The Connected College Podcast with Elliot Felix

Should we *hack* colleges so students link their courses, clubs, and careers on their own? Or should we *connect* colleges with strategy that breaks down silos so that students succeed? What role do culture, policies, and technology play in how easy or hard they are to navigate? When you want to make progress, where do you start – is it top-down or bottom up? In this special episode, Elliot discusses this with Scott Carlson and Ned Laff, authors of Hacking College. Episode Highlights include: [07:08] Holistic Student Success - Ned Laff explains why success should be measured ethically, intellectually, and marketably rather than just by salary. [15:10] Co-location for Engagement - Elliot Felix shares how moving academic advising into the library significantly increased student traffic and resource usage. [20:41] Policy as Scar Tissue - A look into how excessive bureaucracy and rules can stifle institutional agility and prevent meaningful collaboration. [24:43] The Audit and Map Exercise - A simple strategy for institutional leaders to visualize their services and identify opportunities for consolidation. [33:14] Hacking the Major - A creative "hack" for students to bypass departmental restrictions by declaring and then dropping a major to access specific courses.

How can you build the skills and habits around empathy and emotional intelligence to elevate students' EQ so that they can be effective, inspiring leaders and people who can just get stuff done and move things forward? What are the habits and norms from phones and social media that we all have to unlearn to do this? How does this help students show up differently in school, work, and life? We talk through these questions with Francesca Schuler, Executive Director of Dialogue Vanderbilt. Episode Highlights include: [04:49] The High IQ vs. High EQ Balance - Francesca explains how leadership is defined by the ability to navigate diverse opinions and why elite students need to balance their intelligence with emotional dialogue habits. [10:14] Unlearning Digital Communication Habits - A look at how technology and social media have trained us to react with "hot takes" and performative emojis instead of engaging in authentic, nuanced conversation. [12:12] Listening to Learn vs. Listening to Win - Schuler breaks down practical daily habits, such as asking with curiosity and assuming goodwill, to overcome the polarization currently seen in society. [14:45] The Power of Tech-Free Spaces - The success of the "Vandy Speakeasy" program illustrates how creating a "third place" without phones can foster deep, two-hour-long multi-generational conversations. [26:58] Rebranding "Soft Skills" as "Essential Skills" - A final call to action to treat emotional intelligence as a critical, non-optional requirement for success in both the classroom and the professional workplace.

How wide is the gap between what the media says about the value of a degree and what students are actually experiencing? In this episode, Elliot talks through this with Courtney Brown, Vice President of Strategic Impact at the Lumina Foundation, to deconstruct their recent "Reality Check" research conducted with Gallup. By comparing hard data against public perception for three pillars of the student experience – belonging, career readiness, and affordability – we explore how institutions better communicate value and increase actual value through high-impact strategies like work-integrated learning. Episode Highlights include: [03:52] Defining Success as Economic Prosperity - Courtney Brown explains why Lumina Foundation views student success through the lens of credentials that lead to good jobs and stronger communities. [05:58] The Attainment Milestone - Discover how the U.S. moved from 38% to 55% degree attainment since 2009 and what the 75% goal for 2040 looks like. [09:56] The Confidence Crisis - Courtney breaks down the alarming drop in public confidence in higher ed and identifies the three primary reasons behind the shift. [11:38] Myth Busting Campus Politics - Despite headlines about polarization, data reveals that over 70% of students feel free to share their opinions regardless of political affiliation. [20:00] Career Readiness & Work-Integrated Learning - A discussion on why 90% of students feel they are learning the right skills and how institutions can better bridge the gap to the workforce.