Advertise on podcast: Office Hours With EAB

EAB experts Logan Morris and Tara Zirkel unpack findings from a survey of nearly 500 student success leaders and examine why retaining students is becoming increasingly difficult. They share practical strategies for addressing staff capacity constraints and evolving student needs, including how AI can help institutions identify risk sooner and give staff more time to connect with students.

EAB’s Shelly Walia and Adam Owenz examine the most pressing fundraising challenges facing community college advancement teams. Drawing on a new survey of advancement leaders, they explore how outdated technology, incomplete alumni data, and labor-intensive processes limit fundraising efforts. They also offer practical steps understaffed teams can take to spend less time on manual work and more time building relationships with potential donors.

Meta’s teen privacy case could accelerate changes in how social media platforms collect data, target minors, and serve personalized advertising. EAB’s Emily Niedermaier and Brooke Verbeek discuss what these changes mean for university marketers. They also share practical advice for aligning marketing with enrollment strategy, building trust across channels, and reaching right-fit students in an increasingly fragmented digital landscape.

EAB’s Madeleine Rhyneer and Pam Royall discuss findings from EAB’s new survey of more than 2,500 parents of high school students. They examine parents’ growing focus on career outcomes, mental health, and how colleges are preparing students for an AI-driven future, even as cost remains top of mind. Madeleine and Pam also explain how enrollment leaders can communicate with parents earlier and more effectively to turn them into valuable recruitment allies.

Katie Linder, Joanne Addison, and Beth Myers from the University of Colorado Denver talk to EAB’s Paul Gunther about how they manage the school’s annual program check-in. The team explains how they created a comprehensive, inclusive process with both formal and informal methods to gather input from faculty and administrators. They also offer tips to other institutional leaders on how to build similar programs that can survive leadership transitions and other challenges.

EAB’s Val Fox and Pam Royall host a discussion with higher education consultant Donald Resnik to unpack findings from the newest EAB-NAGAP survey of graduate enrollment staff. The three discuss why graduate enrollment teams are facing growing pressure to generate revenue while navigating staff burnout, AI adoption, and shifting student expectations. They explore where institutions are getting it right, where common assumptions are falling short, and what university leaders can do to build more sustainable enrollment strategies for the year ahead.

EAB’s Val Fox and Michael Koppenheffer discuss how AI tools like ChatGPT are increasingly impacting the way students and families discover and evaluate colleges. They explain why embracing generative engine optimization (GEO) has become just as important as traditional search engine optimization. They also offer broader practical advice for strengthening your institution's digital presence, creating AI-friendly content, and preparing your enrollment strategy for an AI-first future.

EAB's Julia Philyaw sits down with Ryan Schmiesing, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the University of Minnesota, to explore how the university conducted a comprehensive strategic review designed to strengthen the institution's long-term sustainability. Ryan shares how his team assessed organizational strengths, vulnerabilities, and opportunities across a complex, multi-campus system while building support among campus leaders and other key stakeholders. The two also offer practical advice for higher education leaders on how to turn strategic planning into meaningful action.

EAB’s Alexa Silverman and Margaret Sullivan examine the root causes of the modern student readiness crisis, reframing it not as a generational gap but as a natural response to a rapidly changing learning environment. The pair explore how a student's mental health and academic performance can create a self-reinforcing cycle. They also share evidence-based practices being used by progressive school districts and suggest ways that higher ed and K-12 leaders can align to help bridge the readiness gap.

With Grad PLUS loans ending July 1 and new federal borrowing limits taking effect, graduate schools are facing one of the biggest disruptions in decades. EAB’s Brett Schraeder and Amy Luitjens examine which students, programs, and institutions are most exposed and explain why many colleges may be underestimating the urgency of the moment. The two also share practical advice for enrollment and financial aid leaders on pricing strategy, student communication, and preparing for a more price-sensitive market.

EAB’s Madeleine Rhyneer and Beth Donaldson break down what it takes to simultaneously manage both graduate and undergraduate enrollment. They explore how to develop bespoke recruitment strategies, financial aid approaches, and marketing messages appropriate for each market. The two also offer practical advice on structuring teams, avoiding common pitfalls, and balancing two distinct enrollment strategies without stretching your resources too thin.

In this episode, Allison Peeler and Val Fox share insights from EAB’s survey of more than 120 marketing and enrollment leaders, highlighting the growing importance of investing in website experience as institutions prioritize enrollment growth. They discuss how AI is changing student search behavior, how teams are adapting with limited resources, and where institutions can take practical steps now to strengthen their digital strategy and boost enrollment.

EAB’s Madeleine Rhyneer and Michael Koppenheffer examine new data on how students are using AI to learn about colleges and why it matters to admissions teams. Madeleine and Michael explore four possible scenarios for how things might play out in the years ahead. They also offer specific steps teams should take now to thrive no matter what the future holds.

In this episode of Office Hours with EAB, we talk to Alabama Possible Executive Director Chandra Scott and University of Montevallo Executive Director of Admissions Audrey Crawford to explore how they launched a statewide direct admissions initiative in partnership with EAB’s Match platform. The two discuss how the initiative came together, the challenges they overcame, and the powerful reactions of the students who participated. The conversation highlights the power of transformation to improve outcomes for students and institutions.

EAB senior leaders unpack four converging forces reshaping higher education. The conversation explores how political volatility, financial strain, demographic headwinds, and rapid advances in AI are challenging traditional university growth assumptions and business models. The speakers highlight winning strategies that can help institutions survive in a low-growth era and urge higher ed leaders to prepare for prolonged disruption.