Podcast
The Signal
Hosted by Jeff Dillon · EN
Reaching #4 on the Apple Podcast Education charts, The Signal (formerly the EdTech Connect Podcast) is the definitive podcast for higher education’s transformation leaders.
Hosted by Jeff Dillon, The Signal cuts through the noise of the "status quo" to bring you the strategic intelligence needed to reshape how institutions recruit, support, and retain students. Every Friday, we sit down with the practitioners and technology builders who are actively defining the next decade of campus life.
Why Higher Ed Leaders Listen:
In one of the most consequential periods for academia, we move past the hype to focus on Human-Centered Innovation. Our episodes feature deep-dive interviews with guest experts from SNHU, EAB, WGU, and Panopto, focusing on the "real work" of institutional evolution.
Core Topics & AI Strategy:
* Artificial Intelligence: Practical AI adoption, governance, and the "Human in the Loop" mindset.
* Enrollment Marketing: Modern recruitment strategies and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
* Student Success: Data-driven retention, mental health, and digital engagement.
* Institutional Transformation: Navigating digital transformation with a focus on workforce readiness and AVPs reimagining student care.
Whether you are a C-suite leader, IT Director, or Faculty member, join our community of 70,000+ professionals to stay ahead of the curve.
New episodes every Friday. Learn more at edtechconnect.com
52episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep. 93 - Dave Tucker: The Note Taker's Dilemma — Why Lectures Are Mostly Wasted
2d ago00:33:59Summary readyWhat if the biggest barrier to student success isn't ability—but the belief that effort is even worth it? In this episode, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Dave Tucker, founder and CEO of Genio, a learning technology company that's been quietly transforming how students study, learn, and persist for nearly two decades. What started as an assistive note-taking tool for students with dyslexia has evolved into a platform used by over 900 institutions worldwide, supporting more than 160,000 learners—including first-generation students, working adults, veterans, and neurodivergent learners. Dave shares the company's origin story: creating a visual interface for lecture recordings so students wouldn't have to re-listen to hours of audio. But along the way, he discovered something deeper—the "note taker's dilemma," the cognitive overload of trying to capture information while simultaneously processing it, and the devastating impact of students internalizing failure as a personal flaw. The conversation covers Genio's recent independent research showing a 3.6% GPA increase and a 28% reduction in dropout rates, the company's ESSA Level 3 validation, and Dave's thoughtful, cautious approach to AI. He argues that the real opportunity lies not in replacing effort but in scaffolding the learning process—capture, organize, refine, apply—so that students develop the confidence and skills to learn independently. For any enrollment leader, dean of students, or ed tech decision-maker trying to separate genuine impact from marketing noise, this episode offers a grounded, evidence-informed perspective on what actually moves the needle for student success. Key Takeaways Learning Is a Process, Not an Event: Genio's framework—capture, organize, refine, and apply—scaffolds the entire learning journey, helping students move from simply recording information to truly synthesizing and applying it. Understanding this process is the foundation of effective study. The "Note Taker's Dilemma" Is Real: Students struggle to capture information while simultaneously understanding it. Recording lectures and creating a visual, interactive interface allows them to focus during class and engage deeply afterward—reducing cognitive overload and wasted effort. Small Interventions Can Be Life-Changing: Dave shares the story of a community college student who thought she was "stupid" until she used Genio and realized she wasn't the problem—the environment was. Simple tools that address core friction points can transform a student's self-belief and trajectory. Confidence Is the Real Product: If students don't believe that effort will pay off, they won't invest it. The goal of learning technology should be to build self-efficacy and agency—not just to deliver content faster. Trust Is Built Over Time, Not Through Claims: Independent research, student testimonials, research partnerships, and consistency all contribute to trust. The question isn't just "does it work?" but "does this company have the best intentions for learning?" Accessibility Should Be Built In, Not Bolted On: Accessibility is not about compliance checkboxes—it's about access to the learning process itself. When done well (like the iPhone's built-in accessibility features), it benefits everyone, not just a subset of users. Learner-Centered Design Is the Future: Higher education has traditionally been teaching-centric, focusing on pedagogy and classroom design. But most learning happens outside the classroom, through independent study. The biggest opportunity is designing tools that support learners in those environments. Good Learning Is Effortful—But It Doesn't Have to Be Wasteful: Like going to the gym, learning requires struggle. But without proper scaffolding, tools, and encouragement, students will take shortcuts that don't serve them—or give up entirely. Technology should make the effort productive, not eliminate it. The Signal Newsletter: https://edtechconnect.com/newsletter Find David Tucker: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dntucker/ Genio https://genio.co/ And find EdTech Connect here: Web: https://edtechconnect.com/
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Ep. 92 - Paula French: From Clicks to Conversions—A Practical Playbook for AI Search
1w ago00:31:37Summary readyYour traffic is down. Your inquiries are flattening. But your applications haven't dropped. What's happening? The front door just moved—and most higher ed marketers haven't noticed. In this episode, Jeff Dillon welcomes Paula French, Director of Sales and Marketing at Search Influence, a digital marketing agency with more than 16 years of experience helping institutions stay visible online. Paula co-authored a groundbreaking study with UPCEA titled AI Search in Higher Education: How Prospects Search in 2025, and the findings are reshaping how colleges should think about discovery, trust, and ROI. Paula shares the data: one in three prospects now trusts AI tools for program search, 79% are reading Google's AI overviews, and more than half say they trust institutions cited there. But here's the catch—those prospects are showing up to your website already informed, which means they never registered as a click or an inquiry. The metrics marketers have relied on for two decades are breaking down. The good news? AI has the power to connect students with niche programs in ways Google never could. Paula walks through real examples—including how Tufts University recovered lost traffic by optimizing for AI—and offers a practical six-month playbook for institutions with limited budgets. She also tackles the hard questions: Where should you focus when you're spread thin? How do you measure success when the funnel is no longer a funnel? And why Q&A sections might be the "easy button" for AI visibility. For any enrollment marketer, digital strategist, or institutional leader trying to make sense of a post-AI search landscape, this episode is required listening. Key Takeaways AI Search Is Mainstream, Not Fringe: One in three prospects now trusts AI tools for program search, and 50% are using AI as part of their search process. This isn't early adoption anymore—it's the new normal. 79% of Prospects Are Reading Google's AI Overviews: And more than half say they trust institutions cited in those overviews. If your institution isn't being cited, you're not even in the consideration set. Your Traffic Will Drop—But That Doesn't Mean Interest Dropped: Prospects are showing up to your website already informed. They never registered as a click or an inquiry. Marketers who rely on top-of-funnel metrics alone will panic unnecessarily. AI Search Is SEO Plus, Not a Replacement: Everything you're doing for organic search helps AI visibility, and everything you do for AI helps organic rankings. It's a layering effect, not a channel shift. Focus on 1–5 Programs: Spreading yourself thin across dozens of programs is a losing strategy. Institutions that focus on a small set of programs, build a repeatable playbook, and execute consistently will see movement much faster. Consistency Across Channels Creates Patterns AI Can Read: If you talk about a program four different ways across your website, LinkedIn, and YouTube, AI will have a blurry picture. If you say the same thing consistently, AI learns to repeat it back to users. The Tufts Example: Recovering Traffic Through AI Optimization: Tufts recovered lost traffic by (1) writing content more directly for AI with clear program descriptions at the top of the page, and (2) adding detailed Q&A sections that answered the nuanced questions prospects are asking AI engines. Q&A Is the "Easy Button" for AI Visibility: When you write in Q&A format, you're forced to get detailed about what prospects are actually asking. AI engines expect that level of detail now—high-level content won't cut it. AI Can Connect Niche Programs That Google Never Could: People are now having highly specific, conversational searches with AI ("I'm Paula, I work in marketing, I want to grow my career in X way"). This is an opportunity to surface niche programs that would never have been searched for as keywords. You Can Measure AI Visibility: There are tools to track how your institution shows up in AI search. Search Influence maintains an updated blog on AI tracking tools—it's one of their most visited pages. Redefine Success or Get Left Behind: Lower-funnel metrics (applications, enrollments, registrations) matter more than ever. Create dashboards that track both top-of-funnel and bottom-of-funnel metrics together. Be okay with declining traffic and inquiries as long as conversions hold steady. The Signal Newsletter: https://edtechconnect.com/newsletter Find Paula French: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-keller-french/ Search Influence http://searchinfluence.com/ And find EdTech Connect here: Web: https://edtechconnect.com/
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Ep. 91 - Mallory Willsea: Activity vs. Strategy—Why Higher Ed Marketing Measures the Wrong Things
2w ago00:31:34Summary readyAfter nearly 20 years watching colleges pour millions into sameness—the same viewbooks, the same home page videos, the same taglines—Mallory Willsea has a message for higher ed: stop mistaking activity for strategy. In this episode, Jeff Dillon sits down with Mallory, a strategist and consultant who has been shaping digital marketing in higher ed since the early days of social media. From her early experiments with YouTube recruitment videos at St. Michael's College to co-founding Higher Ed Icons and hosting the Higher Ed Pulse Podcast, Mallory brings a rare longitudinal view of what actually works—and what doesn't. Mallory argues that the real enemy isn't polish; it's sameness. When every institution claims to "develop the whole student" without showing what the chemistry department actually does at 9 a.m. on a Tuesday, trust erodes. The fix? Specificity. Real people. Proof behind the claims. She also tackles the AI shift head-on, warning that SEO strategies from 2019 are no longer enough when students start their search in ChatGPT, Reddit, or AI overviews. She urges institutional leaders to audit where their audience is actually finding information—and to accept that they no longer control the front door. Packed with stories , practical advice on building executive visibility on LinkedIn, and a sharp critique of how higher ed confuses outputs with outcomes, this episode is a must-listen for any marketer, enrollment leader, or ed tech founder trying to cut through the noise. Key Takeaways Activity Is Not Strategy: Many colleges measure their teams on how busy they are (outputs) rather than whether they changed a prospective student's mind (outcomes). Confusing the two keeps institutions spinning their wheels. Sameness Is the Real Enemy, Not Polish: The problem with higher ed marketing isn't that it's too polished. It's that every viewbook, video, and campaign hits the same beats. Authenticity comes from specificity—real people, real proof, and a real point of view. The Featherstone University Lesson: When Colorado Mesa University launched "Featherstone University" as a parody admissions campaign, it made waves because it wasn't hitting the same beats as everyone else. It had a perspective. Stop Solving for the Institution: Too much institutional digital media is designed to make internal stakeholders comfortable, not to help a prospective student make a decision. Know which decision the student is making and at what stage—and show up accordingly. Give a Stage to the People No One Is Asking: Yes, student takeovers are common. But what about the faculty member doing interesting research? The facilities worker who flips the switch on the holiday lights? Their pride and stories humanize an institution in ways no drone video ever can. AI Search Has Changed the Front Door: The homepage is no longer the front door. Students start in AI overviews, ChatGPT, TikTok, Reddit, and Claude. SEO strategies from 2019 are insufficient. Audit where AI is pulling information about your institution (Reddit, YouTube transcripts, review platforms) and show up there. Not Showing Up Is Also a Choice—With Bigger Consequences: Institutional leaders who avoid LinkedIn or public platforms because it feels risky are making a choice with consequences. Start small: one post a week about something specific you're thinking about. Consistency builds findability and recognition. If No One Disagrees With You, You Probably Don't Have a Perspective: Conflict is a tenant of storytelling. Disagreement moves us forward faster. If no one is pushing back on your ideas, they're probably not that interesting. Brand Shortens the Trust Curve: Brand awareness isn't separate from conversion. It's what shortens the trust curve—changing win rates, shortening sales cycles, and building pricing power. For institutions, it builds preference as early as possible in the long, winding student journey. AI Adoption Is a Governance Challenge, Not a Tool Problem: Organizations give AI less onboarding than a junior hire—then act shocked when it doesn't deliver. Effective AI adoption requires top-down governance, new workflows, clean data, and human team training. Trust in AI for judgment (applications, HR, promotions) is a very different conversation than trust in AI for task acceleration. Build Your Own Stage. Own Your Channel. Conferences are rented stages. The technology has never been easier to own your own audio and video distribution. Whether you're an executive leader or a brand steward, build something no one can take away from you. The Signal Newsletter: https://edtechconnect.com/newsletter Find Mallory Willsea: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/ Mallory Willsea Consulting https://www.mallorywillsea.com/consulting And find EdTech Connect here: Web: https://edtechconnect.com/
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Ep. 90 - Haley Platt: Breaking the Information Barrier: How First-Gen Students Navigate College
3w ago00:30:36Summary readyWhat happens when a recent college graduate who grew up with smartphones, social media, and the chaos of modern college applications becomes a chief marketing officer? You get a perspective that most higher ed leaders desperately need but rarely hear. In this episode, host Jeff Dillon welcomes Haley Platt, Chief Marketing Officer at Síembra Mobile—a company building technology to connect first-generation students and families with post-secondary pathways. At just 23 years old, Haley made the leap from intern to CMO, bringing a Gen Z lens to marketing, student engagement, and the gap between K-12 and higher ed. Haley pulls no punches about what's broken in traditional college outreach. She describes the "stack of postcards" problem—students receiving thousands of generic mailers that feel disingenuous and overwhelming—and explains why targeted, early, meaningful engagement is the only way forward. She shares how Síembra‘s self-monitoring intervention model helps students track academic progress, explore multiple pathways (including community college and CTE), and receive direct admissions offers before their senior year. From the financial barriers of FAFSA to the mental health toll of the job market, from the importance of social-emotional learning to the power of virtual enrollment communities, Haley offers a fresh, urgent, and deeply practical take on what institutions need to change—and why listening to students is the most under leveraged strategy in higher ed today. Key Takeaways The "Stack of Postcards" Problem Is Real—and It's Failing Students: Students receive thousands of generic college mailers and emails, most of which feel disingenuous and overwhelming. Traditional mass outreach treats students like numbers, not individuals. Targeted, personalized messages cut through the noise and build trust. Direct Admissions Changes the Mental Math for First‑Gen Students: Through Síembra, partners offer direct admissions to students as early as the summer before senior year. Knowing they are already admitted removes the mental encourages students to take the next step. Interventions Aren't Just for Academic Struggles—They're for Affirmation Too: Síembra‘s self-monitoring intervention model helps students track progress, but it also provides positive affirmations when they're on track. Simple messages during build momentum and connection. The Barrier to Information Is Different for Every Student: Whether it's FAFSA complexity, lack of family knowledge about college, or simply not knowing where to start, the barrier to information is highly dependent on a student's population, family background, and geography. One-size-fits-all outreach doesn't work. K‑12 and Higher Ed Need to Talk to Each Other: The enrollment cliff is exacerbated by a lack of communication between school districts and colleges. Síembra‘s virtual enrollment communities create a "matrix of all constituents in one place," fostering relationships that help students transfer between pathways and fill seats at distressed institutions. First‑Gen Students Need Ongoing Support, Not Just a Welcome Package: Many institutions assume that once first‑gen students are enrolled, they've "figured it out." But support systems—peer groups, first‑gen clubs, student representation on boards—need sustained investment. Social‑Emotional Learning and Career Readiness Cannot Be Separated: Students need third spaces to interact with their community, develop life skills, and explore interests without feeling obligated. Programs that pair colleges with local businesses to design majors around real job readiness—including internships—are a model more schools should replicate. Gen Z Expects Institutions to Build Bridges, Not Work Alone: The generational shift is toward collaboration: K‑12 districts, higher ed partners, local employers, and technology providers all working together. No single institution can solve the access problem alone. Students Should Never Be Put in a Box: One of the most powerful insights from Haley's work with superintendents: counselors sometimes tell students "you'll basically end up doing this or this," boxing them into narrow stereotypes. The goal is to produce well‑rounded, socially conscious individuals who give back to their communities—not to slot them into predetermined categories. The Signal Newsletter: https://edtechconnect.com/newsletter Find Haley Platt: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-platt-startup/ Síembra Mobile https://siembramobileinc.com/ Reimagining College Access Webinar Series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElcOjKCA_rY&list=PLGZ0IZOMYuI5xrvL-KYFmHKyrghVzAskC And find EdTech Connect here: Web: https://edtechconnect.com/
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Ep. 89 - Leslie Weller: How AI Site Search Turns Student Discovery Into a Competitive Advantage
May 2900:31:49Summary readyEvery month, nearly half a million people type questions into your university's search bar. They're telling you exactly what they want to know—about deadlines, transfer credits, program fit. And yet, 31% of higher ed digital teams have no access to that data at all. In this episode, Jeff Dillon welcomes Leslie Weller, Director of Product Marketing at SearchStax, a site search platform helping colleges and universities transform how students find information online. Leslie brings over 25 years of experience making complex enterprise software understandable—and she's now applying that lens to higher ed's fragmented, decentralized digital landscape. Drawing on SearchStax’ recent research study conducted with The Chronicle of Higher Education, Leslie reveals the gap between how important colleges think site search is and how poorly it's actually performing. She explains why 93% of students rely on websites during their college search, yet only 19% of digital teams believe they're delivering a great experience. Leslie also tackles the AI shift head-on, arguing that site search is a "great AI lever" schools already own. She shares practical examples of how AI can re-rank content by semantic meaning, suggest synonyms and even generate instant answers to common questions. For any enrollment leader, web manager, or digital strategist trying to reduce friction and convert more curious visitors into applicants, this episode offers a clear, actionable roadmap. Key Takeaways Site Search Is a High-Intent Goldmine: 43% of website visitors use the search bar. For a school with 1 million monthly visitors, that's nearly half a million people every single month telling you exactly what they want to know. Yet 31% of digital teams have no access to this first-party data. The Gap Is Massive: 93% of students use websites when evaluating schools, but only 19% of digital teams believe they're delivering a great website experience. There is a huge opportunity to differentiate through search alone. Confused Students Don't Enroll: Borrowing from Donald Miller's marketing principle—"confused people don't buy"—Leslie argues that the same applies to higher ed. If students and parents can't quickly find clear answers about program length, cost, scholarships, or transfer credits, they won't move forward. Site Search Has a Cyclical Halo Effect with AI: Improving your on-site search (cleaning up outdated content, surfacing the right answers) also improves how external LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini understand and represent your institution. Students may learn about you elsewhere, but they come to your site to validate—and that's where you convert or lose them. AI-Powered Search Goes Beyond Keyword Matching: SearchStax uses a re-ranking algorithm that understands semantics—so a search for "undergraduate business degree" automatically surfaces bachelor's degree content without the user typing "bachelor's." Keep a Human in the Loop: AI may suggest synonyms that don't fit higher ed contexts. Human oversight prevents costly, embarrassing errors and preserves institutional nuance. Generative Answers Reduce Friction: Instead of forcing users to dig through PDFs or links, AI-powered site search can generate a direct, natural-language answer to questions like "How many years is your architecture degree?" This is what modern users expect. No-Results Searches Are Strategic Intelligence: Most schools don't track what people search for when they get zero results. That data can reveal unmet demand and inform program development or content strategy. Site Search Closes the Last Mile: You've already invested in getting prospective students to your website—through mailers, high school visits, paid ads, and brand awareness. Site search is the tool that turns that interest into enrollment by answering the specific, final questions before they commit. The Right Enrollment, Not Just More Enrollment: When you clearly communicate who you are as a university through a clean, helpful search experience, you attract students who are genuinely a good fit—leading to better retention and outcomes, not just higher application numbers. The Signal Newsletter: https://edtechconnect.com/newsletter Find Leslie Weller LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/wellerleslie/ SearchStax https://www.searchstax.com/industry/higher-education/ SearchStax/The Chronicle of Higher Education Report https://www.searchstax.com/white-papers/the-state-of-site-search-in-higher-education/ And find EdTech Connect here: Web: https://edtechconnect.com/
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Ep. 88 - Brian Clark: Building RISD's Digital Future at Scale
May 2200:30:08Summary readyWhat happens when a prestigious art and design school has over a hundred siloed websites, each with its own content management system, hosting arrangement, and visual identity—many of them orphaned and unmaintained? You get a digital governance nightmare. But you also get a rare opportunity to rebuild from first principles. In this episode, Jeff Dillon welcomes Brian Clark, Senior Director of Digital Experience at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Brian shares the remarkable story of how he led the consolidation of RISD's fragmented digital ecosystem—from 100+ disparate sites to a unified, design-driven, user-centric platform built on Drupal. He explains why this wasn't just a technical project but an organizational and cultural one, requiring years of relationship-building, transparent communication, and strategic alignment with the institution's broader brand refresh. Brian also offers a grounded perspective on AI in higher ed, explaining why RISD chose to implement AI-powered search as a "practical layer" to achieve existing goals around quality and access—not as a shiny add-on. He discusses how conversational search is giving his team unprecedented visibility into what students, parents, and donors are actually asking, and why that insight is "gold." Finally, he reflects on his unique career path from book publishing to agency work to higher ed, and how the principle "at the end of the wire, there's a person" has guided his approach to digital experience for over two decades. For anyone responsible for digital strategy, web governance, or user experience at a college or university, this episode is essential listening. Key Takeaways Governance Fragmentation Is a Real Institutional Risk: RISD accumulated over 100 siloed websites due to a lack of governance, creative entrepreneurialism, and technical know-how spread across campus. The result was unsustainable: orphaned sites, inconsistent branding, accessibility issues, and ballooning maintenance costs. Consolidation Is as Much About People as Technology: Brian spent his first year building buy-in—meeting with every department, understanding the purpose behind each site, and communicating a clear sequencing plan. The goal was to ensure that when changes happened, no one could say "I didn't know this was coming." Tie Digital Strategy to the Strategic Plan: RISD was able to unlock funding and institutional support by attaching its web consolidation efforts to the university's broader strategic planning process. This turned a technical project into an institutional priority. Brand and Digital Experience Must Evolve Together: As RISD consolidated its digital landscape, it simultaneously overhauled its brand identity—creating bespoke typefaces and a unifying visual framework. The guiding principle, "question to create, create to question," now informs every stage of their digital design process. AI Is a Practical Layer, Not a Shiny Add‑on: RISD approached AI not as something to graft onto the platform, but as a tool to help accomplish existing goals around quality content, access, and visibility. They implemented AI‑powered conversational search to facilitate semantic, intent‑sensitive search across their entire ecosystem. Search Visibility Into User Needs Is "Gold": AI‑powered search gives RISD unprecedented insight into what users are actually asking—revealing both met and unmet information demands. This feedback loop directly informs content strategy and experience design. External AI Search Is Changing the Funnel: An increasing number of initial college inquiries now happen inside LLMs like ChatGPT or Claude—often without generating any traffic to an institution's website. Brian emphasizes the need to structure content so it is understood and presented well by external AI search tools and Google's Gemini snippets. You Can't Avoid Adapting to AI: Whether the conversation touches on ethics, pedagogy, or creative process, higher ed marketers and digital practitioners must engage with AI. For Brian's team, the frame is clear: we are digital design and technology practitioners who happen to work in higher ed, and AI is already reshaping how prospects search for colleges. "At the End of the Wire, There's a Person": A tagline from Brian's agency days still guides his work—reminding him that digital marketing is fundamentally about two‑way communication and meeting real human needs, not just budgets and deadlines. The Signal Newsletter: https://edtechconnect.com/newsletter Brian Clark on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianthomasclark/ Rhode Island School of Design https://www.risd.edu/ The Modern University Technology Stack: How RISD is Building for What's Nexthttps://www.edtechconnect.com/post/the-modern-university-technology-stack-how-risd-is-building-for-what-s-next And find EdTech Connect here: Web: https://edtechconnect.com/
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Ep. 87 - Grant Greenwood: How to Automate What Actually Matters in Enrollment
May 1500:35:46Summary readyWhat happens when a sitting vice president of enrollment management—who evaluates and buys ed tech every day—decides to build his own solution to a problem he's lived for 15 years? You get a conversation that cuts through the hype and gets real about what actually works in higher ed technology. In this episode, host Jeff Dillon welcomes Grant Greenwood, VP for Enrollment Management and COO at McMurry University, and co-founder of CardCapture, an ed tech startup reimagining how universities capture student leads at college fairs. Grant brings a rare dual perspective: he's both a buyer and a builder, a practitioner who feels the pain of clunky workflows and a founder who understands what it takes to build something better. Grant gets honest about the AI hype cycle, warning that the coming wave of AI agents could overwhelm students with automated outreach, creating a "postcard problem" for the digital age. He shares why he's skeptical of AI avatars making millions of calls, but optimistic about AI's ability to handle repetitive tasks like transcript processing and data organization. From the enrollment cliff to the unique challenges of small private institutions, and from his research on social media to the aha moment that sparked CardCapture, this episode is packed with practical insights for enrollment leaders, ed tech founders, and anyone trying to figure out where AI fits into the future of student recruitment. Key Takeaways The AI Hype Cycle Is Real—And Enrollment Leaders Need to Be Skeptical: Grant warns that the coming wave of cheap, accessible AI agents will tempt every institution to scale outreach dramatically. The risk is replicating the "postcard problem"—overwhelming students with so much automated messaging that even valuable communications get tuned out. AI's Best Use Right Now Is Efficiency, Not Replacement: The most valuable AI applications in enrollment today are handling repetitive, monotonous tasks: processing thousands of transcripts in different formats, organizing data, and streamlining application workflows. These productivity tools deliver clear ROI without damaging student relationships. The Student Experience Must Come First: While it's tempting to multiply outreach with AI avatars, Grant is skeptical about how students will perceive automated calls and texts. The industry needs to be critical about what students should be subjected to in the name of engagement. CardCapture Solves a 15‑Year Pain Point: For 15 years, Grant experienced the frustration of collecting student leads at college fairs—especially on device‑free campuses where QR codes don't work. CardCapture works with or without QR codes, scanning physical inquiry cards and translating handwriting, solving the problem for fair coordinators, students, and university reps alike. Small Institutions Need Tailored Solutions, Not Enterprise Castoffs: Many software companies build for enterprise clients and then try to sell a tweaked version to higher ed. The result is clunky tools that don't integrate well and create more work. Grant is far more inclined to work with founders who understand his specific challenges from the ground up. The Enrollment Cliff Requires Diversification, Not Panic: McMurray is hedging against demographic declines by expanding dual credit programs (serving 3,000 students per semester across 150 schools) and launching new graduate and undergraduate programs in health sciences and business AI—finding new student populations to strengthen the institution's foundation. Social Media Done Badly Degrades Brand Affinity: Giving every student club permission to run a social account often backfires. When prospective students see a club that hasn't posted in three years with low‑quality content, they project that experience onto the university at large. Sometimes the right answer is saying "no" to protect the brand. The Signal Newsletter: https://edtechconnect.com/newsletter Find Grant Greenwood: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/grant-greenwood1923/ CardCapture https://cardcapture.io/ McMurry University https://mcm.edu/ And find EdTech Connect here: Web: https://edtechconnect.com/
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Ep. 86 - Arjun Arora: From Enterprise AI to Education—Why the Best Tech Solves Human Problems
May 800:31:20Summary readyWhat happens when a data scientist who built over 100 enterprise AI solutions for Fortune 500 companies decides to walk away from the money and prestige to tackle student success in higher ed? You get a founder who understands both the power and the limits of AI—and who isn't afraid to say that most chatbots are solving the wrong problem. In this episode, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Arjun Arora, founder and CEO of Advisor AI, an AI-native student success platform serving over 100 institutions and powering more than a million student inquiries a year. Arjun shares his journey from first-generation college student and immigrant to enterprise AI leader, and why he made the leap into edtech to solve the advising gap he experienced firsthand. Arjun gets honest about the fear many advisors feel about AI replacing their roles—and explains why that fear is rooted in poorly designed systems. He argues that technology should handle planning and organizing while leaving accountability, evaluation, and human connection to advisors. He reveals why nearly half of students leave programs because they can't see the connection between their degree and their career goals, and how AI can compress what typically takes eight to ten weeks of exploration into fifteen minutes. From ethical guardrails and bias prevention to the surprising insights he gathered by traveling 30,000 miles and visiting over 200 campuses, this conversation offers a practical, student-first framework for any institution trying to figure out where AI fits into the future of student success. Key Takeaways AI Won't Replace Advisors—Badly Designed AI Might: The fear that AI will replace advisors stems from systems designed to hook users rather than guide them. Products must be built from the start to reinforce human connection, not replace it. Students increasingly want to talk to a real person because they feel isolated and anxious. Technology Is Only Part of the Puzzle: The biggest predictor of success isn't the algorithm—it's effective collaboration between technology teams and advising teams. Regular check-ins on goals, progress, and alignment drive 80-90% of results. Nearly Half of Students Leave Because They Can't See the Connection: Students drop out when they can't connect their coursework to a clear career path. AI can compress weeks of research (visiting 10 different departments or websites) into 15-30 minutes by assessing interests, mapping career possibilities, and creating degree plans. Stop Measuring Vanity Metrics: Tracking how many students a chatbot "served" this month doesn't mean much. Instead, measure milestones: exploring options, mapping skills, connecting with an advisor or mentor. These are the signals that indicate real progress. Ethical AI Requires Proactive Guardrails: Ethical AI isn't marketing—it's building systems with zero tolerance for bias, toxic questions, or incorrect recommendations. If a student asks something the system can't answer responsibly, it should instantly direct them to a human counselor, not guess. Community Colleges Have More Urgency to Innovate: With limited capacity and intense competition, community colleges need to move faster than four-year institutions. AI platforms must be customizable to two-year roadmaps, not just traditional four-year paths. Start with Goals, Not Technology: Before evaluating any AI tool, leaders should ask: are we trying to improve student experience, enrollment, retention, graduation outcomes, or workforce readiness? AI is the Ferrari—but you need to know where you're going first. The Global Student Success Crisis Looks Familiar: Inquiries from Australia, the Middle East, and Asia mirror US challenges: better career and college planning support, and more integrated solutions that connect degrees to labor market information. The Biggest Mistake Is Over-Engineering: Don't spend too much time evaluating algorithms and invigilation systems. Spend time defining the goal and identifying which team members will be involved. Those activities drive the results. Education Is Still Worth It—But the Path Needs Clarity: Arjun believes education remains critical, but it takes too long for students to connect the dots. AI acts like a GPS: you can see the route, the stops (skills), and the ETA upfront, which boosts clarity and confidence for students, families, and advisors alike. The Signal Newsletter: https://edtechconnect.com/newsletter Find Jay Gonzalez: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-gonzalez-b25882184/ Curry College https://www.curry.edu/ And find EdTech Connect here: Web: https://edtechconnect.com/
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Ep. 85 - Jay Gonzalez: Guaranteeing ROI — How Curry College Is Reinventing the College Business Model
May 100:30:27Summary readyWhat happens when a former gubernatorial candidate, healthcare CEO, and state budget director steps into the college president's office? You get a leader who doesn't accept "that's how higher ed has always done it" as an answer. In this episode, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Jay Gonzalez, the 15th president of Curry College—a leader whose resume looks nothing like a traditional academic career. From running a $32 billion state budget during the Great Recession to leading healthcare organizations and running for governor of Massachusetts, Gonzalez brings an outsider's perspective to one of higher ed's most pressing challenges: proving the ROI of a college degree. Gonzalez shares the story behind Curry's audacious job guarantee program, which promises students a job within six months of graduation—or the college pays their federal student loans for up to a year. He explains how Curry is investing in predictive analytics to identify at-risk students before they struggle, launching a new app to modernize the clunky student portal experience, and building a Neurodiversity Center for Excellence that's partnering with major employers. But perhaps most intriguingly, Gonzalez reveals Curry's Center for Innovation—an entrepreneurial arm designed to move fast, test new revenue streams, and partner with ed tech companies on product development. For small colleges feeling the squeeze of enrollment pressures and limited resources, this episode offers a playbook for thinking differently about sustainability, technology, and student success. Tune in for a conversation that challenges conventional wisdom about what college leadership can look like—and what colleges can achieve when they stop optimizing the old model and start reinventing it. Key Takeaways Nobody Is Totally in Charge—And That's a Leadership Lesson: Gonzalez draws on his experience in government to navigate higher ed's diffuse power structures. Understanding what faculty, students, parents, donors, alums, and the board each care about—and finding the path that gets as many of them on board as possible—is the core of the job. The Curry Commitment: A Job Guarantee That Holds the College Accountable: Curry guarantees students a job within six months of graduation if they meet minimum requirements (GPA, internship, four-year graduation, engagement with career readiness programming). If the college fails, it pays the student's federal student loan for up to a year or provides free grad credits. Few colleges have made this kind of promise. Retention Is a Sustainability Strategy: Keeping a student through graduation isn't just a mission win—it's a revenue strategy. Losing a student after year one means three years of lost tuition. Gonzalez frames retention technology (predictive analytics, mental health platforms, data unification) as both a student success tool and a financial imperative. Technology Must Serve the Student Experience, Not Add Friction: Students arrive with expectations shaped by Spotify, DoorDash, and TikTok. When they hit clunky portals, paper forms, and outdated workflows, it signals that the institution isn't thinking about them. Curry is addressing this with a new all-in-one app and digital IDs—small moves that reduce friction and modernize the experience. AI Is Being Embraced Through Grassroots Experimentation: Rather than a top-down mandate, Curry launched "Amplify AI," a task force with faculty, students, and staff exploring training, forums, and classroom applications. The approach balances academic integrity concerns with the reality that students and the workplace have already moved on. The Neurodiversity Center for Excellence Is a Differentiator and a Growth Platform: Curry has a 55-year history of supporting students with learning differences through its PAL program. The new Neurodiversity Center extends that expertise beyond campus—partnering with biotech and healthcare companies to support neurodivergent workers and exploring ed tech partnerships to scale impact. Small Colleges Need a Governance Process for Tech Purchases: With limited resources, Curry established an EdTech committee to vet all new product pitches through a single lens of strategic priorities, value proposition, and cost. This prevents individual departments from making uncoordinated bets and helps avoid being oversold on shiny solutions. The Center for Innovation Is Curry's Entrepreneurial Arm: Designed to move quickly outside cumbersome academic approval processes, the Center focuses on new revenue streams—non-credit certificates, professional development, international student programs, and potential ed tech product partnerships. It signals a willingness to think beyond tuition dependency. Five-Year Vision: Technology Enables, Not Distracts: Gonzalez's hope is that every Curry student has a rewarding experience marked by close relationships, rich academics, and career preparation. Technology's role is to minimize hassles, remove barriers, and enable that experience—not to become the focus itself. The Signal Newsletter: https://edtechconnect.com/newsletter Find Jay Gonzalez: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-gonzalez-b25882184/ Curry College https://www.curry.edu/ And find EdTech Connect here: Web: https://edtechconnect.com/
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Ep. 84 - Betheny Gross: The Real Opportunity for AI in Higher Education
Apr 2400:28:59Summary readyIs higher education using AI to simply do the same things faster, or are we on the cusp of a genuine transformation in how students learn, access support, and build opportunity? In this episode, host Jeff Dillon welcomes Dr. Betheny Gross, Research Director at WGU Labs, for a candid, research-grounded conversation about where AI is actually moving the needle for students—and where it's falling short. With over two decades of experience studying education systems and a current focus on equity-driven innovation, Dr. Gross brings a refreshingly honest perspective to the AI hype cycle. She shares the story behind STU, WGU Labs' AI-powered student support chatbot, revealing how it evolved from a simple FAQ tool into a "Swiss Army knife" that helps adult learners prepare for mentor meetings, build study schedules, and navigate the hidden complexities of college. But she doesn't stop there. Dr. Gross challenges institutions to think bigger—arguing that the real breakthrough will come when AI lowers costs, raises quality through consistent learning science, and creates fully personalized pathways for every student, especially the 25 million Americans who have never accessed post-secondary education. From the risks of handing learning over to tech companies to the imperative of designing for those "farthest from opportunity," this episode offers a clear-eyed look at what equity by design actually requires. Tune in for a conversation that separates signal from noise and offers a practical, student-first framework for the future of higher ed. Key Takeaways The Goal Is Public Education, Not a Particular Set of Systems: Dr. Gross carries forward a powerful framing from her time at the Center on Reinventing Public Education: our commitment to making quality education accessible to all is unchangeable, but how we deliver it—including which tools and technologies we use—must always be open to reinvention and improvement. AI Is Still in the "Doing Things Faster" Phase: While much of higher ed has focused on using AI to do existing tasks more efficiently, Dr. Gross argues we haven't yet challenged the technology—or allowed it to challenge us—at scale. The real transformation will come when AI fundamentally widens access to learning, not just speeds up existing processes. Stu: From FAQ Bot to Swiss Army Knife: WGU Labs' student support chatbot began as a 24/7 navigational tool for adult learners (many of whom are first-generation students studying late at night). It has since evolved to help students prepare for mentor meetings, build weekly study plans, and manage stress—demonstrating how AI can address both logistical and psychological barriers to success. Lowering Costs and Raising Quality Are the Twin Levers: For AI to truly expand access, it must help lower the cost of post-secondary learning while making high-quality instruction more consistent. Dr. Gross points to AI-powered learning design platforms and quality-assured assessment tools as promising examples of how to raise the floor for all instructors. Test Everything. Benchmark Everything: WGU Labs runs randomized control trials and quasi-experimental studies to compare AI interventions against existing alternatives. Dr. Gross emphasizes the need for benchmarking—measuring how much better a solution performs, not just whether it works at all—to avoid throwing solutions at problems without evidence of meaningful improvement. Two Critical Risks to Watch: First, institutions cannot cede ownership of teaching and learning to technology companies. AI tools are not educational systems unto themselves. Second, as point solutions proliferate, institutions must ensure the student experience remains coherent—not a fragmented collection of bolted‑together technologies that students are left to navigate on their own. Equity by Design Starts with the Furthest from Opportunity: Rather than designing for the average student and adapting later, institutions should ask: will the 25 million Americans who have never pursued post‑secondary education see themselves on this pathway? If not, the work isn't done. Equity by design means removing not just financial barriers but also the perceptual and navigational ones. The Signal Newsletter: https://edtechconnect.com/newsletter Find Betheny Gross: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/betheny-gross-6474331/ WGU Labs http://wgulabs.org/ And find EdTech Connect here: Web: https://edtechconnect.com/
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