Office Hours With EAB

EAB’s Tom Sugar talks to Paula Short from the University of Houston about lessons they learned launching Houston GPS, the nation’s first regional consortium of two- and four-year schools working together to improve transfer pathways and college completion rates. They also talk about how they are applying those lessons to EAB’s new Moon Shot for Equity.

EAB’s Kathy Dawley and Al Newell discuss the role that parents play in the college recruiting process and share findings from a recent EAB survey about their communication preferences. They talk about how different types of information become more or less important to parents as they get closer to the application deadline. Kathy and Al also urge colleges to focus on communicating how they support and guide students along their educational journey. They also recommend that colleges take a hard look at their websites since the quality of the design and content on your website is viewed by many parents as a proxy for the quality of your institution.

Noted author Nathan D. Grawe talks about his new book that explores how college recruitment and retention efforts are evolving to meet demographic and other challenges.

EAB’s Megan Adams and Will Lamb discuss growth opportunities and the competitive landscape in the master’s and graduate degree markets.

Two emerging stars of academia--Dr. Lila McDowell Carlsen from Pepperdine University and Dr. Rénard Harris from College of Charleston--share what they’ve learned by participating in EAB’s new Rising Higher Education Leaders Fellowship.

EAB’s Sally Amoruso is joined by Dr. William Tierney, University Professor Emeritus and Founding Director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California. The two discuss a range of topics addressed in Dr. Tierney’s new book, “Get Real: 49 Challenges Confronting Higher Education," including Dr. Tierney’s contention that universities have become too focused on preparing students for careers at the expense of teaching them to be intellectually curious and engaged citizens and how academic tenure and joint governance may change in the months and years ahead.

EAB’s federal policy experts outline the major components of the latest federal relief package and offer guidance to university leaders still struggling to determine what it means for their institutions and students.

Dr. Rufus Glasper, president and CEO of the League for Innovation in the Community College, joins Dr. Christine Hubbard, EAB’s leading expert on community colleges. The two talk about the extent to which future enrollment trends will be influenced by external factors, like the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and the economy, versus the need to innovate and deliver a more flexible and engaging educational experience (online or otherwise) that attracts new students.

Dr. Richard Irwin from the University of Memphis talks to EAB’s Max Milder about the school’s unique collaborations with FedEx and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. These partnerships offer employees, even those without a high school diploma, a guided pathway to earn a college degree.

Rob Sentz, Chief Innovation Officer at labor market data giant, Emsi, shares strategies for preparing college students to find their niche in an unsettled economy.