Office Hours With EAB

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...

EAB’s Beth Donaldson and Todd Heilman examine ways that graduate admissions leaders are adjusting to the steep drop in foreign enrollments. The two suggest strategies designed to strengthen domestic student recruitment, differentiate your institution from competitors, and contend with the giants of online graduate education.

EAB’s Christine Doci and Lars Waldo discuss ways that AI is helping universities manage and access fragmented IT systems. The two discuss the shortcomings of early data warehousing efforts and offer tips on how to use AI to organize and accelerate access to data without compromising privacy or governance constraints.

EAB financial aid experts, Brett Schraeder and Kathy Ruby explore what’s ahead as FAFSA 2026 updates roll out alongside sweeping changes from the Big Beautiful Bill. Their conversation covers the elimination of Grad PLUS loans, new limits on Parent PLUS, the introduction of Workforce Pell Grants, and a revamped repayment plan. They also share insights on how institutions can adapt their aid strate...

Student expectations keep rising, yet too many recruitment marketing campaigns still read like mass emails. In this episode, EAB’s Michael Koppenheffer and Ryan Gardner-Cook outline a four-stage roadmap for hyper-personalizing the recruitment journey. and identify the student data required to power each step. You’ll hear where to start, the kinds of student data needed, how to design meaningful te...

EAB’s Jennifer Lerner sits down with the authors of “The Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook” to explore the evolving and increasingly strategic role of the Chief Online Learning Officer (COLO). The conversation delves into the key competencies that define effective digital leadership in today’s academic landscape. Our guests, Thomas Cavanagh and Jocelyn Widmer, also unpack the challenges an...

EAB’s Camilla Arias and Pam Royall sit down with global higher education consultant Donald Resnik to unpack key findings from the latest EAB-NAGAP survey of nearly 600 graduate enrollment professionals. Their conversation examines the widening gap between enrollment expectations and the staffing and budget resources available to meet them. The three also touch on areas that GEM professionals consi...

EAB’s Beth Donaldson and Val Fox unpack findings from our latest benchmarking survey of graduate enrollment leaders. The findings highlight a significant disconnect between the graduate enrollment goals being set by university leaders and the market realities confronting those charged with recruiting adult learners. Val and Beth offer advice to admissions teams on how to invest limited marketing d...