who engage in counseling services are more likely to persist and graduate.
• Marketing plays a critical role – Many students are unaware of the mental health resources available to them, highlighting the need for better promotion and integration into student messaging.
• Mental health is students’ top concern – TimelyCare’s research found that 58 percent of students cite mental health as their biggest stressor, even above financial concerns.
• Early intervention leads to better outcomes – Students who receive at least three counseling sessions show significant improvements in mental well-being and academic performance.
• Scalability is key – Universities must find ways to expand mental health resources, whether through internal programs or partnerships with providers like TimelyCare.

While universities often focus on financial aid, academic advising, and career services as retention strategies, mental health support is just as critical. Students struggling with anxiety, depression, or stress are at higher risk of dropping out, yet many institutions still view mental health as an optional support rather than an integral part of student success.

TimelyCare’s research found that nearly three out of four students believe access to mental health services improves their likelihood of graduating. When students feel supported, they are more likely to stay enrolled, persist through challenges, and complete their degrees. Universities that prioritize mental health services aren’t just providing a resource—they’re making a strategic investment in student outcomes.

One of the biggest challenges universities face is limited resources. Budget cuts, understaffed counseling centers, and increasing demand for mental health support make it difficult to provide comprehensive services to every student who needs them. As a result, many students either don’t know help is available or can’t access it when they need it most.

TimelyCare and other digital mental health providers help bridge this gap by offering 24/7 access to counseling and well-being coaching. These services don’t replace on-campus counseling centers but rather supplement them, ensuring that students can always find support—even in the middle of the night.

By investing in scalable mental health solutions, universities can increase access, improve retention, and foster a more supportive campus culture.

Even when universities offer robust mental health resources, many students don’t take advantage of them simply because they don’t know they exist. This is where higher ed marketers and communicators play a vital role. Institutions must actively promote mental health services, integrating them into broader campus messaging rather than relegating them to a student affairs webpage that few students visit.

Taylor shared the example of James Madison University (JMU), where the marketing team proactively promoted mental health resources long before a crisis occurred. By normalizing conversations about mental health and embedding these services into campus culture, JMU ensured that students knew where to turn for support when they needed it.

Key strategies for promoting mental health services include:

• Social media campaigns – Regularly highlight available mental health resources on Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms where students are active.
• Targeted email and text messaging – Send reminders about counseling services, wellness workshops, and stress management resources throughout the semester.
• Collaborations with student organizations – Partner with student leaders to share mental health messaging in a way that feels authentic and relatable.
• Storytelling and testimonials – Feature real student stories about how mental health services helped them succeed.

One of the biggest barriers to providing mental health services is staffing. Many universities don’t have enough counselors to meet student demand, leading to long wait times or limited availability. This can be especially problematic for students who need immediate support.

TimelyCare offers a scalable solution by providing on-demand mental health counseling, allowing students to choose providers who align with their lived experiences. This flexibility ensures that students can find a counselor they relate to, improving engagement and outcomes.

Other ways universities can expand mental health access include:

• Investing in peer support programs – Train students to provide peer-to-peer support and refer their peers to professional services when needed.
• Leveraging AI-powered chatbots – Use AI-driven tools to guide students to appropriate mental health resources based on their needs.
• Creating flexible scheduling options – Offer virtual counseling sessions for students who may not be able to visit an in-person office during normal business hours.

Scaling mental health resources is not just about adding more counselors—it’s about using technology and partnerships strategically to ensure students always have access to support.

As universities face growing enrollment challenges, student retention is more critical than ever. Mental health support is no longer a “nice-to-have” resource—it’s a core component of student success. Institutions that prioritize mental health will see higher retention rates, stronger student engagement, and better academic outcomes.

Marketers and communicators play a key role in breaking the stigma, raising awareness, and ensuring students know where to find support. By making mental health resources a visible and integrated part of campus life, universities can create an environment where students feel supported, empowered, and more likely to persist through challenges.

Guest Name: Taylor Stakes, Media Production Manager, Timelycare

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorstakes/

Guest Bio: Taylor is a higher-ed creative professional, strategist, and media storyteller with a passion for using digital content to engage, educate, and inspire. With over a decade of experience in higher education communications and marketing, Taylor specializes in crafting compelling narratives that bridge the gap between institutional goals and audience needs.

Taylor leads the content creation strategy and output for TimelyCare’s self-care content, developing innovative multimedia resources that support student well-being and institutional success. Taylor is also an adjunct communications professor, bringing real-world industry experience into the classroom. Taylor's approach to education and content creation emphasizes hands-on learning, creative problem-solving, and the ethical integration of emerging technologies like AI.

With a deep understanding of both the creative and strategic aspects of marketing and communications, Taylor brings a fresh perspective to discussions on digital storytelling, student engagement, mental health, and the evolving media landscape in higher education.

On this episode of Breaking Silos, Shane is joined by an interdepartmental team of marketing, admissions and communications from William & Mary to discuss how they created a student social media ambassadors program called “Wrenfluencers” at the historic institution. Learn how this student-created content has helped bolster the school’s content strategy and fill content gaps many institutions might not have the bandwidth to address.

Join Tiffany Beker, Emily Phillips and Caroline Ward for tips on launching an initiative like this and ensuring content aligns with brand standards while maintaining a unique student-created feel.

Guest Names: 
Tiffany Broadbent Beker, Director of Digital Marketing, William & Mary
Caroline Ward, Sr. Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admission, William & Mary
Emily Phillips, Assistant Director, Social Media Strategy, William & Mary

Guest Socials: 
Tiffany - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbroadbent/ 
Caroline - https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilybphillips/ 
Emily - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-ward-a170b1247

Guest Bios: 
Tiffany Broadbent Beker is the Director of Digital Marketing for University Marketing at William & Mary, leading the office's digital strategy across its three priorities of enrollment, advancement, and institutional reputation. After an initial stint as a software developer at two technology startups, she returned to W&M (her graduate school alma mater) in 2010 as a web developer and its first social media coordinator. In 2017 she transitioned to her current role as part of University Advancement. She has presented at HighEdWeb, CASE Social Media & Community, and the College Communicators Association of Virginia and D.C. (CCA) Conference. She is a past president of CCA, leads the Management and Leadership Community Group for HighEdWeb and is one of W&M’s Institutional Representatives to the American Council on Education's Women's Network for Virginia.

Caroline Ward has been a member of the William & Mary admission team for nearly eight years. She is a Senior Assistant Dean within the Office of Undergraduate Admission. Caroline graduated from Miami University in Ohio with a Bachelor of Arts and she also holds a Master of Education from William & Mary in Higher Education Administration. She currently leads international recruitment efforts. She is the regional dean for Washington, D.C., New York City (NY), New Jersey, and all international territories. She collaborates with social media groups as well as marketing and communication teams.

Emily Phillips oversees William & Mary's flagship social media channels and provides guidance to the university's network of social media managers. Her work includes strategy development, social media measurement, crisis and emergency communications support and directing a team of student social media ambassadors. She has over 10 years of PR and Social Media Marketing experience in the higher education and tourism industries.

In this episode of Breaking Silos, host Shane Baglini sits down with Adam Stoltz, Director of Enrollment Marketing at the University of Idaho. Adam shares insights into the transformative journey of enrollment marketing at his institution, highlighting the role of leadership buy-in, data-driven website redesigns, and fostering a collaborative culture to achieve three consecutive years of record-breaking enrollment. This episode is a must-listen for enrollment professionals seeking actionable strategies to enhance student experiences and drive institutional growth.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership Buy-In is Crucial: Institutional leadership support drives meaningful change in marketing and enrollment strategies.
• Data-Driven Website Redesign: A student-centric website, paired with actionable data insights, improves engagement and simplifies navigation for prospective students.
• Integrated CRM Solutions: Tools like Slate enable real-time communication, personalized outreach, and streamlined event management for prospective students.
• Breaking Silos: Collaboration across departments fosters better communication, reduces duplication, and improves student experiences.
• Culture of Continuous Improvement: Regular evaluation, after-action reports, and an openness to feedback ensure ongoing success.

How the University of Idaho Transformed Enrollment Marketing 
When Adam Stoltz joined the University of Idaho in 2019, the institution faced mounting challenges: declining enrollment, lack of a cohesive marketing strategy, and a disjointed web presence. Under the leadership of a new university president, a cultural shift took place. Enrollment and marketing became top priorities, emphasizing a student-first approach. Stoltz's dual reporting role to the Chief Marketing Officer and Strategic Enrollment Management gave him unique visibility to align marketing with recruitment strategies. This shift led to a focus on storytelling, virtual engagement, and integrated communications.

A Student-Centric Website Redesign 
The cornerstone of Idaho’s enrollment success has been its redesigned website. The project started by understanding student needs: “What do you want to do?” prominently guides users to actions like applying, exploring costs, or taking a virtual tour. A data-driven approach identified and streamlined high-priority pages, ensuring a frictionless experience. Tools like search engine optimization (SEO), personalized call-to-actions, and CRM integration have significantly increased website engagement. Stoltz highlights the importance of listening to data, citing a condensed Request for Information form that improved conversion rates.

Leveraging Slate for Real-Time Impact 
CRM integration through Slate has revolutionized Idaho’s approach to student engagement. By connecting events, requests, and inquiries in one system, the university provides instant follow-ups through calls or texts, often within 24-48 hours. This shift eliminated delays and enhanced personalization, ensuring prospective students feel valued. Stoltz shared examples like event communications and data-driven campaigns, all contributing to Idaho's record-breaking enrollment achievements.

The Role of Leadership in Marketing Transformation 
According to Stoltz, success starts with leadership buy-in. At Idaho, leadership prioritized marketing and enrollment resources, fostering a culture of trust and collaboration. Stoltz emphasized the importance of communicating wins—big and small—to garner support across campus. By engaging departments that initially hesitated, the team built momentum and a shared commitment to improving the student experience.

Results: Proof of Concept 
The results speak for themselves: three consecutive years of record-breaking enrollment, with the potential for a fourth on the horizon. These successes reflect the culmination of strategic investments, cultural transformation, and a relentless focus on the student journey. Stoltz credits collaboration, data insights, and an unwavering commitment to improvement for the university’s achievements.

Guest Name: Adam Stoltz, Director of Enrollment Marketing, University of Idaho

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamstoltz/

Guest Bio: With over two decades of experience in higher education marketing and enrollment management, I earned my Ed.D in higher education administration from Saint Louis University. I also hold a Bachelor's degree in Arts Management with a minor in computer science, along with a master's degree in organizational leadership and management. My career has seen progressive leadership roles in various university settings, including private, public, land grant, flagship, and the largest state system in the country. I have been recognized with multiple marketing awards for my expertise, particularly in CRM, and I also work as a higher education consultant. Currently, I serve as the Director of Enrollment Marketing at the University of Idaho, where I am part of the university's marketing team reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer and embedded with the Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management. Notably, our university experienced its largest incoming class in fall 2022, the second largest in 2023, and set another record in fall 2024. The University of Idaho is a public land-grant research university, older than the state of Idaho itself. It has been recognized as the #1 Best Value Public University in the West for five consecutive years, and we are working towards achieving R1 status.

In this episode, Shane sits down with Joe Master, Senior Vice President of Brand Management at Carnegie, to discuss the art and science of branding in higher education. From the importance of collaboration and human connection to the missteps many institutions take when branding, this conversation is packed with actionable insights. Joe also shares his “non-negotiables” for higher ed brands, inspired by The Bear, offering a fresh lens for tackling branding challenges.

Guest Name: Joe Master, Senior Vice President, Brand Management, Carnegie

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephjmaster/

Guest Bio: Joseph Master is the Senior Vice President of Brand Management for Carnegie, where he partners with colleges and universities to build brands that resonate with emotion and authenticity. His freelance work has appeared in newspapers, magazines, television commercials and on tiny screens across the nation.

Prior to his agency work, Joe spent 12 years leading marketing and communications teams at two large Philadelphia universities — Temple University and Drexel University. Joe served as Assistant Vice President of Marketing & Digital Strategy for Drexel University on the in-house team responsible for executing the award-winning Ambition Can’t Wait national brand awareness campaign, the enterprise overhaul of Drexel.edu, and the oversight of all paid and social media for the University’s 15 colleges and schools. 

Joe lives in South Jersey, just over the bridge from Philadelphia, with his wife and son. When he isn’t building brands, you can find Joe mixing cocktails or writing songs on his trusty Gibson J-45.

On this episode, I sat down with Alyssa Green, University Photography Manager at the University of Montevallo, to discuss creative professionals' expanding and evolving role on college campuses. We chatted about views and attitudes across the industry regarding what creative professionals like photographers, videographers, designers and others have changed, where there is still work to be done, and why these positions are much more than behind-the-scenes contributors.

Guest Name: Alyssa Green, University Photography Manager at the University of Montevallo

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-luna-green/

Guest Bio: As a higher education photographer, Alyssa Green is the visual storyteller for the University of Montevallo. She tells the story of this idyllic college campus by capturing athletic games and theatre performances, photographing students, faculty, and alumni for the University’s alumni publication, providing professional headshot experiences for the campus community, and documenting special events, just to name a few. Her photos are used in print and digital marketing and can be seen on billboards, brochures, the University’s website, or various social media accounts. While Alyssa does enjoy serving her alma mater and building relationships, when she’s not on campus, you will find her spending time with her husband and their three children going on hikes, traveling to the beach, remodeling their mid-century modern home or looking for somewhere local to eat.

Got a story to tell? An innovative idea to share? Fill out our guest nomination form, and let's chat!

On this episode of Breaking Silos, I sat down with Joel Goodman, Principal and CEO of Bravery Media, to talk about how campuses can use their website and a website redesign to break down silos. Joel, a former higher ed marketer, has been helping colleges and universities rethink how they use their most significant marketing tool for over a decade with Bravery. 

How can a project like a website redesign create natural synergies between departments looking to improve collaboration, and how can conversations about how we use our website and for whom break down silos and increase understanding?

Check our Bravery’s work at https://bravery.co/ and see how your institution's speed compares to the industry with Bravery’s tool, SpeedyU.

Guest Name: Joel Goodman, Principal and CEO, Bravery Media

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelgoodman/

Guest Bio: Joel Goodman is a digital strategist, marketer, and designer with nearly 20 years of professional experience. Hospitable design practices frame his work and put into practice at Bravery Media, the higher education-focused digital studio he founded in 2012. He speaks and writes about hospitable design, conversion rate optimization, UX research, digital strategy, and front-end development tools. He's also hosted the Thought Feeder and Appendix B podcasts, with some new things in the works.

In this episode of Breaking Silos, host Shane Baglini dives deep into higher education leadership with Carrie Phillips, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. They explore effective leadership strategies for breaking down silos within higher education institutions, fostering meaningful collaboration, and developing the next generation of leaders. Phillips brings practical advice on cultivating team engagement, setting priorities, and strengthening inter-departmental relationships to drive institutional success.

Check out the Lessons in Leadership Course and Podcast.‍

• Leverage MARCOM as a Change Agent: MARCOM teams naturally bridge campus departments, making them effective agents for breaking silos.
• Implement Small, Strategic Changes: Adopting the "two degrees" philosophy helps in creating incremental change, reducing resistance.
• Enhance Collaboration by Building Rapport: Fostering personal connections with campus partners can strengthen collaboration.
• Define Priorities Clearly: Using "bucket A and bucket B" tactics helps focus on high-impact tasks while setting realistic expectations with campus partners.
• Advocate for MARCOM on the Cabinet: Having marketing represented in strategic leadership allows for comprehensive input on initiatives beyond just promotion.

How Can Leaders Break Silos on Campus? 
Phillips begins by explaining how MARCOM teams are inherently positioned to connect different areas of a university due to their widespread collaborations—from history departments to enrollment offices. With insight into various campus activities, MARCOM can spot and address inefficiencies that others may overlook. One example Phillips gives is mapping the enrollment funnel at a previous institution, a project that revealed fragmented communication across 17 offices in five divisions. By bringing everyone together, MARCOM was able to streamline processes and reduce student confusion.

Phillips emphasizes a “two degrees” approach—making small but meaningful adjustments with each project. This gradual, intentional change helps teams avoid resistance while fostering an environment that encourages progress.

Strategies for Enhancing Collaboration for New Leaders 
New leaders often struggle with collaboration, especially in complex higher ed environments. Phillips encourages leaders to actively engage with other departments by going to them instead of requiring formal office visits. Establishing rapport is crucial; arriving early to meetings to share personal updates builds camaraderie, transforming colleagues into genuine collaborators. Phillips also advises shared agendas and collaborative notes, creating transparency and mutual understanding during meetings.

Building strong relationships, she notes, is about establishing human connections and understanding each partner’s context, which ultimately supports more harmonious and efficient teamwork. 

Why Are Silos Prevalent in Higher Education, and How Can MARCOM Help? 
Phillips explains that silos stem from organizational structures where each unit operates according to its own strategic goals, often at the expense of cross-departmental collaboration. This fragmentation can create a resource tug-of-war, particularly when budgets are tight. MARCOM leaders, however, can work to align goals by identifying areas where different departments might be working on similar initiatives. By uniting teams around shared objectives, MARCOM can foster a more holistic approach to university goals, benefiting enrollment, student experience, and fundraising efforts.

How to Stay Focused on High-Impact Projects 
When overwhelmed with high-priority projects, Phillips shares her method of identifying “bucket A” versus “bucket B” priorities. Bucket A tasks are essential, long-lasting initiatives, while bucket B tasks are shorter-term or less impactful. Teaching her team to prioritize helps them manage workload and deliver maximum institutional impact. She also encourages aligning MARCOM goals with other departments' top priorities, ensuring that the highest-impact projects are consistently prioritized.

For instance, instead of dedicating resources to small events like a math department gathering, her team might focus on a campus-wide initiative with long-term benefits.

‍The Importance of a Seat at the Table for MARCOM Leaders 
Phillips argues that marketing’s role in leadership goes beyond promotion. As part of a university’s cabinet, MARCOM can influence broader strategies concerning product, price, and place. Historically, marketing has been restricted to promotion, but Phillips believes that MARCOM teams possess valuable insights that can contribute to product development, pricing, and service delivery. She stresses that MARCOM's presence on the cabinet allows for comprehensive planning, providing essential input early in decision-making processes.

‍Developing Confidence as a New Leader 
For emerging leaders, building confidence is key. Phillips recalls how early mentorship from industry veteran Terry Flannery helped her recognize her own value. She suggests that new leaders prepare rigorously for leadership discussions by learning essential skills like budgeting, strategic planning, and people management. Confidence grows, Phillips notes, when leaders are well-prepared to contribute insights in budgetary or strategic discussions—skills that aren’t always taught but are crucial for effective leadership.

‍Building the Next Generation of Higher Ed Leaders 
Higher ed has room to improve when it comes to training future leaders, according to Phillips. At her institution, a Faculty Leadership Academy has been established to guide faculty members transitioning into leadership roles. Beyond formal programs, she emphasizes the importance of understanding budget processes, HR dynamics, and campus procedures—fundamental areas where new leaders often lack training. By fostering partnerships with HR and finance, Phillips is working to empower her team and colleagues across campus.

Phillips is committed to growing the next generation of leaders through Enrollify’s Lessons in Leadership course and video series. With a focus on situational leadership, conflict management, and essential communication skills, the course provides young leaders with practical tools. Enrollify’s Lessons in Leadership playlist delivers quick insights on crucial topics like failure and managing criticism, offering actionable advice in digestible formats.

Guest Name: Carrie Phillips, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriehphillips/ 

Guest Bio: Dr. Carrie Phillips is the Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at UA Little Rock where she is charged with telling the university’s incredible story. She considers herself part creative and part analyst but fully curious to solve challenges in higher education. Carrie earned her doctorate from Texas Tech University where she studied how regional public universities are using marketing efforts to mitigate the enrollment cliff. Prior to joining UA Little Rock, she worked 14 years at Arkansas Tech University where she led a brand study, the first comprehensive brand campaign and oversaw collateral development for the current comprehensive campaign. Carrie is a member of the American Marketing Association and holds the Professional Certified Marketer credential. She is also chair-elect of the District IV Cabinet for CASE and a member of UCDA. Finally, she is a puppy mom to Eleanor Belle—a 10-pound maltipoo.

On this episode of Breaking Silos, we’re taking a deep dive into marketing’s expanding role in the student experience and why CMOs must partner with student life leadership to ensure students are experiencing what promise they will on campus. I’m joined by Jenny Petty, Vice President for Marketing, Communications, Engagement and Experience, and Leslie Webb, Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management at the University of Montana, to discuss how their partnership has helped grow a flourishing and robust student experience from the time students express interest to the time they walk across the stage at commencement. 

Guest Name:  

• Jenny Petty, Vice President for Marketing, Communications, Engagement and Experience 
• Leslie Webb, Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management at the University of Montana

Guest Social: 
Jenny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennydurnanpetty/
Leslie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliejwebb/

Guest Bios:
Jenny Petty: Jenny Petty left the corporate world where she worked with some of the world’s biggest brands including Dolly Parton, Family Guy, Harley Davidson, Phantom of the Opera and The Ellen DeGeneres Show and joined the world of higher ed almost 7 years ago. She currently serves as the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the University of Montana. In this role she oversees brand strategy, digital innovation, enrollment marketing, creative services and strategic communications as well as the public media arm of the University and the Alumni Association. Before coming to Montana, Petty was the Director of Enrollment Marketing at the University of Wyoming, where she was a key, driving force behind The World Needs More Cowboys campaign. She finds joy in building teams and helping others grow, as well as flexing her creative muscles whenever she can. She’s a graduate of the Reynolds School of Journalism and the University of Nevada and has a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University where her studies are focused on the intersection of Servant Leadership and the marketing profession. She’s the host of “The Servant Marketer,” a podcast featuring marketing leaders, marketers, creatives, academics and entrepreneurs and shares thoughts on how marketers and leaders can serve first at servantmarketer.co.

Leslie Webb is the Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management at the University of Montana. Prior, she was the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Boise State University. She was also at Central Washington University for six years as the Associate Vice President of Assessment and Strategic Planning and the Director of Diversity and Leadership. 
Webb holds a doctor of philosophy in Educational Leadership from Colorado State University and a master of science in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois university. She also has a bachelor of arts in Theatre Arts from Central Washington University