This episode (1 of 4) is part of Enrollment Rx: Strategies to Fill Your Funnel, a four-part series focused on diagnosing and treating common enrollment pipeline challenges. As fall reveals how well your funnel is performing, we’ll help you optimize lead generation, nurture flows, and student engagement. Tune in for essential tactics and insights to boost enrollment outcomes this cycle.

Episode 214 - Originally aired March 2023

Enrollment marketing teams face new challenges every day as they work tirelessly to attract prospective students. Despite those obstacles, Teresa MacGregor, Senior Vice President, Strategic Engagement & Enrollment at Jacksonville University, and her colleagues are celebrating increased first-time enrollment at their school. And it’s not just because of the campus’s beachfront view. They did it by actively engaging with their students on campus and encouraging them to share their stories with the community.

Teresa shares how her school’s administration is leading from the front to elevate the student experience.   

Join us as we discuss:

• Encouraging campus visits through a culture of storytelling (6:54)

• An individualized approach to student recruitment (18:42)

• The value narrative brewing around higher education (26:25)

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To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Episode 213

ZeeMeeSummer Series - Week 4 of 4

In this episode, we talk with Sacha Thieme, Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of Admissions at Indiana University Bloomington. Sacha shares how her team is rethinking student engagement long before day one on campus. From building community at scale to partnering across departments like First Year Experience, Sacha walks us through how IU is creating connection and clarity for thousands of students. She also dives into how data and digital tools are shaping a more intentional admissions experience, and what it takes to lead a team with purpose in an ever-changing enrollment landscape.

🎧 Listen to Learn:

✅ Great admissions leadership begins with listening and a deep understanding of the student journey.

✅ A clear, authentic institutional identity will help you stand out.
✅ Connection and belonging should begin well before students set foot on campus.

✅ The best strategies come from understanding student needs, not assumptions.

✅ Technology can enhance human touchpoints and community.

Join the Discussion:

03:04 Leading with Purpose in Higher Education

06:03 Empowering Admissions Teams

08:56 Building Community at Scale

11:44 Seamless Transitions for New Students

14:38 Leveraging Data and Technology in Admissions

20:36 Creating Meaningful Engagement

ZeeMee is the #1 student community app, used by millions worldwide. It’s where Gen-Z connects and where colleges drive 2x the apps, 3.6x the yield and half the melt.

ZeeMee analyzes tens of millions of data points on each student in real time, giving colleges access to the largest set of student behavior data and the most accurate predictive model in Higher Ed today.”

Join the movement at ZeeMee.com.

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To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

ZeeMee Summer Series - Week 3 of 4

Building community is your new enrollment strategy. In this episode, Bart Caylor sits down with Vanessa Didyk, CEO of ZeeMee, to explore how student-driven community is transforming the enrollment funnel. Vanessa shares the story behind ZeeMee’s evolution and why today’s students crave authentic peer connections long before they set foot on campus. From real-time behavioral signals to predictive modeling, the conversation reveals how community engagement isn’t just a feel-good initiative, it's a strategic, data-backed tool that boosts yield, reduces melt, and lightens the load for enrollment teams. If you’re looking for smarter ways to connect with Gen Z and convert intent into action, ZeeMee is for you!

🎧 Listen to Learn:

✅ Build authentic student communities that naturally drive enrollment and engagement
✅ Use real-time behavioral signals to predict which students will apply, commit, or melt

✅ Ease staff workload by shifting early engagement to peer-driven, self-sustaining communities
✅ Treat community as a top-of-funnel strategy that delivers long-term yield results
✅ Start small with predictive data and still see measurable impact on enrollment goals

Join the Discussion:

02:02 The Evolution of ZeeMee as a community building too

05:25 Building Community Among Students

10:09 Understanding Behavioral Signals for Enrollment

14:40 The Impact of Recruitment Intelligence

17:58 Mitigating Melt Risks with Data

22:25 Community as a Top-of-Funnel Investment

ZeeMee is the #1 student community app, used by millions worldwide. It’s where Gen-Z connects and where colleges drive 2x the apps, 3.6x the yield and half the melt.

ZeeMee analyzes tens of millions of data points on each student in real time, giving colleges access to the largest set of student behavior data and the most accurate predictive model in Higher Ed today.”

Join the movement at ZeeMee.com.

–

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

ZeeMee Summer Series - Week 3 of 4

Building community is your new enrollment strategy. In this episode, Bart Caylor sits down with Vanessa Didyk, CEO of ZeeMee, to explore how student-driven community is transforming the enrollment funnel. Vanessa shares the story behind ZeeMee’s evolution and why today’s students crave authentic peer connections long before they set foot on campus. From real-time behavioral signals to predictive modeling, the conversation reveals how community engagement isn’t just a feel-good initiative, it's a strategic, data-backed tool that boosts yield, reduces melt, and lightens the load for enrollment teams. If you’re looking for smarter ways to connect with Gen Z and convert intent into action, ZeeMee is for you!

🎧 Listen to Learn:

✅ Build authentic student communities that naturally drive enrollment and engagement
✅ Use real-time behavioral signals to predict which students will apply, commit, or melt

✅ Ease staff workload by shifting early engagement to peer-driven, self-sustaining communities
✅ Treat community as a top-of-funnel strategy that delivers long-term yield results
✅ Start small with predictive data and still see measurable impact on enrollment goals

Join the Discussion:

02:02 The Evolution of ZeeMee as a community building too

05:25 Building Community Among Students

10:09 Understanding Behavioral Signals for Enrollment

14:40 The Impact of Recruitment Intelligence

17:58 Mitigating Melt Risks with Data

22:25 Community as a Top-of-Funnel Investment

ZeeMee is the #1 student community app, used by millions worldwide. It’s where Gen-Z connects and where colleges drive 2x the apps, 3.6x the yield and half the melt.

ZeeMee analyzes tens of millions of data points on each student in real time, giving colleges access to the largest set of student behavior data and the most accurate predictive model in Higher Ed today.”

Join the movement at ZeeMee.com.

–

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

ZeeMeeSummer Series - Week 2

Episode 211

Dr. James Steen, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing at Houston Christian University, shares how his team is flipping the traditional admissions funnel on its head. We discuss the challenges facing enrollment leaders today, and why HCU launched a bold Guaranteed Admission Program to simplify access and better serve Gen Z students.

Dr. Steen unpacks how storytelling, early community-building, and the right use of technology (like ZeeMee) are helping students feel a sense of belonging before they ever set foot on campus. It’s a conversation filled with forward-thinking strategies for anyone looking to grow enrollment with purpose and humanity.

🎧 Listen to Learn:

✅ Why direct admission initiatives are becoming more prevalent in higher education

✅ How enrollment competition is intensifying, making it harder to maintain student numbers.

✅ Explore how the Guaranteed Admission Program simplifies enrollment for students.

✅ Why technology should enhance, not replace, personal relationships in enrollment.

✅ How incremental innovation can lead to significant improvements in enrollment strategies.

Join the Discussion:

03:04 - The Role of Innovation in Enrollment Management

08:54 - Guaranteed Admission Program: A New Approach

12:00 -  Aligning with Gen Z Expectations

14:54 -  Building Community Before Enrollment

20:57 - Leveraging Technology for Relationship Building

23:56 - 10,000 Students by 2030

ZeeMee is the #1 student community app, used by millions worldwide. It’s where Gen-Z connects and where colleges drive 2x the apps, 3.6x the yield and half the melt.

ZeeMee analyzes tens of millions of data points on each student in real time, giving colleges access to the largest set of student behavior data and the most accurate predictive model in Higher Ed today.”

Join the movement at ZeeMee.com.

–

To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Welcome to the ZeeMeeSummer Series!

Episode 210

In this episode of The Higher Ed Marketer, Dr. Jay Jacobs, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at the University of Vermont, shares how bold innovation and cross-campus collaboration are transforming the student journey. From launching the Vermont Pitch Challenge to building internal talent through the Emerging Leaders Academy, Dr. Jacobs outlines a vision for enrollment that’s strategic, student-centered, and digitally fluent. He also underscores the critical role of alignment between enrollment and marketing in driving institutional success.

🎧 Listen to Learn:

✅ Why innovation must be embedded in every aspect of enrollment strategy.

✅ How the Vermont Pitch Challenge supports brand-building.

✅ How redesigned orientation and retention programs improve student connection.

✅ Why developing internal talent matters and how to do it. 

✅ Why platforms like ZeeMee enhance student belonging before they step on campus.

Join the Discussion:

02:53 Cultural Shift Towards Innovation

06:01 Change Management in Higher Education

08:44 Redesigning Orientation and Retention Programs

11:56 The Vermont Pitch Challenge

26:07 Aligning Enrollment Leadership and Marketing

31:14 Building Synergy Between Marketing and Enrollment

36:07 Emerging Leaders Academy: Developing Internal Talent

ZeeMee is the student community platform that’s been shaping enrollment for over a decade. After 10 years of creating authentic student engagement, and analyzing student actions, ZeeMee knows exactly what signals lead to enrollment and they’re bringing that data to colleges to help prioritize the right students and drive real results. Students on ZeeMee are 2x more likely to apply, 3.5x more likely to commit, and 50% less likely to melt.

Join the movement at ZeeMee.com.

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The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Higher Ed Marketer is heating things up this summer with a special series you won’t want to miss. Powered by our friends at ZeeMee!

We’re bringing you four fresh episodes featuring standout voices in higher ed: Jay Jacobs (University of Vermont), James Steen (Houston Christian University), Sacha Thieme (Indiana University Bloomington), and ZeeMee CEO, Vanessa Didyk. Whether you’re lakeside relaxing or road-tripping to recruit, these episodes are your perfect summer companion.

We’ll dive deep into the challenge of summer melt and explore the digital “watering holes” where your mission-fit students are already gathering.

Tune in each week this July to help you boost engagement and drive enrollment. Starting next week!

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

The Faith Leaders Mini-Series - Episode 209 (4 of 4)
In the last episode of the Higher Ed Marketer podcast's Faith Leaders Series we speak with Dondi Costin, president of Liberty University, about the intersection of Christian faith and higher education. They discuss the importance of leadership in maintaining the mission of the university, the role of spiritual formation in education, and the need for clarity in mission to avoid drift. Costin shares insights from his military background and chaplaincy, emphasizing the significance of balancing mission and people in leadership. The conversation also touches on the infrastructure needed for spiritual growth and the hope for the next generation of leaders in Christian education.

🎧 Listen to Learn:
✅ Great leaders “mind the mission” through people and process

✅ Spiritual formation requires intentionality at all levels

✅ The G.R.A.C.E of a college President. 

✅ Why personally engaging students matters for executive leadership

✅ The future of Christian higher ed is bright 

Join the Discussion:

02:08 - Minding the Mission: Leadership Insights

08:02 - Why Spiritual Formation should be central to Higher Education

12:24 - Building Spiritual Infrastructure at Liberty

24:26 - The Future of Christian Education is bright

30:00 - Hope for the Next Generation of students and leaders

The Faith Leaders Mini-Series is sponsored by the Association for Biblical Higher Education, an organization serving over 158 faith-based institutions, 72,000 across North America. ABHE seeks to Advance Biblical Higher Education for Kingdom Impact. Learn more at ABHE.org. 

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To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player.

The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Faith Leaders Mini-Series - Episode 208 (3 of 4)

In this special mini-series, Bart Caylor and Zach Coffin (VP of The Higher Ed Marketer and Pastor) explore the intersection of faith and higher education. Each week they engage in meaningful conversations with Christian higher ed leaders from across the country.

In this week's episode of The Higher Ed Marketer, Dr. David Hoag, President of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), joins us to unpack the real story behind Christian higher education in 2025. From rising enrollment to the power of mission clarity, Dr. Hoag discusses how faith-based institutions are thriving by boldly embracing their identity. He breaks down affordability myths by revealing the average tuition and surprising discount rates, and shares how CCCU is advocating on Capitol Hill for policies that protect religious liberty and financial accessibility. Through strategic collaboration, courageous leadership, and a renewed commitment to the whole student, Christian colleges are proving to be more essential and more accessible than many believe.

🎧 Listen to Learn:
✅ How mission boldness is fueling enrollment growth across Christian colleges.

✅ Why Christian higher education is often more affordable than families realize.

✅ The role CCCU plays in defending religious liberty through advocacy in Washington, D.C.

✅ What makes thriving Christian campuses different from those that are struggling.

✅ How strategic collaboration and bold leadership are shaping the future of faith-based institutions.

Join the Discussion:

03:21 - Current State of Christian Higher Education

07:32 - Defining Factors for Thriving Institutions

14:37 - Misconceptions About Christian Education

17:25 - Affordability of Christian Higher Education

18:08 - CCCU's Priorities and Support for Members

22:53 - Advocacy Work in Washington, D.C.

29:35 - Engaging with Local Representatives

32:03 - Hope for the Future of Christian Education

The Faith Leaders Mini-Series is sponsored by the Association for Biblical Higher Education, an organization serving over 158 faith-based institutions, 72,000 across North America. ABHE seeks to Advance Biblical Higher Education for Kingdom Impact. Learn more at ABHE.org. 

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To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player. The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Faith Leaders Mini-Series - Episode 207 (2 of 4)

In this special mini-series, Bart Caylor and Zach Coffin (VP of The Higher Ed Marketer and Pastor) explore the intersection of faith and higher education. Each week they engage in meaningful conversations with Christian higher ed leaders from across the country.

This week they’re joined by Dr. Phil Cook, President of the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACCAP). With over 30 years of experience in enrollment and leadership, Phil shares how Christian colleges can balance performance with purpose—navigating enrollment pressures while staying rooted in mission and faith.

The conversation explores the role of spiritual authenticity in the recruitment journey, the growing importance of clarity in institutional identity, and how Christian colleges can respond strategically to cultural, technological, and generational shifts in 2025.

🎧 Listen to Learn:
✅ Why mission-fit matters more than ever in a competitive admissions landscape
✅ How “real recognizes real” is the new rule of enrollment marketing
✅ Why direct admissions and digital strategies aren’t enough without authenticity
✅ How Christian colleges can lead in a world shaped by AI and rising skepticism

Join the Discussion:
03:15 What is NACCAP and Who Does It Serve?
05:05 Mission-Driven Enrollment and Data-Driven Metrics
08:22 The Evolving Role of Faith in the Admissions Funnel
12:35 Real Recognizes Real: Why Authenticity Wins
16:25 How to Equip Staff for Faith-Centered, Relational Recruitment
25:15 The Role of Community in a Post-AI Admissions Landscape
31:56 What Keeps Christian Higher Ed Leaders Up at Night
34:32 Final Thoughts: Work While You Wait, Worship as You Lead

The Faith Leaders Mini-Series is sponsored by the Association for Biblical Higher Education, an organization serving over 158 faith-based institutions, 72,000 across North America. ABHE seeks to Advance Biblical Higher Education for Kingdom Impact. Learn more at ABHE.org. 

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To hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for The Higher Ed Marketer in your favorite podcast player. The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is powered by Caylor Solutions—your go-to partner for higher ed mission-fit marketing strategies, enrollment, and branding needs—and sponsored by Ring Digital, your ad targeting people.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.