Higher education is under mounting pressure to prove its value. But the data institutions need to respond already exists — most are just not using it strategically.

In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Melba Amissi, Chief Customer and Operations Officer at the National Student Clearinghouse, about how the Clearinghouse's cross-institutional data can help college presidents and boards navigate the accountability, affordability, and workforce alignment challenges reshaping higher education.

Drawing on a career in financial services, fraud analytics, cybersecurity, and operational transformation, Amissi brings an outsider's perspective to higher ed — one grounded in measurable outcomes and data-driven decision-making. She and Dr. McNaughton explore why institutions must embrace non-linear student pathways, improve credit mobility, strengthen employer partnerships, and lead with transparency to maintain public trust and institutional viability.

This conversation is especially relevant for institutional leaders grappling with how to demonstrate return on investment, serve the growing stop-out population, and align programs with workforce needs in a rapidly shifting political and economic landscape.

Topics Covered:

• The National Student Clearinghouse's role beyond compliance reporting — as a strategic benchmarking and analytics resource
• Why 42 million adults with some college and no credential represent both a challenge and an opportunity
• How credit mobility and articulation agreements affect enrollment competitiveness
• The Workforce Pell negotiated rulemaking process and its implications for program design
• Why workforce alignment should be an "and," not an "or" alongside liberal education
• How the FAFSA will now warn students about institutions with poor earnings-to-cost outcomes
• The rising Higher Education Price Index and its compounding effect on institutional costs

Real-World Examples Discussed:

• Franklin University's articulation agreements with over 1,400 institutions, enabling five-minute credit evaluations for transfer students
• Paul Quinn College's work-integrated model partnering students with Southwest Airlines and other employers
• Tennessee's statewide talent pipeline that maps graduate competencies directly to employer needs
• Microsoft's partnership with Miami-Dade College community colleges to build cybersecurity workforce programs
• Oregon's systemwide credit transfer framework as a model for state-level interoperability

Three Key Takeaways for Leadership:

1. Transparency is a survival strategy — proactively share graduation rates, employment outcomes, and student debt data to build trust and stay ahead of regulatory mandates.
2. Align programs with workforce needs through employer partnerships, stackable credentials, and continuous program assessment to demonstrate measurable ROI.
3. Demonstrate real impact — show students, families, and stakeholders the tangible outcomes of your institutional strategies.

Bonus Takeaway from Dr. McNaughton: Embrace diverse and non-linear student pathways. The traditional four-year linear journey is no longer the norm — institutions must design systems that serve students from all walks of life and keep the focus on student outcomes.

This episode offers a data-grounded look at why higher education's most urgent challenges — cost, accountability, and public trust — require leaders who are willing to use the information already at their disposal to drive strategic change.

Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/racking-stop-outs-transfers-and-roi-across-the-full-student-journey/

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