EdTech Connect – Ep. 71

Jen Jenkins: What Online Universities Can Teach Campus Leaders About Digital Experience
Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Jeff Dillon
Guest: Jen Jenkins, Director of Digital Experience, Western Governors University (WGU)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jeff Dillon sits down with Jen Jenkins, Director of Digital Experience at WGU, to discuss what traditional colleges can learn from online universities about digital experience, the importance of brand consistency in a GenAI era, and practical strategies for content, SEO, and collaboration across campus silos. Drawing from her unique cross-sector background (healthcare and higher ed), Jen provides actionable insights into student-centric digital strategy, the challenges of omnichannel presence, and the future of content management technologies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Theater Arts Meets Digital Strategy: Creative Foundations in Content Work

• Jen’s background in theater and costuming gave her a unique perspective on “user needs”—understanding what people require to fulfill roles, both on stage and as web users.

"I thought about costuming in terms of characters. What does this person do? What do they need? ... And that's user needs essentially." – Jen Jenkins (02:17)

2. Comparing Content Strategies: Healthcare vs. Higher Ed

• Both sectors serve users making life-changing decisions—but with different emotional states.
  • Healthcare: Anxiety, need for emotional comfort, formal but empathetic tone.
  • Higher Ed: Empowerment, future-building, "rah-rah" motivation.
• In both, content must instill trust and reduce uncertainty.

“For patients, there’s an aspect of emotional comfort…But for students, you’re also trying to empower them…It’s more like, go, rah, go.” – Jen Jenkins (03:12)

3. Collaborating with Experts: Faculty vs. Physicians

• Both doctors and faculty are subject matter experts, often confident outside their primary expertise.
• Physicians typically engage with data and “drive business” more, while academics have less time for business-building outside teaching.
• Strategies must adapt to the motivations and work cultures of each group.

4. Patient vs. Student Mindsets in Content

• Patients need immediate answers and reassurance.
• Students seek foresight—career outcomes, value, and possibilities (selling “a future”).
• WGU’s model focuses on showing real-world outcomes, career data, and student stories.

"We like to display the potential career you could have...selling a future. So that's an interesting thing versus a patient who often needs answers right when they need them." – Jen Jenkins (06:36)

5. What Makes WGU’s Digital Experience Unique

• Competency-based education: Students accelerate or slow their learning.
• Broad access: Appeals to first-gen and geographically remote students.
• Scale: ~200,000+ students.
• Influence: WGU as a “lighthouse” for digital strategy in higher ed.

6. Winning Stakeholder Buy-in for Content Projects

• Leverage case studies and “quick wins.”
• Create FOMO by referencing competitor successes.
• Tailor strategy to academic’s motivations (personal brand vs. topic excitement).

"For skeptics, I always say...come in with a case study...The other key I found is to present the competition...they're getting all of this FOMO." – Jen Jenkins (08:59)

7. SEO, AEO, and Market Research: Spotting Degree Demand

• SEO teams inform program naming—using actual search behavior rather than academic convention.
• Data-driven approaches help maximize enrollment and meet students “where they are.”

8. Balancing Brand-building with Near-term Performance

• Big vision plus daily operational excellence = sustainable success.
• OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) for future, agile tactics for the present.

“You need to have the big vision...and then you need to have good, good tacticians who can break that down and who are monitoring regularly.” – Jen Jenkins (11:02)

9. Digital Experience Design: Online vs. On-Campus

• Mobile-first design is imperative.
• Core web vitals (site speed, performance) are basic requirements.
• Omnichannel consistency: No more silos, brand must be aligned and recognizable everywhere, especially for AI search relevance.

“You have to have consistent brand...across multiple omnichannel platforms. Before it was like, oh, that's a nice to have...There's no more siloing. We're getting forced to work cross silo.” – Jen Jenkins (12:13)

10. Student Obsession in Practice

• Use student stories: “Here’s someone like you and what happened for them.”
• In-person commencement as a community anchor for an online school.
• Content focuses on practical outcomes: pay scales, job offers, student testimonials.

11. “What to Expect” Content in Higher Ed

• Focus on students’ uncertainty about their next step.
• Help students identify best-fit programs, potential outcomes, and practical career planning.

“The number one problem that our learners come with is they don’t quite know the right next place for them...We’re looking to help them better define future outcomes.” – Jen Jenkins (14:47)

12. The Changing Landscape: AI, Search, and Content Strategy

• Need for topical expertise: “Put that marker in the sand.”
• Consistency across channels is essential for GenAI-driven search and reputation.
• Jenkins’ team uses tools (like Profound) to audit brand language in AI outputs and identify key experts to “pitch as influencers.”

13. Essential Technical Literacy for Content Professionals

• Know your analytics and watch for drops or changes tied to algorithm updates.
• Understand data flow: server → CDN → user.
• Collaborate closely with IT/EdTech for security and performance.

14. Cross-disciplinary Collaboration & ‘Pod’ Structure

• Each team “pod” includes content, UX, SEO, and analytics experts.
• “Product ownership” model shifts accountability and drives better outcomes.

“Everybody has to know a little bit about something...But you also need a leader. We have pods...content lead, writer, SEO...analytics…” – Jen Jenkins (18:59)

15. Looking Ahead: Headless CMS and Omnichannel Content

• Jenkins is excited (and daunted) by migrating to a Headless CMS for flexibility, omnichannel publishing, and silo reduction.
• Technical hurdles remain (SEO, developer resources, content modeling) but believes the future justifies the step.

“Could headless make a big enough difference in our student experience...Will we wish we had gone there [in] five years?” – Jen Jenkins (19:54)

16. Final Advice: Audit and Prioritization

• Begin with an inventory: “What do we have?”
• Identify primary users and focus your resources on top priorities.

"Always...do an inventory. What advantages do I have?...Who are my primary users and my priority users...? So that I keep the lights on and then I get to where do I want to go?” – Jen Jenkins (22:24)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the difference between patient and student content needs:
  “For patients, there's an aspect of emotional comfort...it's more like, go, rah, go, for students.” (03:12)
• On omnichannel brand consistency:
  “There's no more siloing. We're getting forced to work cross silo. You can't do it anymore.” (12:13)
• On pitching Headless CMS:
  “Could headless make a big enough difference in our student experience and in the connections between silos? Do we need it? Will we need it five years from now? Will we wish we had gone there?” (19:54)
• Advice for content teams:
  “Always...do an inventory. What advantages do I have?...Who are my primary users and my priority users...?” (22:24)

Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|---------------------------------------------------| | 02:17 | Applying theater/arts background to UX | | 03:12 | Lessons from healthcare vs. higher ed | | 06:36 | WGU’s “student obsession” in practice | | 08:59 | Securing buy-in from skeptical academics | | 09:58 | SEO informs new program demand | | 11:02 | Balancing brand-building and metrics | | 12:13 | Online vs. on-campus digital differences | | 13:31 | How student stories drive content strategy | | 14:47 | “What to expect” content for online learners | | 15:48 | AI & GenAI reshaping content strategy | | 17:47 | Technical literacy for content professionals | | 18:59 | Cross-team collaboration and “pods” model | | 19:54 | Excitement/challenges moving to Headless CMS | | 22:24 | Jen’s closing advice: audit and prioritize |

Takeaways for Higher Ed Leaders and Content Teams

• Prioritize user needs: Treat students like real people with practical goals, anxieties, and aspirations.
• Break down silos: No digital or brand effort can afford to stay isolated—cross-channel, omnichannel alignment is required.
• Leverage data, search, and analytics: Use market insights and search behaviors to shape offerings and naming.
• Prepare for the AI era: Audit for consistency, clarity, and topical authority across the digital estate.
• Future-proof your stack: Consider Headless CMS for omnichannel delivery and greater agility—if resources permit.
• Start with an audit: Know your assets, users, and biggest priorities before launching any digital revamp.

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