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 Drawing on a new survey of advancement leaders, they explore how outdated technology, incomplete alumni data, and labor-intensive processes limit fundraising efforts.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 tim...

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 in...

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...

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 simi...

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 r...

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, creati...

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 wh...

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...

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 fina...

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 str...

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...

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...

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...

EAB’s Beth Donaldson and Anne Dodson unpack new research revealing how AI, politics, and stealth shopping are shifting application behaviors for adult learners and disrupting traditional enrollment strategies. Anne and Beth also share tips for graduate enrollment teams on where to devote their budgets and energies to improve lead generation and ultimately boost enrollment.

As enrollments tighten and institutional pressure mounts, the work of student success professionals has never been more essential. EAB’s LaToya White sits down with student affairs leaders from Skidmore College and Lone Star College to examine the realities of staff burnout, capacity constraints, and misaligned institutional priorities. Together, they share practical insights for higher ed leaders...

EAB’s Paul Gunther sits down with University of Central Arkansas President Houston Davis to reflect on the first year of the UCA Commitment, an ambitious effort to create a debt-free pathway to a college degree for eligible students across the state. President Davis shares what’s working, what’s been harder than expected, and the lessons his team has learned since launch. The conversation offers p...

This week on Office Hours with EAB, EAB’s Val Fox and Todd Heilman unpack the adult learner mindset using insights from EAB’s latest adult learner survey. They discuss how increased cost sensitivity and evolving college search patterns are reshaping how adult learners make decisions. The conversation also offers practical insights for enrollment leaders looking to optimize their website and naviga...

EAB’s Beth Donaldson is joined by Sydney Mathes of Service to School to explore what authentic institutional commitment to military-connected students really looks like. They discuss common misconceptions, the importance of wraparound services, and why admissions should be viewed as the starting line—not the finish line—for military student success. The conversation closes with practical advice fo...

EAB’s Ed Venit sits down with Brian Reed from the University of Montana to discuss how his team is supporting students who started college but left before completing a bachelor’s degree. Dr. Reed shares how Montana retroactively awards associate degrees where possible, giving former students a meaningful credential that can improve their earning potential and, in many cases, motivate them to retur...

This week on Office Hours with EAB, we sit down with the National Education Opportunity Network (NEON) to discuss the innovative work they’re doing to expand college access for students in Title I high schools. NEON’s model brings college-credit courses and academic support directly into classrooms through a coordinated team of university faculty, teaching fellows, and high school educators. We ex...

Wichita State University President Richard Muma joins EAB’s Sally Amoruso to share how the university’s deep partnerships with private industry define the student experience and fuel regional growth. From embedding students with local companies on day one to building an innovation campus that anchors nearly 50 businesses, Wichita State is redefining what it means to be a public research university...

EAB’s Amy Luitjens and Brett Schraeder discuss the end of Grad PLUS loans and the new cap on Federal Direct loans. The two break down what these shifts mean for student borrowing. They also share practical tips for graduate enrollment leaders and financial aid strategists on how to prepare for the changes ahead.

EAB’s Meghan Ondrish and JP Lafors review ways that AI-enabled search is reshaping the way digital teams create and structure content for .edu websites. Meghan and JP discuss how institutions should adapt search engine optimization to ensure their web content remains visible and prominent as search behaviors evolve. The two also explain the metrics that matter most when assessing how prospective a...