31Minutes

We’re sharing some of the best examples we’ve seen across campuses during COVID-19 interruptions—examples of good leadership, great communication, and effective connection building during a time of uncertainty. Guests include Jeffrey Schiffman, Tulane University’s Director of Undergraduate Admission discussing his team’s Dean for a Day initiative; Dr. Herman Felton, Jr., President of Wiley College sharing why he initiated the HBCU President #DontRushChallenge; and a helpful mantra from H·A ThirtyOne for how to manage communications during this bizarre time. Resources and links for this episode: Learn more about Tulane University Read Jeff’s Admission Blog Learn more about Wiley College View the HBCU President #DontRushChallenge

Hosts Karyn Adams and Karen Black talk about challenges and some advice amid the COVID-19 crisis as developments continue to unfold within higher ed. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Niche Survey on the Impact of Coronavirus on Students’ Academic Progress and College Plans Coronavirus Higher Education Industry Briefings from Campus Sonar The College Search and COVID-19

Dayna Bradstreet, Sr. Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission at Simmons University in Boston, joins us to recap the March 13th #EMchat discussion on Twitter about COVID-19, Crisis Communications, and College Admissions.

Guest host Tim Douglas turns the table on our regular hosts Karyn Adams and Karen Black. The K’s talk about learning to podcast, what they’re looking forward to this season, their thoughts on what higher ed may be obsessing over and what’s sneaking up on us, and more. About Tim: Tim Douglas (Assistant Director, Academic Advising, Emerson College) has more than 15 years of experience in higher education as an admission counselor, academic advisor, consultant, and teacher. He has worked with schools throughout New England including Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and his alma mater, Emerson College. Tim is an original cast member of Boston’s acclaimed Improv Asylum and brings that experience to his workshops and talks, including his most recent presentation on using improvisational techniques to improve connections and outcomes when working with college students.

Eric Stoller from GeckoEngage joins us to chat about... chatbots! In his role as Gecko's VP of Digital Strategy, what does Eric mean by digital transformation? What changes must take place on campuses in order to effectively use conversational technologies? Eric will share what listeners need to know about what's new in this evolving space and how it can improve both efficiency and outcomes. (Order a free copy of The Ultimate Guide to Chatbots for Higher Education.) Eric is the new VP of Digital Strategy at GeckoEngage, a leading provider of higher ed chatbots. You might know Eric from his Inside Higher Ed blogs over the past nine years, or as a higher education digital engagement consultant. Eric’s work is focused on how conversational technologies can provide around-the-clock support to enhance the student experience.

Typical campus imagery—quads, tech centers, trees, residence halls, art studios, faculty being engaging, students being lively, and mascots being goofy—can make one school look like, well, any other. But what makes the photography of some institutions convey compelling stories? When should you plan a professional photo shoot and when should you use internal resources and crowd-sourced snapshots? Drone footage? Video versus still? This month we're joined by Jason Jones (of jonesFoto) and Bruce Cole as we explore what you need to know to successfully work with vendors and art direct photo and video shoots to effectively tell the story of your school. GUESTS Jason Jones, lifestyle photographer and cinematographer specializing in higher education, jonesFoto Bruce Cole, Director of Operations, H·A ThirtyOne

In the second half of our series for institutions ready to practice courage and innovation, and realize big change, we talk with Joretta Nelson and Emma Jones of higher ed consulting firm Credo. This episode will help presidents, vice presidents and provosts, faculty, and staff recognize the need to roust the courage within, let go of what has been, and innovate what can be.

Colleges and universities aren’t typically known for being nimble or change-embracing, but intense and rapid changes in technology, demographics, and culture are demanding that higher ed innovate and evolve faster and with greater vision than ever before. In this two-part series, experts from consulting firm Credo introduce us to their new book “Pivot: A Vision for the New University,” and discuss working with campus leaders to achieve and exceed challenging goals while fostering rapid change. In this episode, Pivot co-author Joanne Soliday shares solid examples of success, and talks about “disrupters-in-chief” and how to turn the concept of consensus on its head.

Career transitions and team turnover are part of professional life, especially at this time of year in higher education. We interviewed three former higher ed pros (Nicholas Love, Susan Oakes, and Matthew Pohl) to find out about their career paths, what they learned and what they miss, and what advice they have for staff and leaders in academia.

Greg Zaiser, Elon University's Vice President for Enrollment and our June guest, talks about how brand stewardship ties into facilities and is a distinguishing characteristic of Elon, especially when it comes to enrolling Gen Z students.