What are the barriers that keep students from finishing an application or from completing their degree? Emily Coleman joins me today from HAI Analytics to discuss her company’s work in building predictive models for higher education institutions. These models help predict student behavior to optimize critical processes like the allocation of financial aid. Emily explains the importance of retaining data, overcoming data silos, and incorporating both human and artificial intelligence in predictive analytics. She also provides insights into how predictive models can aid enrollment forecasting, retention strategies, and resource allocation for better student support. Additionally, real-world examples of schools implementing these models and the difference they made are shared. Emily highlights the benefits of data-driven decision-making in effectively managing enrollment and student success.

What you will learn:

• How humans and AI can work together to handle data in the best way.
• Why predictive modeling is a great tool to help meet enrollment, headcount, and revenue goals.
• Examples of predictions that data models from HAI Analytics can make.
• The impact that comes when a college can understand the problems a student faces before they stop attending. 

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The behavior of leaders in any organization is learned and passed down from team to team. With 89% of managers having no formal leadership training, today’s episode is an important conversation on learning what being a good leader looks like. Elaine Gosden, CEO of Blue Gnu Consulting, joins me from England to discuss leadership development and creating happier workplaces. Elaine outlines her company's approach, which focuses on learning and development initiatives to equip leaders and teams with the necessary skills. She explains tools like Insights Discovery and Motivational Maps to help understand organizational behaviors and motivations. Elaine also touches on challenges specific to university leadership, the importance of addressing organizational silos, and the significance of constant improvement for leadership effectiveness.

What you will learn:
●Tackling the challenge of new leaders managing colleagues and friends.
●How to prevent your leadership shadow from keeping feedback in the dark.
●Why investing in happiness is important for driving performance indicators.
●The benefits of trading independent teams for interdepartmental collaboration

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The worst time to plan a response to a crisis is in the middle of a crisis. My guest on the show today is Stephanie Craig, the president of crisis management firm, Kith. In this episode, we talk about the importance of planning for a crisis ahead of time and how to practice the plan so that it’s not forgotten when it’s needed. Stephanie stresses the importance of speedily handling a crisis by knowing your core values and establishing trust in the process you create. Listen in as we talk about the tools you can use like simulations, “Oh Crap” conversations, and Gap Analysis to prepare for any crisis that may come your way.

What you will learn:
●The difference between crisis communication and crisis management.
●Questions you should be asking to prep for a crisis.
●Tips on exercising crisis plans during your regular meetings.
●The impact that core values have on speedy crisis response.
●Gap Reports: how they help find where you’re doing well and where your crisis planning could improve.

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“How do I apply for financial aid?”, “When does the fall semester start?”, “Where can I change my class schedule?” Starting college comes with many questions. Our guest for this episode, Nick Martin, has developed a way for AI to help engage with prospective students while improving the experience of existing ones. Nick is the Co-Founder of Direqt, an organization that trains conversational AI chatbots on a school’s website, data, and social media content. After developing an AI that is an expert in that school’s user experience, it’s integrated into its website as a handy tool. Having a specialized knowledge base enables this chatbot to be personable, provide unique information quickly, and locate unresolved problems through student usage patterns on the website. This episode is all about connecting with students and using cutting-edge technology to make their lives better!

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Today, I sit down with Beth Noel, a communicator dedicated to accessibility and inclusive design in higher education. Beth shares her journey into this field, which may have started with a challenge posed by an Office of Civil Rights letter regarding inaccessible PDFs. Still, it has resulted in a newfound commitment to diversity, equity, and belonging for students with disabilities. Beth and I discuss the steps taken to remediate accessibility issues, form a cross-college digital accessibility team, and discuss the importance of starting with accessibility in communications. Beth also provides practical tips on writing and designing with inclusivity in mind and shares insights on these practices' positive impact on student success and retention. These insights are particularly inspiring, as they demonstrate the tangible benefits of inclusive design. Join us for an inside glimpse into why accessibility and inclusive practices are important as a business decision and how to navigate introducing these new practices in fields where things have never been "done this way before."

Beth Noel's NCMPR Presentation

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In today's episode of Higher Ed Conversations, I talk with Christine Rose, the Regional Senior Marketing Director at Outfront, about the dynamic world of out-of-home (OOH) media. Christine shares her expertise in developing and executing marketing strategies across ten markets in the West region. Our conversation covers the tangible impact of OOH media, the importance of creative design, the use of data-driven insights for ad placement, and innovative ways to integrate digital strategies with OOH campaigns. Together, we delve into the subjects of sustainability efforts, audience targeting methods, and practical tips for maximizing the effectiveness of OOH advertising. Please tune in to discover how OOH media, with its unique and compelling nature, can elevate your brand and engage audiences in ways you've never imagined.

Click here to view some of the billboards the GradComm team has designed.

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On this Higher Ed Conversations episode, I host a conversation with an Al expert and, more impressively, my sister-in-law, Suzi Boynton! Suzi is the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Trustees for the San Marcos Unified School District, where she utilizes the tool of Al in her day-to-day work for the school system. In our conversation, we discussed Suzi's journey with AI and how its practical applications in her role enlightened her to its broader, more practical implications in education and the general workplace. We also tackle the subject of the importance of AI literacy, the ethical and responsible usage of Al, and its future applications. There's a lot to digest, so grab your coffee, sit back in your comfy chair, and join us as we focus on viewing AI through the lens of efficiency and its potential, not only for current educational needs but also for the future.

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In this episode, Keith Goodman, a direct mail marketing expert, discusses the resurgence of direct mail marketing across various industries, especially in education. Keith highlights direct mail's targeted approach, allowing for personalized messaging to different audiences, a significant advantage over digital ads' broad reach. He explains how direct mail utilizes detailed demographic and psychographic data, such as household composition, interests, and behaviors, to create highly effective campaigns. The discussion covers how colleges leverage direct mail for marketing programs like summer classes to parents of high school students and unique certificate programs. Keith shares insights on utilizing data like drive time, proximity, and specific interests to enhance targeting. Additionally, we explore how direct mail complements digital marketing efforts, attributing and measuring success, and the importance of continuous testing to improve campaign performance.

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Today, on Higher Ed Conversations, I embark on my first solo episode! And with a very good reason –I've just released my first ebook, "Why Your Community CollegeMarketing is Failing: Lessons From Online Dating," which has already hit number one in several online categories! So, I'm here to dive into the book's three themes and how they've helped hundreds of colleges dramatically improve their marketing results. In this episode, I give you a sneak peek of the book and share how I take the topic of community college marketing and turn it on its head by utilizing online dating techniques. Each of these three themes is packed with information on how to start improving your outreach today. If you stick it out to the end of the episode, there's also a fun story on how online dating has impacted my life. Be sure to grab your copy, and let me know what you think of the book by leaving a review!
Link to survey here.

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 Many students cannot enroll in a two to four-year collegiate program, but they still desire access to professional skills that will allow them to obtain higher-earning jobs. This episode of Higher Ed Conversations features Linda Kurokawa, the Executive Director of Community Education & Workforce Development at MiraCosta College. Linda highlights the importance of community colleges investing in workforce development and employer relations, showcasing how MiraCosta has become a model through innovative and flexible offerings like brew-tech, machining, and phlebotomy programs. She explains the self-funded nature of her department, which allows for rapid response to industry needs and community demands, leading to high student success rates. Linda also discusses the marketing strategies employed to attract students to these programs, emphasizing word-of-mouth and social media as critical methods. Additionally, she shares advice with host Cheryl Broom about how colleges need to be future-thinking and entrepreneurial to remain relevant and meet the evolving needs of students and industry.

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