Office Hours With EAB

EAB’s Tara Zirkel and Grace Anderson discuss a recent EAB survey that highlighted ways that pandemic disruptions continue to influence the college search process, as well as student preferences and academic readiness. The two focus on six key themes that emerged from the survey that are important for community college leaders to understand. They also offer tips on how they might adjust their appro...

EAB’s Tisleen Singh and Emily Niedermaier discuss the emergence of Appily, a new online resource that streamlines the college exploration process for teens and enables colleges to connect with more prospective applicants. The two examine findings from a new survey of more than 6,000 students that highlights a strong correlation between adolescent mental health and college-going behaviors. They als...

EAB’s Paul-Anne Robb and Brian Schueler unpack the data from a new survey of college-aged non-consumers. One of the key findings is that while price matters, perceptions of high cost may be at odds with the actual cost of attendance once you factor in grants, scholarships, and other institutional “discounts.” Paul-Anne and Brian share tips on more effective ways to communicate with prospective stu...

EAB’s Kathy Ruby and Brett Schraeder recap the early days of the newly revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Kathy and Brett discuss the merits of the form itself, review the technical glitches that have plagued the so-called “soft launch,” and share what they’re hearing from front-line admissions and financial aid professionals about the new FAFSA. They also offer advice on things tha...

EAB’s Michael Fischer and Afia Tasneem discuss ways that institutions are moving beyond their initial resistance to artificial intelligence and are now incorporating AI technologies within academia. They highlight some of the most promising opportunities for leveraging AI to reshape curricula, improve student support, and gain efficiencies across hundreds of administrative functions. Finally, the...

EAB’s Madeleine Rhyneer and Kathy Ruby pull back the curtain to reveal how admissions professionals sift through thousands of applications and decide who gets admitted. The two differentiate between the approach typically used at highly selective institutions versus those that admit most applicants. They also explore how financial aid optimization works and the ways that institutions apply FAO to...

EAB’s Tom Sugar hosts a conversation with Carthage College President John Swallow. The two look back over their three-year (and counting) collaboration on EAB’s Moon Shot for Equity to share lessons learned in eliminating equity gaps that are having an enormously positive impact on students from more privileged backgrounds as well. They also offer advice to other institutions looking to apply prov...

EAB experts Dr. Tara Zirkel, Dr. Christina Hubbard, and Allison Peeler discuss the major shifts and trends impacting community colleges over the past year. The three share specific examples of institutions doing innovative work and overcoming post-pandemic challenges. They also offer advice on what community college leaders can do in 2024 to improve student retention and modernize the student expe...

EAB’s Julianne Turpin and Brendan Mannix explore the many changes that have made modern student success software such a central component of student retention efforts. The two discuss newer features (including CRM capabilities, AI enhancements, and more) that differentiate a truly effective system from those that fail to wrap students at risk in an effective, coordinated care network. They also sh...

EAB’s Paul Gunther hosts University of Central Arkansas President Houston Davis for a wide-ranging chat about how to reach students and families who feel that a college degree is out of reach. They examine UCA’s innovative new program that creates a debt-free pathway to a college degree for all incoming Arkansas freshmen who qualify based on financial need. They also offer tips for higher ed leade...

EAB’s Sian Blake and Val Fox offer growth strategies for institutions that have grown increasingly reliant on their graduate programs to compensate for shrinking undergraduate enrollment. Sian and Val review best practices from schools that are finding success in growing graduate programs and offer tips on the best lead-generation tools you should be using. The two also share advice on smarter way...

Art Coleman, one of the nation’s foremost legal experts on affirmative action in higher education, joins EAB’s Tom Cakuls to unpack the recent Supreme Court ruling. Art also examines the recent guidance offered by the US Departments of Education and Justice and stresses that it is still permissible to consider facets of students’ experience, background, interest, and other qualities expressly asso...

EAB’s Beth Donaldson is joined by her colleague, Todd Heilman, to review findings from a new EAB survey of nearly 4,000 adult learners. The two review what we learned about the motivations and preferences of adult learners, and about how they research programs and colleges they might attend. The survey findings offer a wealth of information for universities on how to find, engage, and enroll these...

EAB’s Kate Manning and Matt Sheldon welcome Chad Steinkamp from Wichita State University for a conversation about ways to make your institution a top transfer destination. The three offer tips on marketing your school to prospective transfer students and making their transition as seamless as possible. They also discuss the merits of the dual-advising approach and its impact on the transfer studen...

Lola Mauer from Ball State University and Daniel Burgner from George Washington University join EAB’s Mark Shreve to discuss why they’re glad that US News and World Report no longer includes the alumni giving metric in determining its college rankings. They also examine how their schools are adapting in response to the philanthropic behaviors of Gen Z and millennials. Lastly, they share top advice...

EAB’s Ed Venit is joined by University of Montana President Seth Bodnar who talks about his unorthodox journey to higher education leadership. A West Point graduate and former Green Beret, Seth shares strategies he has used to grow enrollment, improve student retention, and help UM achieve R1 classification as a research university. He and Ed also discuss why declining college-going rates place th...

EAB’s Tara Zirkel is joined by Dr. Tiffany Ray-Patterson, VP of Student Services at Germanna Community College, to discuss her “One Front Door” approach to student onboarding that is breaking down institutional silos and connecting more students to the guidance they need. The two contrast the “One Front Door” method versus traditional bifurcated onboarding and share some of the tangible improvemen...

EAB’s Vashae Dixon and Brett Schraeder discuss the ways in which financial aid professionals are adapting to the recent SCOTUS ruling barring consideration of race or ethnicity in university admissions. The two share best practices for institutions on how to navigate the intersection between financial aid optimization and diversity. They also talk about criticisms they are hearing from university...

EAB’s Madeleine Rhyneer and Autumn Baggett-Griggs explore findings from a recent poll that identifies the top concerns of enrollment leaders. The two discuss the growth of the non-consumption market, the challenges of recruiting Gen P students—those heavily impacted by the pandemic—as well as unexpected impacts from the recent Supreme Court ruling on ways that colleges engage with prospective stud...

EAB’s Paul Gunther is joined by Missouri State University Provost John Jasinski to talk through a highly successful transformation effort that resulted in more than $5 million in cost savings at MSU without cutting staff or programs. The two discuss how MSU leadership earned the cooperation and support from faculty and other university stakeholders. They also share advice for other institutional l...

EAB’s Emily Mittermaier welcomes Long Beach City College Dean of Student Equity, Sonia De La Torre, and the Director of First-Year Experience at the school, Esteban Alfaro, to discuss the transformation of the school’s approach to student success. They examine the role of technology, goal setting, and how they collected data to measure the impact of their efforts on students and the institution. T...

EAB’s Jonathan April is joined by Kimberly Williams from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan to talk about creative ways to attract out-of-state students from underserved populations. Their discussion is focused primarily on the school’s use of fly-in programs and all-access weekends in which prospective students and their parents are invited (all expenses paid) to travel to...

EAB’s Ed Venit, Becky Carpenter, and Jessica King encourage colleges to treat belongingness as a key component of student mental health. The three share tips for identifying students who may feel like they’re not fitting in and offer outreach strategies to help them feel like they belong. They also discuss ways to differentiate between students who may be naturally introverted but feel just fine w...

In this second of a three-part series focused on student mental health, EAB’s Ed Venit, Lindsay Schappell, and Matt Mustard share ways to encourage and support help-seeking behavior by students. The three touch on the role of technology, the importance of promoting self-service resources effectively, and how to follow up with students to see what additional help they might appreciate. They also of...

EAB’s Lindsay Schappell, Matt Mustard, and Ed Venit explore the eight dimensions of wellness as they related to keeping students engaged, healthy, and on path academically. The three offer data that highlight the magnitude of the student mental health challenge and the extent of staffing challenges that are decimating college counseling centers. They also share tips for university leaders on bette...