Inside the Pressure Cooker: Online Education, Policy, and the Push to Adapt with Stacy Snow

In this episode of UnchartED State, co-hosts Susan Seal and Maddie Ludt are joined by Stacy Snow, Principal at Kennedy & Company, to explore the evolving pressures shaping online education today. From shifting federal and state policies to increased scrutiny of the vendor marketplace, institutions are being pushed to rethink how they build and sustain online programs. Stacy shares insights from her work helping universities launch more than 140 online programs, emphasizing a critical shift: success is no longer about scale. It’s about relevance.The conversation dives into how institutions can better align programs with regional workforce needs, why most online students still come from close to home, and the importance of asking the right questions before launching or expanding programs. They also tackle the harder realities facing leaders today—financial uncertainty, policy instability, and the growing impact of change fatigue across teams.As higher ed navigates constant disruption, this episode highlights the importance of internal capacity building, stakeholder alignment, and staying focused on what matters most: creating meaningful, student-centered experiences.In This Episode:Why relevance—not volume—is driving online program successThe myth of “build it and they will come” in online educationHow geography and community still shape online enrollmentNavigating federal policy shifts, funding uncertainty, and compliance pressuresThe real impact of change fatigue on higher ed teamsWhy transformative change often happens only in crisisBuilding internal capacity in a shifting vendor and OPM landscape