Get Down to College Business

Higher ed is facing a pivotal question: can colleges keep up with the workforce as AI and tech reshape every career?Sarah Holtan, PhD welcomes Suzy Siegle, EdD, JDD to talk straight about what working professionals really need. Spoiler: It's not another generic degree. When jobs are shifting overnight and skills lose their value just as fast, Walsh College listens to industry and adapts, offering stackable AI certificates, flexible programs, and practical ROI.Feel like your career is stuck unless you master the latest disruption? Wondering if online learning really delivers connection and value? Or want to know how colleges can still be relevant for adult learners?Stick around as they break down how Walsh College responds to change, serves real students, and makes education work for working people.Episode Highlights:07:24 - It's always been part of our mission to prepare graduates for successful careers in an education that's rich in theory, but also application and professional practice so that they can hit the ground running.16:33 - So if we didn't prepare them on how to do a Zoom meeting, how to stand, how to sit, how to interact, then they're going to go into their workplace and think, wait a minute, all I know how to do is be in person. And this is not always in person.17:36 - I know to compete in the world, I'm going to need a master's like a Walsh, where you have a great ROI. Or I'm going to need an AI certificate stacked to a Master's. And I want to learn how to learn in the remote environment because I have to collaborate on teams that way anyway at work.26:17 - Higher education is uniquely poised to deliver the learning and the skills that the professions need in the world.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInSuzy Siegle, EdD, JDDLinkedInApply Now at Walsh CollegeProfessional Development Programs

What if spending years on strategic planning is holding your college back? Sarah Holtan, PhD and Mark Blegen, PhD, President of Linfield University, get candid about why nimble, corporate-inspired strategic plans may be the lifeline small colleges need right now. Forget hundred-page binders. Dr. Blegen shares how focusing on a sharp budget, culture check, and clear priorities powers real change.Most schools compete with lookalike programs and struggle to differentiate. Dr. Blegen's “quick win” plan insists on honest data discussions and measurable results. No more chasing every trend or funding aimless pet projects. Think your institution could handle tough conversations about cutting old programs to focus on what matters most?What’s the secret to building real momentum without watering everything down? Listen in as Dr. Blegen explains his approach to strategic planning that keeps culture and results front and center.Episode Highlights:02:46 - I think a lot of strategic plans fail because the leaders don't understand the culture and what they're stepping into, and they try to do too much too quickly, or we're just not paying attention to where the institution is in terms of culture.07:07 - I don't want this laundry list of priorities that we will gather and we will listen and we will talk and we will hear and we discuss. But at the end of the day, I'm going to take all that information and sit down and name the priorities.12:48 - I was very clear with our community that over the holiday break, I was going to sit down and write the framework to write to sit down and say, here's what I heard, here's what I believe our opportunities are, and here's what I think our priority should be.25:34 - Just listen because you learn so much when you do that and it's really going to inform your process.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInMark Blegen, PhDLinkedInWebsite

What really happens when college faculty take a no confidence vote in their president? Sarah sits down with Dr. Chuck Ambrose—author, consultant, and former president—to pull back the curtain on the hard and hidden costs of campus leadership crises. If you think it’s all about a president’s payout, think again. Instability sends shockwaves through campus culture, hitting enrollment, fundraising, and even faculty morale in ways most never see coming.Are you wondering how an internal vote can actually change the financial health and student success at your institution? Listen to Dr. Chuck Ambrose explain the true impact of no confidence votes—and what every campus leader needs to know.Episode Highlights:04:00 - At the same time, there are cases where, whether it's moral turpitude or as we used to define it, kind of don't self inflict pain, where leaders as humans make bad decisions and reflect poorly on the institution, cause reputational damage and has generated a no confidence vote.11:59 - You take 15 people on a campus and ask them what shared governance means. Each one of them is going to have a different definition. And we don't teach it. And if we don't teach it, we don't model it. If we don't model it, then how can we say recommit to shared governance if we even have just a hard time defining it?18:36 - There's just no way higher ed can present a sustainable future and continue to offer as many programs and as many majors in the same modalities that we've offered.21:48 - If I were going to do one more, it would certainly be more transparency, everything driven off, especially within the private sector, primarily cash and liquidity so that people really understood and then owned.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInChuck Ambrose, EdDLinkedInBookPodcast

Sarah Holtan, PhD sits down with Angela Walmsley, PhD, educational consultant and founder of Interactive College Prep, to ask the uncomfortable question: what does it really mean when almost everyone gets an A? In an era where students arrive at college with sky-high GPAs and even higher expectations, Angela exposes how inflated grades muddle admissions, challenge professors, and create a ripple effect in university support systems.Behind those “perfect” transcripts, are students actually prepared for college-level work? Tune in to find out how grade inflation impacts AP exams, college admissions, and even the way professors approach their jobs.Ever wondered why so many students with straight A's stumble as soon as they hit campus and what’s being done about it? Listen to hear Angela Walmsley reveal what’s happening beneath the surface.Episode Highlights:04:15 - The average GPA in American high schools has risen from 2.6 in 1985 to 3.1 in 2020. In colleges, it’s gone from 2.8 to nearly 3.2. And today, A’s are the most common grade—even at institutions like Harvard, where 60% of grades awarded are now A’s.10:26 - [Angela referenced the National Board. This should be the College Board.] High GPAs often don’t reflect true mastery or college readiness. We’re seeing increasing gaps between classroom grades and standardized test/exam results, fueling confusion in college admissions and creating challenges for first-year students.27:32 - Professors face increasing pressure to give higher grades due to course evaluations and student expectations. Support services on campuses are feeling the ripple effects, with a rising need for remedial courses and tutoring, particularly in math and writing.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInAngela Walmsley, PhDLinkedInWebsite

What if your college degree became outdated before you even graduated? On this episode, Sarah Holtan, PhD brings Dave Schippers, Sc.D., CISSP to the table to call out the uncomfortable truth: higher education cannot keep up with the breakneck pace of AI.If you think AI is just another gadget for faculty, think again. Dr. Schippers explains how AI is a socio-technological force rethinking everything from how students learn to what skills employers will demand tomorrow.Will universities survive if they cling to old mindsets? What does an AI-literate faculty actually look like and are your professors ready? Tune in for real-world examples, new staffing models, and a few honest wake-up calls.Episode Highlights:09:24 - The groups that I'm working with, a lot of what I'm doing when I bring AI into the classroom is I make them use it in on a cognitive learning level and I also have them interact with it in a way that challenges their beliefs and their perceptions. So it in essence basically makes them self-evaluate their own thoughts on particular subjects12:22 - So because it wasn't a human giving the feedback, they didn't assume that there was an emotional facet to that. So they actually did some self reflection and said, oh, yeah, I guess this is correct.17:24 - The sooner we realize that this is potentially can happen, the more we're going to look to go, well, how can we stay ahead of it? How can we figure out how to leverage it in ways that are beneficial both to us so us being our institution and to the students that we serve?28:44 - I think higher ed needs to stop looking at what is needed now. And I think they need to start partnering with what does the market anticipate their needs within the next six to 12 months.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInDavid Schipper, Sc.D., CISSPLinkedInBookWebsite

Get ready to be inspired by Lora Strigens, Vice-President for Planning and Facilities and University Architect at Marquette University, as she shares her expertise in leading over $300 million in capital projects in under a decade. Discover how campus planning at Marquette University follows a strategic approach, encompassing broad themes to ensure the best outcomes for stakeholders.Lora emphasizes the importance of engaging with both on-campus and external stakeholders, asking thoughtful questions to enable their impactful contributions. Explore the unique challenges and benefits of being an urban institution, from community connections to ensuring student safety. Learn the art of balancing multiple priorities with limited funds and executing integrated planning within set timelines.Find out about the key components of successful investment in new or renovated facilities as Lora sheds light on measuring success using both qualitative and quantitative metrics. Get insights on building a culture of strategic planning and execution of big ideas to ensure the viability and success of educational institutions. Listen to the episode and be inspired to transform campus planning and create thriving educational environments!Episode Highlights:03:59 - Master planning is how do you engage people in a meaningful way, and so I think that beginning part where you're identifying the key stakeholders and you're bringing them into the fold and thinking about not just what general questions we can ask, but what are the questions that we can ask where people can feel like they're really having an impact? And then as we move forward with the planning process, how can you reflect back what you've heard from those people and share how their input and their experiences have actually made a difference, and how the plan manifests itself.12:35 - I think that thoughtful planning that's continuous and integrated where it takes into account what are the academic growth goals and research growth goals, where are we at from an operation standpoint, talking closely with facilities, IT security to understand where are those pain points and where are the investments required there, as well as working with our advancement team who handles our fundraising and donor engagement, to understand what's that landscape looking like, and using all of those points to help inform how we might move things forward.28:10 - The biggest challenge is probably, like you said, it's getting your head around all of the different aspects you need to be thinking about as you're approaching planning, whether that's the strategic plan or the master plan, and not being overwhelmed by that to a point that you get into a paralysis that you're not making decisions or you're not able to move things forward.Contact Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsiteLora StrigensLinkedInWebsite

Sarah Holtan, PhD explores the complexities of college leadership with Brian Rosenberg, PhD, Visiting Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education, focusing on the pressures modern college presidents face. They discuss the need for transparent, honest, and authentic communication, especially in times of social media outrage.Brian discusses the value of a clear mission and student-centric decision-making, while also challenging traditional tenure models. The conversation wraps with strategies for more inclusive shared governance and ways to stay calm and effective amidst chaos.Episode Highlights:03:19 - It's important to note that that model, even in its original document, is contingent upon an assumption that all parties will essentially be rolling in the same direction. All parties will have the good of the institution at the front of their mind and at least a general shared understanding of what that good is.09:27 - The poor Chair of our Faculty Personnel Committee had to go out and just sometimes beg his colleagues to run for election because nobody wanted to make the time commitment.12:11 - If I had to identify one group that is probably the most overlooked in shared governance, it would be Student Affairs staff. And it's ironic in the fact that students spend most of their time out of class and some of the most difficult work out on the20:09 - One of the one of the problems that tenure has created is a dramatically inequitable system, within faculty teaching. So you have on one side of the divide tenured faculty, who generally have a lot of security. Depending upon the nature of the institution, they could be pretty well compensated and have a lot of autonomy and control. On the other side of the divide, you have non-tenure track or NTT faculty. They are often very poorly compensated, have no security at all, and have no voice in the say of the institution. For me, a more effective and equitable system would be to hire people, as is done in just about every other field, with multiyear contracts, with an established schedule of reviews, and the possibility for those contracts to be renewed and extended and maybe even lengthened.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsiteBrian Rosenberg, PhDLinkedInBookSupport the Woman of Impact Campaign

Most colleges are sitting on a treasure or a time bomb when it comes to their campus facilities. Everyone wants the best buildings to attract students and faculty, but what if chasing shiny new construction is actually harming your institution’s future?Sarah Holtan, PhD talks to Chris Morett, PhD, MPP, the President at Co|Here Campus and Workplace, who pulls back the curtain and says it straight: space isn’t just an asset, it’s a strategic tool and most schools are getting it wrong.Campus leaders are struggling to balance the pressure for modern spaces, deferred maintenance, and tight budgets. What if the real key to enrollment and financial health isn’t building, but how you use what you already have? Dr. Morret shares the hard truths and quick wins that every decision-maker needs now.Curious how you can avoid multimillion-dollar mistakes and actually get a return on your facilities? Listen in for real strategies to turn your space into a competitive advantage.Episode Highlights:04:45 - So coming at it from the activity perspective is kind of the bottom line. And it helps to get out of thinking of things just as four walls spaces, which need to be taken care of.06:28 - I think also you see a serious interest, and I'm not saying it's always enacted or followed up on, it doesn't always appear in governance, but real interest and embrace of the fact that education is different now, whether it's more online courses, not just students who are from afar, but students who are either residential or commuters who maybe take 3 classes a year that are hybrid or online in addition to 7 in person. So it's really a mix now. It's not just this: "Oh, we have an online division."18:34 - I think to say that 10% or 15% of our courses could be hybrid is far from the most activist decision ever made by a university administration. So you do that, and then if 15% of your courses all of a sudden meet one day a week instead of two, well, that's a lot of classroom space you just saved.24:09 - Our goal for this building should be for it to be a tour, a stop on the campus tour. So, hey, we all do it. Whether it's putting on a nice shirt from the neck up for a Zoom call, or hiding something in the bedroom when your house is messy and you have guests, like, if you do that with intention, what's the alternative?Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInChris Morett, PhD, MPPLinkedInWebsiteWorkshop on "Planning & Evaluating One-Stop Student Services Centers: Space, Tech, Personnel."EdUp Campus PlanningSupport the Woman of Impact Campaign

Sarah Holtan, PhD, talks with Jessie Cannizzaro, owner of Milestone Plumbing, about the true meaning of community and how businesses can teach colleges to connect with their neighbors in ways that matter. If you’ve ever wondered why universities struggle to partner with local businesses, Jessie’s experiences might change your mind about what community really is.Jessie shares how her business balances profit, passion, and service, revealing why even a small gesture—like collecting pop tabs—can spark huge impact. You’ll hear how employees’ personal “why” drives engagement, and why listening beats boardroom strategy every single time.Want to know why the secret to better town-gown relations starts with getting out of the boardroom and into the neighborhood? Tune in and learn from Jessie Cannizzaro’s candid insights on making business and social impact one genuine connection at a time.Episode Highlights:04:55 - It's one singular community. It's not just this local area, it's the associations and the things that we're involved in at the state level, at the regional level, now at the national level, because it's one community that's doing collaborative efforts for a greater good.09:08 - I lay them out in advance, which can sometimes be frustrating when people want a quick meeting, you know, oh, I wanna show you this demo on something that I probably don't need, and they get irritated that I can't make that time. But it's not that I'm saying no, always I'm always trying to be rude, but more importantly, I've committed to things. My schedule fills up quickly, so I think the time management is probably the most important part.10:55 - We're very transparent, so they know if we're getting involved in an initiative, they know well in advance and have the ability to come along with during the planning stage, which I think is really important.14:52 - I think sometimes it's easy from like a boardroom to try to make decisions, but if you don't know the people, you don't know what's going to matter to them.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInJessie CannizzaroSupport the Woman of Impact CampaignLinkedInWebsiteMilestone PlumbingResourcesLocus: Take Control and Change the Direction of Your LifeThe THRIVE Journal: A Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Create and Accomplish Your GoalsChief Energy Officer: the #newCEO: How high-performing leaders manage people, pressure, and profit to build thriving organizationsQuantum Lead: How Visionary Leaders harness a hidden energy to create massive breakthroughs, accelerate growth and transform organizationsHigh-Performance Leadership: Success Strategies to Grow Yourself and Your Organization (2025),Vision to Business: A No-Nonsense Blueprint to Help You Turn Ideas into IncomeThe Mission Mover: Laser Focus Your Time and Energy to Build a Mission that Lasts!

Sarah Holtan, PhD brings together campus leaders who don’t just talk about AI—they’re reshaping the way universities operate. In this episode, Melik Peter Khoury, DBA, CEO and President of Unity Environmental University, and Suzy Siegle, EdD, JD, CEO and President of Walsh College, go beyond the tired “ban vs. embrace” debates. They unpack how progressive campuses are integrating AI not as a bolt-on tool, but as a transformative force across the institution, from grading and advising to student support and academic integrity.Suzy shares Walsh College’s approach to ethical AI use, digital twins, and practical policies, while Melik reveals why assessment, curriculum design, and even the future of work are all being reimagined for an AI-enabled campus. Discover how faculty and staff become more valuable and fulfilled when AI boosts their productivity and impact and why students must learn to think with AI, not cheat with it.Is AI fluency the survival skill colleges need most? Hear Suzy Siegle and Melik Peter Khoury challenge old models and lay out what’s next for higher education. If you’re ready to move past skepticism and start building the future, this conversation will show you where to begin.Episode Highlights:08:54 – Melik Peter Khoury: There is a combination here of training, but there’s also this idea that how we assess learning is going to have to fundamentally change in an environment where historically we have always been the curators and generators of knowledge.14:08 – Suzy Siegle: We’re not just teaching it, we’re integrating [AI] into how we learn with the avatar through the company that we have equity in and that works with us on campus to do ed tech constrained AI.27:14 – Melik Peter Khoury: If we want to freeze tuition while ensuring that our employees are ahead of the curve with inflation, innovation is the only way to go. Scale is the only way to go. So it creates a whole new mindset for our employees about how AI is not being used to cheat or time steal, but to increase the value of my position.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInSuzy Siegle, EdD, JDLinkedInWebsiteMelik Peter Khoury, DBALinkedInWebsiteSupport the Woman of Impact CampaignResourcesLocus: Take Control and Change the Direction of Your LifeThe THRIVE Journal: A Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Create and Accomplish Your GoalsChief Energy Officer: the #newCEO: How high-performing leaders manage people, pressure, and profit to build thriving organizationsQuantum Lead: How Visionary Leaders harness a hidden energy to create massive breakthroughs, accelerate growth and transform organizationsHigh-Performance Leadership: Success Strategies to Grow Yourself and Your Organization (2025),Vision to Business: A No-Nonsense Blueprint to Help You Turn Ideas into IncomeThe Mission Mover: Laser Focus Your Time and Energy to Build a Mission that Lasts!

Money matters in higher ed, but who really shapes the financial reality on campus? Sarah Holtan, PhD sits down with the Vice President for Academic Affairs at La Roche University, Gregor Thuswaldner, PhD for a straight talk on what it takes to keep college doors open, and why academic leaders can’t ignore the numbers anymore.Most believe CFOs hold the purse strings, but Dr. Thuswaldner argues that provosts who focus only on academics risk being sidelined. From forming “no scapegoat” alliances to getting smart about program cuts and new revenue streams, every decision can either build trust or leave the institution vulnerable.What happens to campus morale and academic influence when tough choices get passed off to the finance office? Listen in as Dr. Thuswaldner shares his honest strategies for keeping both the mission and the spreadsheet strong.Episode Highlights:10:08 – “If the relationship between the provost and CFO is strained, everyone will know. It erodes trust—and campus culture pays the price.”14:02 – “Owning tough decisions, not scapegoating finance, is essential. The alternative? Marginalization.”24:00 – “Program viability isn’t just about the numbers. Faculty have to help reimagine what survival looks like, or risk losing it all.”Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInGregor Thuswaldner, PhDLinkedInBook

You work hard to keep your college running, but what if you’re losing money every month without realizing it? Sarah Holtan, PhD sits down with Anamika Wadhawan, Senior VP of Sales at SIB, to shine a light on “spend drift” and invoice anomalies—those sneaky charges and contract errors that slowly eat away at your budget. Fixing your finances isn’t just about slashing resources; it’s about catching the errors and inefficiencies hidden in plain sight.Are you sure your institution isn’t leaving thousands—or even millions—on the table just because of outdated contracts or unnoticed overcharges? Listen in for proven strategies and practical questions every college CFO should be asking right now.This episode features Anamika Wadhawan, SIB’s SVP of Sales, and goes straight to the heart of saving smarter, not harder, in higher ed procurement. Episode Highlights:04:16 - If you think of just a basic invoice, you might have one thing that doesn't look right, but when you're looking at it month over month, and when these kinds of anomalies start repeating and happen across an entire portfolio spend for an organization, across invoices and in vendors and across time, it really compounds, and adds up to very meaningful operational and financial impacts for our clients.08:45 - We're consistently finding big savings opportunities. And when we think about how, to your point or to your question, we're looking at things like contract and pricing compliance. So are the two lining up? Do we even need to right size or correct the contract? Because in a 10 or 15, even 5-year period, a lot has changed and there might be different needs and different ways to actually right size that contract.15:57 - I truly believe and come from a world where an organization's most valuable assets is its data and information, and really making sure that whatever we're doing when we're working with these, even you mentioned earlier outsourcing, that we're not letting our data be used to train another software solution or be used for another outside purpose.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInAnamika WadhawanLinkedInWebsite

Sarah Holtan, PHD sits down with Daniel Greenstein, PhD, Managing Director at Baker Tilly US, for a blunt conversation about the hidden financial risks many colleges are ignoring. Greenstein, a leader in higher education consulting and former Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, reveals why traditional financial metrics don't paint the full picture of an institution's health.Greenstein breaks down nine "risk archetypes"—structural patterns that quietly erode long-term institutional stability—and exposes three accelerators that intensify vulnerability. On the positive side, he shares three indicators of resilience, offering strategies for institutions to weather future headwinds. This chat is a must for anyone in higher ed tired of wishful thinking and eager for practical advice on identifying and addressing financial stress before it's too late.Are colleges failing to look beyond basic balance sheets and missing the early warnings of fiscal distress? Listen in as Greenstein reveals why a deeper dive into financial health is crucial for navigating higher education's toughest challenges.Episode Highlights04:33 - People will do anything to balance their budgets. So I started to become more familiar with what I call the adjusted operating margin, where you back out investment income and other income, which is all the stuff that people are throwing into their revenue sources to pay their bills.07:05 - We ended up taking six of our schools and turning them into two, integrating them again. Those are the deepest kind of cuts in expenditure. We ended up rationalizing where we could, the academic program rate because it was too broad. I mean, we had to do things at speed that universities are not accustomed to doing.13:09 - The leverage led bet is basically debt based. So you see debt going up that the revenue margin shifting, and it's built on this expectation that you're going to see revenue growth as a consequence.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInDaniel Greenstein, PhDLinkedInRisk Archetypes Seeing Financial Stress Before It Hits 

Sarah Holtan, PhD, sits down with Dr. David Rosowsky PHD, Chief optimism officer, connector, collider, university senior leader, and author, for a masterclass in a subject that makes most academics run for the hills: the university budget model. In this blunt and refreshingly clear conversation, Dr. Rosowsky—sometimes called the "Ted Lasso of higher ed"—cuts through the jargon and political noise to reveal why so many institutions get budget model transitions dangerously wrong.Dr. Rosowsky breaks down the critical difference between a university’s budget (the amount of money available) and its budget model (the rules for allocating that money). He explains the spectrum of models, from highly centralized systems to the more transparent Responsibility Centered Management (RCM), and clarifies that the “best” model depends on an institution's unique culture and strategic goals.The conversation offers crucial guidance on the why, when, and how of changing a budget model, stressing that the best time for change is during periods of stability, not crisis. Dr. Rosowsky also discusses the right level of faculty engagement and identifies deans and department heads as the key drivers of a successful budget system. This is a must-listen for leader looking to align financial strategy with institutional mission. Episode Highlights:05:24  -  What they sort of assume is that if we fix the budget model, we somehow fix the budget, or we somehow create new revenue or new money, so that conflation happens all the time. The budget model is not the budget.12:01 -  The decision to change the budget model is made at the wrong time, right? It's made when campuses feel there's a crisis present or a crisis looming.22:58 - Why are we doing this? What are the outcomes we hope to achieve? What are the fears or concerns or worries or anxieties we might have that we can track and monitor? 26:56 - The levers that can be pulled. Those are being pulled by department chairs and by deans. Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInDavid Rosowsky, PhDLinkedInWhat’s the Best Budget Model for Our Institution?

In this episode, Sarah Holtan, PhD is joined by her old friend, veteran NBC Sports Boston reporter Trenni Casey, for a candid look at the evolving world of sportscasting. Trenni traces her 25-year career path, offering critical insights for today's aspiring journalists, academic leaders, and athletic directors.They discuss the essential skills for success in the modern media landscape. While foundational traits like curiosity and authenticity are timeless, the industry now demands multifaceted content creators who can shoot, edit, and engage across all social platforms. Trenni provides a crucial reality check on the industry’s financial shifts, including lower salaries and the return of the "one-person-band" journalist.The conversation explores future trends, from the impact of AI on broadcasting (like an AI Al Michaels) to growth areas in women’s sports and analytics. Trenni also delivers pointed advice for athletic departments: media train your athletes and coaches to protect both them and your brand. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating a career in modern media.Episode Highlights:11:14 - I think you have to be. More multifaceted now than you ever were before. You cannot just be a sideline reporter. You cannot just be an anchor. You cannot just be a writer for a newspaper or a website. You have to be able to do all of it, and you don't need to be the best at every facet of it, but you need to be pretty good at all of them. 30:11 - There was a wrap-up every night on Peacock that was voiced by Al Michaels, except it wasn't Al Michaels; it was AI Al Michaels. So they paid Al Michaels for the licensing to his voice.34:18 - It blows my mind that every single, teen, college, whatever, does not have a media coach on retainer.37:55 - Stop building $30 million student centers that have like state-of-the-art cold plunges and give that money to kids.  Sarah Holtan, PhDWebsiteLinkedInTrenni CaseyLinkedInNBC Arbella Early Edition With Trenni   

Sarah Holtan, PhD welcomes the Founder of School of Podcasting, Dave Jackson, for a reality check on campus podcasting. Colleges are rushing to launch podcasts, but does every institution actually need one or know how to make theirs stand out? With higher ed under pressure to connect, retain, and recruit, Dave peels back the curtain on what really makes a college podcast worth listening to and worth producing. If you think just starting a show will solve your engagement woes, you might be burning time and budget for nothing.Wondering why some university shows flourish while others fade fast and how to avoid podcast purgatory? This episode spills the secrets seasoned creators use to balance brand, authenticity, and campus goals.Episode Highlights05:40 - They said, close your eyes, and as vividly as you can picture yourself walking to the front desk and turning in your test and going over and grabbing the door handle and leaving and walking out. Because I said, the minute I get outside of the classroom, it all comes back. And they said, well, just visualize it.08:34 - When somebody is passionate about the subject that comes through. I always talk about how it's not the tech a lot. I mean, a lot of podcasters, boy, we just love to look at microphones and software and things like that and why you need a decent microphone. It's just not something I cover on my show because it's not my passion. I'm like, pick a microphone.12:21 - One of the best compliments I've ever received is somebody said I was talking to them in an event and they're like, wow, you're just like you when you are on the mic.27:14 - I know we're all worried that if I say the wrong thing, I'm going to get canceled and things like that. And I always tell people there is a name for those people. It's called not your target audience.Sarah Holtan, PhDWebsiteLinkedInDave JacksonLinkedInWebsite   

Did you know a 20% drop in international students could wipe out nearly $2 billion in college tuition in just a year? The financial pain universities are feeling right now isn’t just about bottom lines, it's about fewer programs, job losses on campus and in local communities, and a shrinking workforce for the future. In this episode, Tom Dretler, CEO and co-founder of Shorelight Education, breaks down exactly what this revenue cliff means and why colleges can't afford to keep waiting for old models to work.Can universities reinvent themselves fast enough to protect students, faculty, and towns when international enrollments plummet? Find out what Tom recommends for leaders facing their toughest year yet.Featuring Tom Dretler, CEO of Shorelight Education, on the true impact of plummeting international enrollments, and the urgent strategies colleges need now.Episode Highlights03:51 - We have a $56 billion services trade surplus in higher education, which makes up, believe it or not, 20% of the entire US economy's services trade surplus.10:12 - International students do subsidize domestic students. So in the short term going to see canceled programs, we're going to see staff reductions, we're going to see less programmatic offerings, we'll probably see rising tuition prices, and we're going to see universities, as I mentioned, starting to look at one, can they be successful with international students going forward? Is there a new normal? And let's just adapt to the new normal.20:54 - We're so domestic. But anyway, bright spots there are, you know, the cliche being that whenever there's massive change that there are always opportunities for innovation.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInTom DretlerLinkedInWebsiteThe Impact of a 20% Decline in International Students

Sarah Holtan, PhD sits down with Gary Daynes, PhD, the Founder and Principal, Back Porch Consulting and Interim President Salem Academy and College, for a blunt conversation about why most small schools are making strategic mistakes, and what they can do about it. This chat is a must for anyone working in higher ed who’s tired of wishful thinking and wants practical advice on how to future-proof their institution.Gary explains why wearing too many hats isn’t just exhausting but often a symptom of bigger strategic problems. He calls out the damaging habits of building plans on imaginary growth, and shares the overlooked power of focus: it’s not just about efficiency but about creating a mission that actually matters to students, staff, and the broader community. If you’ve ever wondered whether your school’s “unique” value is just a buzzword, this is your episode.Are colleges shooting themselves in the foot with unfocused missions and bloated org charts? Listen in to hear Gary’s straight talk on what truly moves the needle at small colleges.Episode Highlights:12:30 - In the growth period, many schools added professional master's degrees. And so their net tuition revenue was growing in part because they had an MBA that had 100 students, or they had added an MFA or something like that that had strong local attraction that generated a lot of revenue.22:21 - Athletics is an area where schools who do athletics well are learning to support students in the ways that students most need to be supported.24:07 - If you have a school with 1,000 students and you have 75 English majors, you better damn well figure out what's going on with your English program, because that is remarkable. And you need to preserve the strength of that program and duplicate the duplicatable things elsewhere in order to ensure that other programs are strong in that sort of way.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInGary Daynes, PhDLinkedInWebsiteBook

Sarah Holtan sits down with Dr. Robert Kelchen, Professor of Higher Education at University of Tennessee - Knoxville, to ask the hard question: can a new college president truly turn around a university’s finances? If you’ve ever wondered why some presidents seem to steady the ship while others are just along for the ride, this is an episode you can’t miss.Most people think hiring a new leader is a silver bullet, but Robert uncovers why financial miracles rarely happen overnight—especially at public universities. He reveals how private colleges, without state funding, are forced to make tough, often painful choices about staff and programs just to keep the lights on.What are colleges getting right (and wrong) when they hire new leaders, and what can faculty and staff really do to survive the shake-up? Listen and learn from a leading higher ed finance expert.Episode Highlights:03:37 - At public universities, they're dealing with the state, dealing with governors, lawmakers, higher education boards, and that limits their ability to make changes as quickly.05:46 - It's not reasonable for the first couple of years, but it's also something that is coming up in more job postings for presidents. So even if it's not realistic to expect it, institutions are expecting it.13:10 - These are positions that they're emotionally draining and the expectations are often not realistic. And that's why you see both presidential salaries going up to basically get people to do the job, and also the tenure going down.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInRobert KelchenLinkedinCan New Presidents Improve Colleges’ Financial Health?

Paying for college stirs up way more than just number crunching—it’s a raw experience laden with stress, overwhelm, and uncertainty. In today’s episode, Sarah Holtan, PhD, sits down with Mark Mitchell, Vice President of Access and Affordability of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), to cut through the facts and talk about the very real feelings families face when tuition bills are due. Mark reveals what’s changed in the financial aid landscape and why the pressure is only getting heavier for families—and what colleges can actually do about it. If anxiety, confusion, and those unexpected extra costs sound all too familiar, what simple tweaks could make college feel like a better investment? Don’t you want to hear what most colleges are missing when trying to ease the burden for students and their families? Mark Mitchell breaks it all down—emotion, process, and practical solutions—in this eye-opening conversation.Episode Highlights04:05 - It was the first time since we've done this survey that stress topped the list of emotions.09:56 - If more families are working more to make the tuition work, it's easy to imagine like the added stress that that brings with it.14:39 - It's more about how to make sure that that stress doesn't make them stop doing what they need to be doing for their child.37:05 - If somebody's struggling with something, just ask them. Get a group of families together and say, hey, what's wrong with this process? How can we make it better? What are you struggling with?Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInMark MitchellLinkedinWebsite

In this insightful episode, host Sarah Holtan, PhD, sits down with Kevin McClure, PhD, Professor of Higher Education at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. They discuss the critical state of employee well-being in higher education. Dr. McClure unpacks the evolving landscape of university workplaces, addressing the challenges facing faculty and staff post-pandemic, and offers actionable steps for leaders looking to create a truly caring institution.The conversation dives deep into why employee well-being is more than an HR talking point—it's a strategic imperative for any college hoping to thrive. Dr. McClure shares research-backed strategies, stories from his own journey through burnout, and the essential structural and leadership changes required to make real progress.Episode Highlights02:05 - The state of employee well being in higher education is not great... we're still recovering from a really challenging time period during the pandemic.09:50 - Doing what's right for employees is actually doing what's right for the organization more broadly.21:14 - We can't really bring individualized solutions to organizational challenges because they're only going to go so far.36:38 - Care is something that leaders themselves can also expect, and that's a reasonable expectation.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInKevin McClure, PhDLinkedInLinktree

In this forward-thinking episode, Sarah Holtan, PhD sits down with Melik Peter Khoury, DBA, to explore how higher education leaders can harness the transformative power of AI—not just as a technological tool, but as a driver for architectural, workflow, and cultural change in universities. Rather than dwelling on AI as a source of academic anxiety or a threat to jobs, Dr. Khoury shares actionable strategies for integrating AI into executive functions, staff productivity, and student learning.Listeners are invited to rethink old paradigms and learn how embracing AI can help institutions stay relevant, flatten organizational structures, empower staff, and offer students the fluency they’ll need in an AI-powered workforce.Episode Highlight05:02 - If you don't know how to use AI, if you don't embrace it, if you don't understand how it works, then your organization is going to be out of date before you even know it.17:15 - AI will make certain tasks redundant. But right now, in my opinion, the lack of imagination from organizational design is what would make employees obsolete.27:56 - If you are graduating a student and they are not AI fluent, you're already making them obsolete in the workforce.37:44 - If you are in a leadership position in higher education and you do not experiment with AI, and then show your direct reports and their direct reports and your peers that you are and normalize it, you will get stuck in time, and the world will pass you by.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInMelik Peter Khoury, DBALinkedInWebsite

Could a better way to support faculty actually decide which universities survive the coming years? In this episode, Sarah Holtan, PhD, talks with Derek Bruff, the Associate Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Virginia, about how Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) shape a college’s future, even when budgets are tight and change is constant. Derek shares his candid perspective on what makes a CTL truly matter: it’s not just space and tech, but trust-based relationships, faculty skill-building, and aligning with what the university really values. If you’ve ever wondered why some CTLs thrive while others fade, or how to measure their real value, this episode will surprise you.Want to know the one key metric that gets admin attention (and how your CTL stacks up)? Listen in as Derek pulls back the curtain on CTL impact.Episode Highlights:17:57 - It's important to have people in your center who can build kind of trust based working relationships so that faculty come to see the people in your center as folks they can trust, they can be a little vulnerable with to say, you know what? This part of my teaching is not going as well as I wish it were.22:46 - It's really hard in 2025 to separate technology out of teaching and to think of those as two separate things. Right? So much of the teaching that we do is technology integrated. And so I think CTLs need to have kind of a a at least a voice and a space in that. They don't necessarily need to run the thing or have a lot of resources in this, but there needs to be kind of a an organizational structure in place where CTLs can speak into those technology issues on campus.26:26 - If you're not able to hire a full time person into a CTL role, there are a number of campuses that will make this a part time faculty job. And so you might give a faculty member a course release or two or more so to free up time to kind of serve a CTL like function. This is a this can get things started. It's hard to have a huge impact with that model, but it is one that I see a lot.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInDerek BruffLinkedInPodcastWebsite

Sarah Holtan, PhD speaks with Brandon Moore, Executive Director of Learning & Development at the Kacmarcik Center for Human Performance. Higher Ed is struggling with shrinking resources and shifting student needs—but what if colleges could learn a thing or two from how the corporate world approaches workforce training? Brandon shares how his team treats employees as whole people, prioritizes training that actually fits real jobs, and isn’t afraid to fail fast and let go of tired programs.Are you stuck wondering why graduates struggle with “people skills” once they hit the workforce—or if colleges can keep up with changing tech? Get ready to rethink what truly matters in student (and employee) development.Tune in to hear Brandon Moore unpack what higher ed can gain from corporate L&D, from handling skills gaps to monetizing campus expertise.Episode Highlights:14:47 - I think if you're not aligning your overall learning strategy and development strategy with the overall business goals, you're probably putting yourself in a position where you have a gap whether you know it or not. There's a blind spot that's coming around the corner pretty soon.21:12 - What I have learned is that the more versatile you can make your programming, the more versatile you can make your training, meaning people don't have to come in to a workshop for two hours, give them a virtual option. And if you can give them a virtual option where they can sort of socialize and talk about that virtual option, I think that sort of learning experience environment is critical in an ever-changing versatile environment.34:12 - It's really about understanding where they're at and going to them in their space and letting them know that we are going to intentionally try to collect information from you. And we just want you to know that we're going to do something with that and follow-up with that group and say, "We've heard you and here's how we've made these changes."Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInBrandon MooreLinkedInWebsite

Sarah Holtan, PhD sits down with Bruce Hoeker, CFO at the Association of Business Administrators of Christian Colleges (ABACC), to cut through the confusion on college finances. If you think understanding your institution’s business operations is just for the CFO, Bruce wants you to think again—and shows why the financial future of your college depends on broad, strategic awareness at every leadership level.Too often, faculty and department heads are promoted into roles where financial savvy is assumed, but training is missing. The result? Strategic priorities get underfunded, and warning signs go ignored. Are you sure you know which questions will protect your school from the next crisis?Ever wondered how to spot financial red flags before it’s too late—or what separates a true CFO from a bookkeeper? This episode gives straightforward answers and real-world resources for non-financial professionals.Episode Highlights:03:36 - There's a lot you should be asking and a lot you should know. How is the institution doing? Are we healthy? If not, why, and what are we doing to fix it? You want to ask how the strategic plan is being funded. Do the resources allocated align to the highest priorities of the strategic plan? You want to ask about financial trends. What do they say about the institution's future? And you want to make sure you have the data you need to make informed financial decisions for your department. You also might want to know what departments are generating enough revenue to cover their expenses and what departments are not. 12:45 - I would say we need to understand that a CFO is a strategist, not a bookkeeper. And, unfortunately, many colleges have a bookkeeper in the role of a CFO. So to understand the difference, the CFO is a strategist. The true CFO, the real CFO, is responsible for financial planning, both long and short term. They're responsible for projecting financial needs to aid in strategic decision making. They're responsible for interpreting financial data and trends. For management use, looking at the story behind the numbers, not just the numbers.19:32 - Do we have the data we need to make decisions? That's key. If you don't have the data, get the data. We need to be asking, are the resources we are allocating to various areas, are those the areas of greatest importance? And that can be found in your strategic plan. So are we allocating resources to the most important areas? Are we investing in the right areas to drive long-term growth? We want to ask, "Are we performing against targets and budgets? Are we living within our means?" We want to, again, talk about our biggest threats. What are we doing about them? That's a very important board conversation. We want to talk about how dependent is our institution on its various revenue sources, and what are we doing to protect and grow those resources. We want to be asking things, like, "What do our trend lines say about such things as donor revenue?"Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedIn Bruce Hoeker, CFOLinkedInWebsite

Sarah Holtan, PhD, sits down with Lucie Lapovsky, PhD, a financial expert in higher education and Principal of Lapovsky Consulting. In today's episode, discover how tuition pricing strategies could hold the key to college sustainability, especially in the face of declining enrollments and a challenging educational landscape. Lucie's insights offer a fresh perspective, challenging the conventional high tuition, high discount model many institutions still follow.Lucie breaks down the importance of understanding the true cost of education, emphasizing that tuition resets are about smart pricing, not just sticker shock reduction. Her advice is to look beyond the immediate gains to the long-term benefits of a pricing strategy aligned with your institution's values and market demands. Curious about what happens after a college decides to reveal its true cost to students? Lucie’s conversation reveals surprising outcomes that can enhance financial resilience and market perception.Episode Highlights:02:23 - What most people know today is that not everyone pays the published price. There's a variety of ways students get financial aid or what we sometimes call discounts off of that price. So there's how you're perceived in the marketplace, what the message that price gives to students and their families, and then how it contributes to supporting the programs at your institution, how the revenue contributes to supporting them.06:09 - Give them something that doesn't cost the college much or anything, but is a prestige indicator. So, for example, you might say, we are accepting your child, and we want you to know that they are part of our Honors Program, and this will provide them with a dinner with our Board of Trustees, invitation to special lectures, or, meeting with our special lecturers when they come. Things that parents can go and brag about and get other parents to say, "Wow, that child is special," rather than just the size of an award.17:00 - It's amazing how many schools do not have good data systems and where there are data systems, there are multiple ones that don't agree. And so, number one, irrespective of what they're using data for, it's very challenging for a school to operate strategically without good data. And so, I will provide schools I'm working with a template of the data I need. And in some schools, they'll send it back to me within twenty four hours. And in other schools, a month later, we're still struggling to get the data and it's wrong, and we keep redoing it, and it's this system and that system. And so I would urge schools, no matter what you're thinking about, you want a really good data. You want be able to know how much you're discounting the students, what types of students, but you also know want to know what your cost of education cost.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInLucie Lapovsky, PhD.LinkedInWebsite

Sarah Holtan, PhD sits down with Nicole Gahagan, Ed.D., Associate Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Madison Area Technical College, to talk about the intricate world of change management within higher education. In this episode, Dr. Gahagan shakes up the conventional approach to institutional change by focusing intently on human needs. Looking to improve student success and employee experiences? This one's for you.Dr. Gahagan shares how ignoring human needs can backfire during change, causing resistance and inertia. She highlights the importance of purpose in change initiatives, stating that without understanding the "why," stakeholders might disengage. She also discusses her research insights into the key human needs during change: coherence, purpose, belonging, support, and confidence.Want to know how focusing on these elements can change how an organization operates? Listen to discover Dr. Nicole Gahagan's unique take on creating a sustainable culture that embraces change as an opportunity, not a threat.Episode Highlights:03:11 - Change doesn't have to be this ominous, jarring, or exhausting things, but it can certainly feel that way when institutions aren't managing it well. The biggest mistake I see colleges and universities make are a lack of investment in building organizational change capacity and then failing to take on a human-centered approach during change events. So if leaders initiating change do not want to spend their time managing the panic that ensues every time a change is introduced into the environment, then they need to be disciplined and deliberate about doing those two things. So it's really about creating the conditions right for continuous improvement and innovation and for that to be something that you are building and maintaining over time with a lot of intention in order to create and sustain this change ready state. 06:54 - Based on my research and validated through my experience, humans have about five baseline needs in order to think and act differently in a way that will help the organization achieve their goals. That's coherence, purpose, belonging, support, and confidence. And without acknowledging or addressing, these people can't or simply won't change their mindsets or behaviors deeply and pervasively enough for an organization to achieve their intended outcomes. It's when these needs aren't met that you start to see resistant behaviors emerge. 14:19 - I wanted to find out how mid-level administrators make sense of their role in the context of organizational change. I use mid-level administrators, or I defined it very broadly, because it really depends on their organization and the layers of leadership they have. But what I said was anybody between cabinet and front lines that has some sort of supervisory responsibility, somebody who is in some way managing or leading others and would need to help cascade that change.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInNicole Gahagan, Ed.D.LinkedInWebsite

Sarah Holtan, PhD chats with Elliot Felix, who is a Student Success Author, Speaker, and Consultant, about breaking down the silos in higher education to truly support students. Discover practical ways to shift from fragmented efforts to intentional collaboration for better student outcomes.Elliot shares a transformative example from the University of Rochester, where the Innovation Zone became a hub for student-driven projects. By focusing on connectivity across different campus departments, 35,000 students have since gained crucial skills and made significant community impacts.Ever thought about how your institution could foster deeper collaboration without getting lost in the chaos? Explore Elliot's design thinking approach to operationalizing collaboration for efficient, effective, and aligned institutional goals.Episode Highlights:7:04 - Design is a very powerful way of seeing the world and way of improving the world. And for me, I measure good ideas based on how hard it is to unlearn them, or it's like Freud's theory of the unconscious or Einstein's theory of relativity. Like, you can't imagine the world the same way after you learn those things. And design is kinda like that for me because it's just such a powerful way of defining and solving problems. And I think it's a great mindset and skill set and tool set for collaboration. 16:26 - Every project needs change management, but you can't call it that because nobody wants to be handled. So I think you really have to make it concrete for people and manage the process so it isn't overwhelming. And often that means starting small, with a pilot, with a prototype, and then having a really successful scaling strategy. 20:45 - Breaking down the academic affairs, student affairs divide, which is prevalent on some campuses and not so much on others, I think is a great place to start because students don't want silos, they just want support. And I think a great place to start is to find some common ground. A great way to do that is to create a shared picture of who your students are and what their needs are, and how those needs are changing. And so that kind of research into students, whether it's surveys or focus groups or observations, I think can really pave the way for then acting on what you learn together because you're sharing the data, you're talking to people. Now you've got some joint committees rolling. You're learning from each other. And then you can kind of paint the picture together of who your students are and what their needs are.  Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedIn Elliot FelixWebsiteBookBuro HappoldPodcastLinkedInHigherEd PodCon     

Sarah Holtan, PhD interviews Liane Crane, owner of The College Dollar, about the realities of college costs and the steps we can take to demystify them. With first-hand experience guiding her own children through college and assisting countless families, Liane's insights shine a light on the often murky world of college finance.Many parents and students face an uphill battle understanding college affordability. Liane highlights the need for clarity on scholarships, the muddle of financial aid jargon, and the challenge of decoding award letters. The frustrations felt by families can sometimes deter them from considering certain colleges. But what if colleges could be more transparent and proactive in their communication? Would this change the narrative for prospective students?Curious how straightforward financial advice can ease the college search process? Liane Crane shares her expertise and suggests practical changes colleges can make to better serve families in today's episode.Episode Highlights:03:03 - The question I get most often is really the unclear definition of scholarships. I think everybody maybe has their own definition. You hear from your neighbor, "Sally got a full ride." And you hear from your cousin, "Jack got $40,000 from this college." I think it just perpetuates this understanding of colleges giving money to everybody out there. We know that most families don't pay sticker price, but what does that scholarship really mean? I think parents confuse need-based aid with merit aid. What do those terms mean? We've never heard them before. What's a private scholarship versus not? And even loans get confused with scholarships or a discount to the college price.15:44 - I've had arguments and discussions with parents who really thought they owed nothing to a college, only to find that there were loans built in there that they didn't understand. I even had one family who somehow, there was a Parent PLUS Loan that he never knew he signed. So I think, again, that transparency, which is such a buzzword, but I really think that there should be a lot more onus on the college to own the cost, own what parents need to pay, and just be upfront about it. I don't think it will be as negative as maybe they think.19:25 - There are experts like us who really are trying to help parents, and it's not to sway them from one school or another. It's really just educating them on these terms. Is it affordable for you? If you're going to take out that debt, how are you repaying it? So I think schools could look into using people like this to help them, like that one school did, reaching out to parents and saying, "Look, we know there's this gap. Here's how we're going to help you," and offer resources to them.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInLiane CraneLinkedInWebsite    

Join Sarah Holtan, PhD, as she sits down with Jackie Slaats, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Career Advancement at Lake Forest College. Jackie’s commitment to career readiness has transformed Lake Forest into a leader in integrating career services into college life. This episode is packed with strategies that can redefine how institutions prepare students for their future careers.Lake Forest boasts an impressive employment rate and has been ranked #1 for social mobility. What exactly makes their approach stand out? Jackie shares the college’s innovative pathways and community-focused programs that engage alumni and faculty in unique ways to foster student success.Wondering how a commitment to career services can elevate a college’s mission? Listen to Jackie’s unprecedented journey from athletics to career leadership and discover how Lake Forest is leading the way in higher education advancement.Episode Highlights:02:46 - One thing we did early is put together what we call our career pathways, and it was recognized by the Chronicle of Higher Education as very kind of cutting edge and getting out there, and actually taking the different majors and putting them into pathways. Just to give you an example, we have five pathways: Business, Finance, and Data Science, which is a relatively new topic. We have Creative Arts and Communication. We have Law and Public service. We have Science and Health Care, and then we have our Build Your Own, which is really just kind of where you live until you figure out where you want to land.14:48 -  The other thing we do is we offer a very unique CAREER Program. It started during COVID, and this is important–CAREER, and it is because we started this idea in COVID. It was all of a sudden, what are we going to do for career advancement? Our students are home, and our alumni can really help us here. So we started with this idea of CARE. So we had our alumni, different than other networking, reach out to our students. In most networking situations, students reach out and ask for help. In this one instance, because of COVID, we had our alums reach out to our students and really say, "How are you doing? How can I help you?" We have a very different job market out here. But what happened out of that program was it was so successful.18:09 - We have an amazing Career Advancement Center Team. Our director, she's in her tenth year. Again, continuity in that is important, too. Keeping your staff, making sure they really get to know your students. The students have people they can trust. Between our faculty and our staff, our students feel very supported in the career space, and I think that's important. We even offer these certifications for students at another time after they graduate if they want to pick up some more of those. It just never hurts.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInJackie SlaatsLinkedInWebsite    

Sarah Holtan, PhD explores the hidden impact of course material expenses on student success with Julia Seaman, PhD, Director of Research, Bay View Analytics. Discover startling statistics and explore surprising insights into how these costs shape students’ academic journeys and choices.Course materials often play an invisible yet powerful role in higher education. Dr. Seaman’s research shows that these costs can drastically influence students’ ability to succeed academically, sometimes even affecting their choice of majors and institutions. It’s a pressing issue that universities can no longer ignore.Wondering how rising course material costs are shaping the landscape of higher education and what can be done about it? Listen in as Dr. Julia Seaman shares her findings and discusses potential strategies to alleviate these burdens on students and academic institutions.Episode Highlights:03:39 - This question was asking students in their academic career, has the cost of required course materials caused you to do any of those following activities that you've listed? And so it was absolutely surprising to us–dismaying that we do see that there's this really large proportion of students nationally, and we've also confirmed this through state level surveys as well, that students are saying that they are actively impacted by course materials, and so they are taking fewer courses is the most common response. So they are not registering for specific courses.10:17 - I think one thing that's becoming more of an issue now is that course materials aren't necessarily just the textbook, and that is true, with these digital, course packs they're coming out where even if a student can find their textbook in another means, they still end up having to purchase the digital course pack because that's the only way they can access the homework. 21:28 - Does financial aid cover course material costs? And that's not necessarily true for every student. So a lot of students get financial aid, but financial aid often is mostly just for tuition. Sometimes, it covers other things. And often, even if it does help with course materials, we found from the survey, it doesn't cover the full cost of course materials. And a lot of the times, it may not cover add-on materials, the lab fees, the printing fees, and other things that come in, not just the bookstore purchases of textbooks.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInJulia Seaman, PhDLinkedInWebsiteReport by Bay View Analytics   

**Note** This episode was recorded in December 2024 and was based on a preliminary report that has since been updated. The more recent findings from the National Student Clearinghouse show that undergraduate enrollment is actually up by 4.5%, not the 3% as stated in the episode. The majority of the take-aways and the broader conversation still applies. Join Sarah Holtan as she sits down with Robert Nowak, the Associate Vice President of Enrollment and Dean of Admission at Lawrence University, to discuss innovative strategies for enrollment growth and retention in higher education. This episode tackles the pressing issue of declining college enrollment rates and explores effective ways to build and maintain a strong student base.As colleges face an uncertain future, Robert insists that knowing your brand and extending it beyond local boundaries can be your lifeline. Robert emphasizes the impact of personalized admissions tactics, including phone calls and handwritten notes, on prospective students.Wondering how to overcome the demographic cliff and attract non-traditional students to your institution? Tune in to discover Robert’s data-backed strategies that can transform your recruitment approach.Episode Highlights:02:14 - The demographic cliff definitely accelerated with the pandemic, and I think that's what we have to kind of look to is, what did our students who are now in college experience over the pandemic and how has that really affected their ability to want to start at a 4-year institution?09:55 - Eight weeks gives you enough time to really build a relationship with the other folks that are part of that with faculty and really kind of get deeper into the weeds with the content of whatever it is you're studying.12:53 - In a time of economic uncertainty, which we kind of experienced over these past number of years, people were inclined to look for an easier way to help supplement their work to get into the work force and and supplement that with more content that's going to help them in their current job.22:53 - Having the right people on your team and being on the right bus in the seat, to borrow a Jim Collins reference there, is so important because they are going to be able to do a lot of the lifting that you still might need to get down to. Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInRobert Nowak LinkedInWebsiteArticle  

If you think managing a university's finances is complex, imagine simplifying it with the expertise of a data scientist who can turn numbers into actionable insights. Join Sarah Holtan, PhD as she hosts Matt Hendricks, PhD, founder of Perspective Data Science, to discuss financial transparency in higher education.In this episode, Dr. Hendricks shares how his free research tool can transform raw financial data from audited reports into clear metrics like net income margins, cash flow, and endowment health. Discover how understanding these indicators can steer your institution towards financial stability, even spotlighting areas like staffing and competitive pricing strategies.Curious about how a data-driven approach can resolve hidden financial issues at universities? Listen to learn how Dr. Hendricks’ insights could revolutionize your institution’s financial policies and enhance enrollment strategies.Episode Highlights:03:41 - Many schools that I look at and I'm like, "Wow. They're in serious trouble." You talk to somebody that is on their board or in their administration, and they're just totally in the dark, it seems.06:58 - If your net cash from operating activities goes negative, it means you're not generating enough cash from operations to cover your payroll and other key expenses, which means you have to either borrow. So you'd like to track how these schools actually stay afloat when this goes negative.16:12 - One thing I hate to see is a school that is struggling financially to the point where it's killing their school. And then find they're only admitting 30-40% of the applicants to their school while their peers have clearly adapted to the changing environment of higher ed, the increased competition, and they're admitting 75-80%.44:39 - If I make the wrong decision first and I get new evidence, I'll make a new decision. It's as simple as that.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInMatt HendricksLinkedInWebsite 

Sarah Holtan, PhD chats with Josiah Castro, Deputy Athletics Director for East Texas A&M, about the cutting-edge strategies he's using to boost university revenue through athletics. This conversation is packed with insights on the importance of athletics in enrollment, branding, and community engagement.Josiah shares how athletics act as the "front porch" of the university, offering unique marketing opportunities and rallying points for students, alums, and the community. He discusses the innovative approaches in revenue streams, like branded beer and group ticket sales, and the essential role of relationships in fundraising success.Wondering how creative revenue strategies can bolster university finances and enhance student experiences? Tune in to discover Josiah Castro’s proven methods for generating significant revenue and fostering campus unity.Episode Highlights:09:19 - if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. I tell my team all the time though, if we get one new ticket buyer, if we get one new donor, if we get one new sponsor because we tried something, it's a success, right?12:25 - If your university and your president also see the value in the Athletics Department, then there is this group working across campus because rising tide raises all boats.21:41 - Everything that we do on the fundraising side isn't about dollars or the Athletics Department, it's about the kids.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Josiah CastroLinkedInWebsite    

Sarah Holtan chats with Chellee Siewert, President of Capture Sports and Entertainment, about how athletes can shape their legacy through their brands. This episode tackles the evolving landscape of personal branding, showing athletes how to use their influence for social good and prepare for life beyond sports.Chellee underscores the importance of athletes giving back through charitable initiatives, touching on options from donor-advised funds to setting up 501c3 organizations. Chellee also discusses how college athletes can leverage teamwork, determination, and networking skills to boost employability and ensure a smooth transition from sports to corporate careers.How can integrating social impact elevate an athlete’s public image and brand value? Discover Chellee's insights into blending athletic prowess and social causes to create a lasting legacy.Episode Highlights: 08:03 - Whether you're an athlete or you're not an athlete, that networking piece of, if you want to be successful moving forward, saying yes to situations of volunteering and to being able to meet different individuals that, as you move forward in your life, professional sports or not, that you build this network while you have this ability and this platform to do so.09:47 - You need to be authentic. You need to be you. They need to see your personality. They need to see what you like, what you don't like, and just simple things of making sure that your social media handle is your name, and it's not what your grandma used to call you when you were 2 or a nickname that your buddy gave you, because people aren't going to be able to find you on there.25:48 - I'm a firm believer that social impact has to be a part of everybody's brand. It just has to be a part. The athletes that we work with, that innate giving back sense has to be there, and there are a variety of different ways that they can give back. The colleges offer so many different opportunities for their athletes to give back that they can take advantage of. 30:50 - When you are that athlete, you have a platform and you have doors that are open to you that everyday college students don't have, so take advantage of those. Take the meetings, network, be able to go to the booster club events, or go to places that you can meet with the donors that you can learn. Go to the businesses that support your sport and understand and learn what they're doing and network.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Chellee SiewertLinkedInWebsite 

Sarah Holtan, PhD welcomes back Gill Hunter, PhD, Presidential Fellow for Experience and Engagement at Eastern Kentucky University, to explore the essential strategies for making colleges feel like a second home to students. Gill shares insights and actionable approaches that are reshaping student retention and engagement.Imagine your daughter is hesitant about college after a rough high school experience. Then, an advisor walks her to class, sparking a connection that changes everything. Gill’s personal story drives home the critical role of genuine human interaction in education. He debunks sterile, transactional terms like "stakeholders" and advocates for student-first relationships.Curious about how transforming college environments through simple, sincere actions can enhance student and employee satisfaction? Tune in to discover the powerful impact of hospitality and engagement from Gill’s unique experiences.Episode Highlights:05:47 - Students have choices, and if we don't acknowledge that students have those choices, then we're doing a disservice to our relationship with them.16:32 - If we just do it to say we did it, and we don't have the right people looking at that information, and not just looking at that information, but using it to make decisions, to change practices, to create communications that go out to the campus community, if we're not using that information, then we're just spinning our wheels with it.18:13 - The game we often play as faculty members is, this student gave me a bad evaluation because I don't know who the student is, but I'm sure that that student has a grudge to bear, that that student must not have gotten it.29:53 - The fallout is that the people who have to shoulder that load feel underappreciated. They feel overworked or overburdened. They will risk burnout. They feel like there are other opportunities that they too should pursue because they've seen someone else successfully land another job.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Gill Hunter, PhDWebsiteLinkedIn

Sarah Holtan engages Tim Sullivan, Business Leader and Dean of the Sullivan School of Business and Technology at Carroll University, in a discussion about the potential of business strategies in revitalizing struggling universities. With a background spanning academia and executive roles, Tim brings a rare perspective that challenges the traditional educational frameworks hampering rapid change.Tim spotlights the pressing issue of legacy governance structures, stressing how shared decision-making often slows necessary innovations. He offers a powerful comparison of academia to state governments where progress is equally tedious. But can the private sector's agility rescue colleges? Tim wholeheartedly believes so, shedding light on how financial incentives and market-aligned curriculums could be the key.Are you curious about whether business models can revamp our educational systems for the better? Listen in to discover Tim Sullivan’s groundbreaking take on this transformation.Episode Highlights03:17 - I think the thing that surprised me the most about any higher education institution is the governance that's in place is very challenging. Its legacy. It's been there for a long time. And I think that until such time that some universities can really seriously take a look at their legacy governance and make some changes to it, it's going to be difficult to effect change.25:23 - I need someone that can actually go into a board meeting and present how we're going to change this company, how we're going to move this company. And they can't do that unless they understand the basic business types of aspects of what they have and have communication skills.32:16 - If you're transparent and you move the decision-making down the tree, down to the people that are working on it every single day, it can be done. It's an incredibly powerful model.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Tim SullivanWebsite

Ever feel like you’re swimming against the tide of conventional career advice? If so, this episode is tailored for you. Many people still underestimate how rewarding and viable careers in the trades can be, even though they often lead to high salaries and job security without the burden of student debt. Join Sarah Holtan as she sits down with Jessie Cannizzaro, master plumber and president of Milestone Plumbing, to break down the stigmas and reveal the true potential of trade careers.Jessie explains how trades offer structured advancement opportunities—from journeyman to master levels—while focusing on hands-on learning that suits kinesthetic learners better than traditional education often does. How can a career in trades provide not only stability but also avenues for growth in management and beyond?Curious about how integrating trades education early can set students up for lifelong success? Tune in to hear Jessie Cannizzaro lay it all out, from her admiration for her mother's pioneering role to her advocacy for trades education reform.Episode Highlights 13:17 - One thing that I have reframed when I go into schools to talk to students about the plumbing trade, I do not lead with it is a 5-year apprenticeship and it took me a while to figure out that that will freak a 16-year-old out because 5 years sounds like an eternity to them.19:41 - We have a shower head display that I literally will go into a classroom every single year for career day and we let the kids take the trim off, pull the cartridge out, explain what the cartridge does, and how it can fix a leaky faucet at home and then put it back together and assemble it. And seeing their faces light up when they're using the tools, I love especially seeing the little girls, and they'll say sometimes to me like, "My dad couldn't fix this at home." And then I will always, in such a nice way, "You go home and make sure you tell them you know how to do it now."27:13 - I do think that remote learning and having people working and learning different classes, whether it's remote or just strictly in some fashion that they're not integrating into teams, does set them up to not work as well on teams once they're inside of the workplace. But I think each person is going to have their unique experiences that they've had through life, and those are going to impact whether or not they work well in teams.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Jessie CannizzaroLinkedInWebsite

Sarah Holtan chats with Dr. Joe Salustio, VP of Industry Engagement and Co-founder and Host of the EdUp Experience Podcast, about the transformative role technology plays in higher education and the crucial steps institutions must take to stay competitive. Imagine operating your entire college on outdated software while your competitors soar ahead with cutting-edge solutions. Joe breaks down why many schools resist necessary tech upgrades, what it takes to overcome these hurdles, and the future trends every educational leader should watch. His insights reveal the high stakes of failing to adapt and the steps needed to ensure your institution is not left behind.Are you curious about how failing to update technology can endanger your institution's future? Listen to find out how thoughtful tech investments can propel colleges toward long-term sustainability and success.Episode Highlights:03:40 - Higher ed to some degree has customized these systems so intensely that it's hard to switch out of it. You know how higher ed works, Sarah. It's like, "Well, we don't wanna change, and I like things the way they are. And if I'm not going to be able to do X, Y, or Z anymore, so I don't want this system." So there's an inertia that's built.05:55 - Higher ed doesn't know any better. So then they spend 2-3 years modernizing human resources and finance, and all the student system just sits there and doesn't innovate. And next thing you know, there's a school over here that's a competitor that started with their student system and is now able to do more than you.16:20 - We have programs that allow you to to have distinct pathways towards your degree so that you aren't losing credit. And to allow that system to be employed, you have to be willing to reconfigure, completely reconfigure, how your classes are organized.25:05 - A lot of times people forget how many technologies they actually use that they need to disclose before undertaking this project, and that's what integrations are. And integrations can slow you down.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Joe Sallustio, EdDLinkedInWebsiteCompanyBook   

Sarah Holtan, PhD explores the complexities of college leadership with Brian Rosenberg, PhD, Visiting Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education, focusing on the pressures modern college presidents face. They discuss the need for transparent, honest, and authentic communication, especially in times of social media outrage. Brian discusses the value of a clear mission and student-centric decision-making, while also challenging traditional tenure models. The conversation wraps with strategies for more inclusive shared governance and ways to stay calm and effective amidst chaos.Episode Highlights:03:19 - It's important to note that that model, even in its original document, is contingent upon an assumption that all parties will essentially be rolling in the same direction. All parties will have the good of the institution at the front of their mind and at least a general shared understanding of what that good is.09:27 - The poor Chair of our Faculty Personnel Committee had to go out and just sometimes beg his colleagues to run for election because nobody wanted to make the time commitment.12:11 - If I had to identify one group that is probably the most overlooked in shared governance, it would be Student Affairs staff. And it's ironic in the fact that students spend most of their time out of class and some of the most difficult work out on the 20:09 - One of the one of the problems that tenure has created is a dramatically inequitable system, within faculty teaching. So you have on one side of the divide tenured faculty, who generally have a lot of security. Depending upon the nature of the institution, they could be pretty well compensated and have a lot of autonomy and control. On the other side of the divide, you have non-tenure track or NTT faculty. They are often very poorly compensated, have no security at all, and have no voice in the say of the institution. For me, a more effective and equitable system would be to hire people, as is done in just about every other field, with multiyear contracts, with an established schedule of reviews, and the possibility for those contracts to be renewed and extended and maybe even lengthened.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Brian Rosenberg, PhDLinkedInBook

Sarah Holtan, PhD and Ricardo Azziz, the Director at the Center for Higher Education Mergers & Acquisitions and Principal at the SPH Consulting Group, explore the strategic significance of early action and planning in addressing challenges in higher education, with a particular focus on the complexities of college mergers. They discuss important aspects, including the financial and cultural considerations involved in merging institutions, and stress the importance of proactive leadership among college administrators. The episode concludes with practical advice for struggling colleges to stay viable as potential merger partners.Episode Highlights10:52 - Once you've actually made the decision to merge and you've made that decision to announce publicly, it is now time to engage everybody to the extent you can, to explain why the process had to be confidential initially, and to really basically create a community effort around this initiative.12:10 - The second major point of failure in a merger is a failure to implement correctly. You just don't think it through, you don't understand the systems, you don't understand which dominoes have to fall first, what order of things have to be addressed, and so that's a big issue. So, the failure of implementation is a big deal.20:22 - The best way to preserve heritage and the best way to preserve service to a student and the best way to preserve certain academic programming is actually to make sure that your institution is stable.23:02 - Growth can be quicker. It can be more rapid if we were to then merge with another institution and now sort of have a number of programs and students that we didn't have before. So, I think that tactic is important.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Ricardo AzzizLinkedInWebsite

Today, we're joined by a powerhouse in the world of business and academia, Jen Dirks, the CEO and president of Tempo Milwaukee, who brings over two decades of experience in strategic planning and business operations. In this episode, we dive deep into the crucial issues surrounding higher education, particularly the representation of women in leadership roles and the systemic changes needed to promote gender equality.We'll explore Jen's own college journey at Illinois State University, her role in shaping mentorship programs, and her advocacy for more inclusive curricula. We also highlight the importance of mentors, alumni networks in empowering female students and the significant impact of diverse guest speakers in academia.Episode Highlights07:14 - So we were inspired at Tempo to, start a match program, a Tempo Mentor, so that's the more experienced individual. That is somebody like you, Sarah, 15 to 25 years in the professional experience, mentoring and being matched specifically with that emerging women leader mentee, so somebody not quite yet, at that executive level, maybe more in the mid manager type of role.13:10 - I'm not a critic of my female students, but I may tend to be a little bit harder on them because this is something that, marketing communications, I feel like it's it's just a natural for women's or for female students.32:34 - There is another study that absolutely I mean, there's multiple studies that say having a woman with a seat at the table in the executive level or on your board, the bottom line for an organization is vastly different than an all male board, all male executive team.38:13 - I often say this, this is a pivotal time for women, for female students to have a voice, to elevate. I mean, running even running a women's organization, there is not a better time. There is not a better climate or environment to be doing that. The visibility of women, the voice of women has changed drastically in the last 5, 10, 15 years, and so that's really a great time.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Jen DirksLinkedInWebsite

Sarah Holtan, PhD, hosts Jim Burkee, PhD, in a conversation about overcoming unique challenges in international student recruitment and the expansive growth in enrollment at Avila University. They discuss the necessity of flexible infrastructure to support a diverse student body and share personal anecdotes from their experiences abroad.Episode Highlights:00:15 - Dr. Burkee recalls the pungent adventure of trying stinky tofu with students, tying it to the broader narrative of the transformative value in cultural experiences, essential ingredients in the stew of international education.08:46 - At a crossroads of innovation, collaboration surfaces as the beacon guiding institutions through the tempest of higher education challenges; Dr. Burkee cites the intricate dance of managing student recruitment across varied programs and costs.21:29 - Through the lens of his presidency, Dr. Burkee zooms in on Avila University's narrative of growth, illustrating how a focus on identity and partnerships has orchestrated a melody of inclusivity, attracting a symphony of international learners.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Jim Burkee, PhDLinkedInWebsite

Sarah talks with Dr. Angela Walmsley, PhD, renowned education consultant and president of Interactive College Prep. They delve into the art of making informed decisions in the college search process. Dr. Walmsley brings clarity to the nuances of modern college admissions and shares expert strategies for students and their families.Dr. Walmsley's also shares her thoughts about the evolving landscape of college admissions, scholarship opportunities, and application tactics.Episode Highlights:13:37 - Now what I tell people is that you wanna push yourself as much as you can, but still get a's and b's. So, like, if you're going to sign up for all AP classes and you're going to get a c in all of them because you can't do that level of rigor, then that wasn't a good choice for you.23:11 - The thing that comes to mind in terms of the barrier is one thing I've even seen myself is kind of the lack of campus tours that are available and kind of off times. So a lot of families want to go over breaks, you know, holidays, weekends, and that's often when they're not offered.26:30 - One thing that I'm always amazed in general is so many students and families feel like their students should be able to go to college for free. So we hear this all the time. Right? Like, somebody's gonna get a free ride because of x, y, and z, or an athlete's gonna get a free ride, or somebody who's really top-notch academics going to get a free ride. In reality, there are really very few free rides to college.37:48 - So institutions have to really be able to answer that question, you know, that what they're doing and the preparation they have for students to move on after their college experience and get a good job is important. So I just think, you know, making sure there's enough investment in those resources, career resources and, and what they're advertising at what for what students do at their institution is going to prepare them for that. So I think just, you know, making sure they can answer that question about the cost being worth it.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Angela WalmsleyLinkedInWebsiteWall Street Journal Article 

Join your host, Sarah Holtan, PhD, as she engages with Sean Jones, an influential figure in the AI academic sphere. They delve into how AI technologies like ChatGPT are redefining the academic landscape, the imperative challenges they pose, and how institutions can adapt to embrace AI while ensuring academic integrity and addressing bias. Episode Highlights:10:45 - When we talk about using AI in the classroom, we're looking at a complementary tool. AI can aid faculty with material preparation, give automated feedback, and even assist in grading efforts. But it doesn't mean we're bypassing the value human interaction brings to the educational experience. It's about leveraging technology to enhance, not replace, human effort.18:22 - The dynamic capabilities of AI like ChatGPT raise pressing questions about academic integrity, particularly as they become more adept at tasks like syllabus and content creation. It's crucial to set clear boundaries for AI use within educational settings and develop policies that keep pace with technology while ensuring the authenticity of student work.26:37 - AI's influence is permeating industries far beyond academia. We're seeing it draft articles, craft sports reports, and streamline business processes. As it becomes a staple in various fields, our institutions must adapt, ensuring students understand AI and can wield these tools effectively in their future careers. Despite the fears, robots aren't taking over our jobs – they're changing how we approach them.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Sean JonesInfo

Join Sarah Holtan, PhD, as she sits down with Melik Peter Khoury, DBA, President of Unity Environmental University to navigate the dynamic landscape of contemporary higher education in an era that demands educational innovation. Learn how Unity's revolutionary strategies have shattered the conventional and elevated the institution to new heights of enrollment and fiscal prosperity. President Khoury talks about how Unity redefines success and embarks on a journey of constant reinvention to offer education that's not only accessible but also attuned to the flexible needs of today's students. Under President Khoury's leadership, Unity Environmental University has achieved remarkable enrollment and budget growth in under five years. Episode Highlights:05:22 - "We've always aimed to stay ahead of our growth, building 30% extra space to preempt our future needs. When you're strategically planning for expansion, this level of foresight is crucial. Our projections aren't just numbers; they represent future lives transformed by education."09:45 - "We've fashioned a robust technological foundation with Salesforce at the helm, ensuring seamless data management. This isn't merely about efficiency; it's fostering a culture that empowers us to measure what truly matters—like career placement—over traditional metrics."16:37 - "Creating an enterprise with diversified subsidiaries allows us to fine-tune our approach to various student populations, offering tailored curriculum and services. This model is more than organizational design; it's crafting educational experiences that resonate."Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Melik Peter Khoury, DBALinkedinWebsite

Sarah Holtan, PhD, engages with strategic planning maestro Nicki Nabasny, EdD to unravel the complexities of creating impactful strategies within higher education institutions. Gear up for a deep-dive into the art of stakeholder mapping and the pivotal role of leadership sponsorship in ensuring a successful strategic transformation.Nicki, with years of expertise in guiding colleges through strategic foresight, reveals the nuances of drafting a plan that is not only coherent but also forward-looking and ambitious enough to tackle the dynamic challenges of today's educational landscape.Episode Highlights:08:22 - Mapping out stakeholder influence really changed the game for us. It's about understanding who holds sway over the decision-making process and how to engage them effectively. Tailoring our approach to each unique campus culture allows us to create plans that are not only embraced but championed by the whole community.17:05 - A common pitfall I've observed is plans becoming stagnant. Strategy should be a living beast, breathing and evolving with the institution. That's why I stress on a rolling 3-year strategic plan over the traditional 5-year models. It pushes colleges to stay relevant and responsive to rapid changes in the educational sphere.24:40 - Buy-in is not just a buzzword; it's the backbone of strategic adoption. The key lies in aligning the plan with your mission and the leaders' vision. If you don't have the buy-in from the top, your strategy might just collect dust on a shelf. We delve deep into the tactics of securing leadership sponsorship, so your plan actually materializes into results.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Nicki Nabasny, EdDLinkedInWebsite

Sarah Holtan, PhD talks to Sarah Lukas, Ed.D., who brings her flair for innovation to the table, discussing the crucial role of empathy and adaptability in higher education leadership. Dive into a candid conversation on how institutions can thrive amidst change and why the fear of the new should be left behind. Sarah, who is the Director of Academic Operations at NLU Florida, imparts her wisdom on community engagement and the essence of listening to feedback for academic growth. Plus, we tease an exploration into the actual costs of change in an upcoming podcast– a dialogue you won't want to miss. For insights that inspire and strategies that stick, tune in and join us on this leadership journey.Episode Highlights:04:08 - I'm an academic at heart, but I've also become an operator. As I moved on in my educational experience and I became an assistant principal, became a district administrator, you can't have one without the other. We have to make sure that we're serving students by being efficient and making sure that we are using our budget well, so that we spend it correctly for our students, with the students in mind, regardless of if you're in public ed or if you're in a higher ed institution.07:30 - Our counseling curriculum is the same for our Master's program in both Illinois and Florida. However, we offer it on ground in Illinois, but it's online in Florida. And so, the modality is different and the enrollment and outreach is different because you're bringing in for different programs, but that allows Chicago to bring in their on ground program and have a very robust on ground piece there. But then we're able to provide the same quality between online student audience, so that allows us to be streamlined.13:08 - As a satellite campus, every student, every faculty member, it's also critical to our budget responsibility , and how we are operating within those dollars. And if we have a program that's showing exponential growth, then we make sure we hire there. That's where you have to balance again, that flexibility and empathy.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Sarah Lukas, Ed.D.LinkedInBe the Manatee: Affirming Advice for Your Leadership Journey

In this episode, Sarah Holtan, PhD, the President and Founder of High-level Leadership, LLC, delves deeply into how to protect the product of higher education. She argues that professional development funds for faculty and staff are essential to the quality of education. Discover how investing in people can save you money long term, reducing turnover and increasing productivity.Sarah also discusses how professional development funding can lead to long-term savings through the continuous employment of top talent. Listen in as she draws an intriguing analogy between a non-profit college and an independent restaurant, exploring the roles and improvements necessary for success in both domains. Don’t miss out on these eye-opening insights on the essential nature of professional development funds. Listen in, learn, and let’s get down to college business. Tune in now!Episode Highlights:05:26 - Research is one of or the most significant element of an academic portfolio. Faculty cannot progress on an individual level without that research. Additionally, the in-class learning and the student outcomes are reduced as well if faculty are not active in their own research. Truly, the curriculum is just not as strong when faculty are not active in their discipline.12:54 - I'll argue that many faculty probably have a percentage of their load dedicated to research and development. But what about staff? I'm getting a guess that that's a rare scenario. So it's not just about the monetary funding, but also some time in their schedule to actually go out and learn. 18:48 - Another high cost, high return benefit is individual research and conference funding as we've been talking about from the beginning. Again, this is the product. We have to protect our product. That is part of our educational service and product. If faculty and staff are not producing new knowledge and sharing it with their students and community, they're not really in the learning business.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsiteRethinking Hybrid and Remote Work in Higher Education Book

Let's dive into an enlightening discussion with Sarah Holtan, PhD and Kate Colbert, the author of "Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education", on the evolving landscape of higher education in this episode. Uncover the advantages of online learning, reasons behind resistance to change, and the significance of transparency within academic institutions. We discuss student retention strategies, with an emphasis on innovative partnerships and dynamic leadership. Kate shares her predictions about a new wave in education costs, the power of technology, and the importance of having professionals in key roles. Listen in as we end on a high note, urging leaders to invest their efforts in external relationship management and workforce development. Tune in for stimulating insights, revelations, and a glimpse into the future of education.Episode Highlights:08:07 - Tell the truth about the problems they're having at their institution or tell the truth about the needs of their students, or to tell the truth about the innovations that would really crack things wide open for them, those are the institutions that are starting to do really, really well. Those are the institutions that five years from now, when you and I are chatting about this again, they will not have closed. And so, yes, there is massive resistance to change in higher education, but the institutions that are saying, "Okay, let's just, like, get down to business, let's really talk turkey here," those are the institutions that are really at the bleeding edge of higher ed.09:45 - The first lesson is that everyone is a learner and I think student is the wrong word. I think learner is the right word because it's not just about backpacks and briefcases anymore. It's so much more than that. This past year, I think, has shown us that it's time to redefine higher education's customer and understand that everything beyond high school is post secondary education.18:06 - Partnerships are the future of higher education. And so, of course, mergers and acquisitions. You've talked about that on the show, and even more creative opportunities than that, but it's also really unique, interesting partnerships that are at the program level.Sarah Holtan, PhDLinkedInWebsite Kate ColbertLinkedInWebsite