In Part 4 of Pulse Check: The Reputation Rethink, we turn to one of higher education’s most important, and according to our research, most underserved audiences: alumni.

Ologie’s national study revealed a striking insight: only 43% of respondents believe colleges and universities meaningfully benefit their alumni. Even more telling, most respondents hold college degrees themselves. These are alumni saying they feel least benefited by their alma mater.

Host Day Kibilds is joined by Molly Ranz Calhoun, President and CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association, to explore what’s behind that perception. From rising debt and economic instability to outdated engagement models focused too quickly on fundraising, alumni are questioning the return on their investment.

Together, they unpack what alumni actually want: career navigation, community, personalization, lifelong learning, and systems of small, consistent support. This episode explores how institutions can shift from transactional outreach to long-term value exchange — and why alumni engagement must start long before graduation.

Guest Bio (Molly Ranz Calhoun): Molly Ranz Calhoun is president and CEO of the Ohio State Alumni Association. As the leader of more than 630,000 living alumni, Molly has increased opportunities for students and alumni to interact, socialize, and collaborate for the benefit of Ohio State and the world. Always looking to give back, she has led countless community service efforts, including partnering with rival schools for projects in the cities of postseason football games. “I can’t imagine anything I’d rather be doing than serving my fellow Buckeye alumni at the greatest college in the world,” Molly explains. “I could never repay all that Ohio State has given me and my family, but I spend every day trying.”

Host Bio (Dayana Kibilds): With 15 years of experience, Dayana Kibilds has led award-winning work with universities around the world. An international keynote speaker and one of London, Ontario’s 20 Under 40, she is known for making complex ideas clear, practical, and possible. She loves to teach and share what she knows through her email book Mailed It!, as well as through her workshops, courses, her work with young professionals at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Summer Institutes, and her weekly newsletter. A lifelong immigrant who grew up in six countries, Day is now happily Canadian and lives with her husband, Bruno, and son, Romeo.

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Connect With Our Host:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

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Pulse Check: The Reputation Rethink — Pt. 4