The HigherEd Podcast

Dr. Miller shares his personal higher education origin story, including being born into an academic family, growing up in the Middle East, and eventually building a long career in international education. The conversation explores whether international students and scholars still feel welcome in the United States, the economic and academic impact they bring, the challenges created by visa barriers...

Steven Boyd joins The Higher Ed Podcast to discuss international student recruitment, intercultural exchange, servant leadership, networking, AI, and the future of higher education. With nearly 25 years of experience in international higher ed, Steven shares how his career began, what has changed in global recruitment, why personal relationships still matter, and how colleges can adapt as students...

Students do not all learn the same way, but much of education still treats them as if they do. In this episode of the Higher Ed Podcast, Ali from Simply Taught joins the conversation to explain how a personal experience with his daughter led him to build a platform focused on personalized learning. The discussion explores why students often struggle to connect with classroom material, how AI can h...

AI is already changing higher education, but many educators are still wrestling with what that change means. In this episode, Dr. Sonya McCoy-Wilson and Darren Thompson discuss the fears, ethics, and opportunities surrounding AI in education. The conversation covers plagiarism concerns, Grammarly, AI governance, virtual reality, personalized learning, predictive analytics, language translation, an...

Samira Zacharias shares how she entered admissions by accident, why high school recruitment remains such an important part of student outreach, and how admissions teams adapted during and after the pandemic.

Dr. Cruz shares why he remains passionate about higher ed after more than 27 years, how the pandemic changed teaching and communication, and why colleges must collaborate more closely with K-12 schools, families, and communities. He also discusses the urgent need to increase college-going and completion rates for Black and Hispanic students, the role of community colleges in workforce development,...

Dana shares her journey from AmeriCorps and mental health counseling into enrollment, why student stories still drive her work, and how partnerships can help institutions prepare for the enrollment cliff. The conversation explores community engagement, employer alignment, student ambassadors, alumni storytelling, sports partnerships, and why higher education must continue proving its value in a ch...

Nancy shares how she went from receptionist to admissions leader, why scripts are not the enemy of authentic conversations, and why schools need to look closely at their people, product, and process. She also discusses speed-to-lead, texting cadences, application fees, financial aid handoffs, AI in admissions, and the barriers schools often create for themselves.

From workforce alignment to ethical AI, this episode explores how colleges and universities can adapt to a new era of learning. Dr. Tonya Aman Kwatia brings deep experience and a practical view of where higher ed is headed.

Shane Sparks breaks down the growing divide in higher education between schools that understand lead generation and schools still relying on outdated enrollment models. A strong conversation on AI, OPM pressure, and the enrollment cliff.

In this conversation, Dr. Jerry Wallace breaks down why stronger partnerships between schools, colleges, and employers are critical if we want students prepared for the jobs of the future.

Shantay Ann Bolton, president of Columbia College Chicago, joins the Higher Ed Podcast to talk about creative education, leadership, AI, partnerships, and why higher education must rethink how it proves value in today’s world.

Jen Lyles joins the Higher Ed Podcast to explain why so many schools are still using outdated marketing and admissions tactics for a generation that thinks and communicates differently. This episode covers Gen Z behavior, anxiety, TikTok, admissions, and where schools need to change.

Dr. Dale Nesbary has spent decades serving students, leading institutions, and helping colleges navigate change. In this episode, he joins Kamar for a thoughtful conversation on higher ed leadership, AI, strategic planning, and what it means to build a legacy that lasts.

Are colleges still preparing students for the real world? This panel digs into the role of the humanities, the challenge of workforce readiness, the future of accreditation, and why student success may need to be defined in more flexible and meaningful ways.

University President Dr. Lillian Schumacher explains how she sustained enrollment growth during the “enrollment cliff” era, and breaks down the balance every institution has to manage: scholarship strategy, discount rate, and net tuition. If you’re trying to grow without blowing up revenue, this conversation is for you.

AI can speed up writing and research, but it can’t replace real mentorship. Dr. Kreassig explains why the relationship between faculty and students still matters most.

Lisa Avery shares how community colleges support local economies, reduce social costs, and open doors for first-generation students, and why the public underestimates their impact.

Episode 2 of Everything Higher Ed brings together a provost, a higher-ed CEO, and a Penn State leader to unpack what AI is changing right now, inside classrooms, across student services, and throughout accreditation. Topics include: AI fluency as a workforce baseline, why students may trust public tools more than campus systems, and how schools can respond without losing academic rigor. Plus: a pr...

VP Paul Eggers explains how enrollment teams use data to scale, stay competitive, and lead through constant change, without losing the human side of the work.

Dr. Janelle Sokolowich shares a powerful perspective on education, mentorship, and building pathways that changes the futures of families. A conversation about purpose, policy, and what it takes to create access that lasts generations.

Higher ed is changing fast: AI, online learning, shifting demographics, and the enrollment cliff. Dr. Jesse Mason breaks down what system leadership looks like at scale and how leaders can stay mission-focused while adapting how they deliver education.

In the first episode of Everything Higher Ed, Kamar DeJarnette sits down with leaders from UMass Global, Rio Salado College, Linn-Benton Community College, and NYU to unpack what the enrollment cliff really means, and what institutions are changing right now. Everything from adult learners, stackable credentials, breaking credit/non-credit silos, and how higher ed can tell its value story more cle...

Dr. John Porter shares how 33 years at IBM shaped his approach to leading Lindenwood, and why multi-institution systems may be the next big model in higher education. We unpack the enrollment cliff, vocational vs. traditional pathways, building an acquisition strategy, and what it takes to grow without losing mission. Plus: his take on AI in higher ed (and how he actually uses it day to day).

The old assumption, “college automatically equals success,” is gone. Dr. Tony Bourne explains the parent mindset shift, the ROI pressure, and how institutions can respond with clearer pathways, better advising, and real student-success infrastructure.