Office Hours With EAB

EAB’s Erin Preston hosts a discussion with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Vice President for Enrollment Management Dr. Jonathan Wexler about his study of university consolidation and closures. The two discuss the types of institutions at greatest risk and options available to those facing declining enrollments and revenues. They also offer insight into current trends in M&A activity versus outright closures.

EAB’s Sean Tivnan and JP LaFors discuss how new college search behaviors are forcing university websites to evolve. The two share tips for connecting and engaging with Gen Z “stealth shoppers” who are heavily influenced by your institution’s digital presence. Tips include quick fixes and more comprehensive strategies to improve your site’s navigation and information architecture.

EAB’s Linda Marchlewski is joined by Todd McLees, an internationally recognized strategist and thought leader on the future of work and learning. The two share why it’s so critical for colleges to teach students how to use AI to make them better architects, actors, or anything else they want to be. They also share tips for higher ed leaders on how to develop private-sector partnerships that will help them strengthen the AI literacy of their institution.

EAB’s Val Fox and Jennie Bailey take a fresh look at the relationship between universities and OPMs, companies that partner with schools to help them develop and market online programs. The two offer tips on how to exit a relationship with an OPM that is no longer generating sufficient value. They also outline steps schools should follow to help them transition to a more effective growth strategy.

EAB’s Jenny Jones hosts a discussion with the University of New England VP for Institutional Advancement (Alicia Fereday) and the Associate VP of Finance and Administration (Matthew Kogut). The three offer tips to help department heads communicate more effectively with the people in charge of approving budget requests. Tips include advice on planning, prioritizing, presenting data to support your requests, and ways to model expected outcomes that might result from less than full funding.

EAB’s Sally Amoruso sits down with Paul LeBlanc and George Siemens from Southern New Hampshire University to discuss how higher education institutions can reap the benefits of AI. Paul and George argue that university leaders have been slow to embrace AI despite the extraordinary opportunity the technology gives us to transform higher education for the better. This episode was excerpted from a recent Presidential Experience Lab event hosted by EAB and NVIDIA.

EAB’s Brett Schraeder hosts a conversation with Bill Hall, the founder and President of Applied Policy Research. The two discuss the impact of the FAFSA delays on this year’s enrollment figures and discuss the extent to which admissions teams may still have financial aid levers they can pull that could boost yield. They also talk about how APR will be working together with EAB’s Financial Aid Optimization team in the months ahead.

EAB’s Kate Brown and Lilia Shea examine the protests that spread across US campuses this spring and provide historical context on student activism. The two also explain why it’s so important for university leaders to prepare this summer for more student unrest this fall as the presidential election season heats up. Finally, they offer tips on how to plan for and manage the university's response to future campus flashpoints in a way that preserves the institution while making students feel supported and safe.

EAB’s Pam Royall and Michael Koppenheffer discuss what colleges can learn from EAB’s newest survey of nearly 13,000 recent high school graduates. The survey examined the factors that drive college search behaviors and influence student satisfaction with the college experience. Pam and Michael explore how those factors vary by race, ethnicity, and income, and how colleges might adjust their recruitment and retention strategies.

EAB’s Camilla Arias hosts a discussion with Pam Royall, head of research for EAB’s enrollment division, and global higher education consultant, Donald Resnick to unpack findings from the latest EAB-NAGAP survey of graduate enrollment leaders. The three discuss the extent to which graduate enrollment professionals are happy in their jobs, meeting their goals, and embracing new technologies like AI. They also share advice on growing enrollments by understanding the most important factors motivating prospective applicants.