Recruiting and Engaging Gen Z: A Conversation with Iowa State University’s Katharine Johnson Suski

In this final episode of the season, we reflect on the future of higher education with Professor Stephen Parker. Over the last 30 years, Stephen has held a number of high-profile roles in the Australian education sector including the Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Canberra, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President of the Monash University and Director of Global, Development and Strategy at The Conversation. Most recently, Stephen worked as the Special Adviser at KPMG Australia.

Stephen discusses the history of higher education, why and how funding structures are changing, and the integration of technology with the student experience. Future predictions, philosophic quotes, and more up next on today’s episode of Education Empowered.

Key Takeaways:

• Creatively Engaging with Alumni: Universities are finding creative ways to engage with their alumni, some even piloting free content or guest lecture webinars that relate to the degrees their alumni received. Universities have a large amount of information about each of their students which they could be synthesizing to create up-to-date profiles (information about new jobs and career shifts that person has experienced) 10+ years after graduation. Then you could leverage this data to market to the needs and possible future goals they already have. 
• A Shift in the Way Education is Funded: When education is prohibitively expensive and students aren’t able to appreciate the value of in-classroom learning, reform to the way that education is funded needs to happen. Education is starting to see more buy-in and funding from government and businesses who see the need to invest in the most valuable resource of all, human capital. 
• The Power of AI in Higher Education: As the abilities of artificial intelligence advance, their use in education reaches way beyond a conversation about HOW students are being taught, all the way down to WHAT students will be taught and get a degree for. The argument of practicality and applicable use of higher education versus the more academic, study for study’s sake continues. Certain highly educated fields may be rendered at least partially useless in the coming decades.  

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If you enjoyed this episode, and want to explore these topics in greater detail, be sure to check out the second edition of Salesforce.org’s Connected Student Report. The survey includes insights from more than 2,000 students and staff across 10 countries about student and staff wellbeing, career readiness, flexible learning options, and so much more! You can find the report at sfdc.co/connectedstudentreport.

Welcome back to Education Empowered! Last season, we discussed student and faculty wellbeing. Today, we are going to revisit that conversation with a new guest who offers a different perspective.

Joining the show is Dominique Thompson, an award-winning UK General Practitioner, young people's mental health expert, author, and educator. She has over 20 years of clinical experience caring for students, including as a police and expedition doctor, and most recently as Director of Service at the University of Bristol Students' Health Service. She was named Bristol Healthcare Professional of the Year 2017, and in 2019, she was nominated as one of the Top 100 West Women of the Year.

If that’s not impressive enough, Dominique has also helped design apps and websites to support student mental health and writes books on the topic.

Today, Dominique and Jason explore student wellbeing and mental health, and what schools and faculty can do to better support student wellness.

Key Takeaways:

• Toxic Perfectionism is Plaguing the Upcoming Generations: It’s important to communicate to students that not only should they go out and try new things, but that it’s okay to fail at those new things. Today’s generations face higher standards of perfection in life and are more prone to certain mental health issues including anxiety and depression related to this increase.
• Mental Illness is Slowly Losing its Stigma: Creating awareness is the first step to solving a problem. Emphasis on mental health and wellbeing has long gone ignored, but thanks to student groups, progressive staff and faculty, and shifting cultural attitudes, awareness of these issues has increased over the years. As awareness increases, more solutions are found and students can be better supported.
• Proactive Approach to Mental Health: Instead of waiting for a hotline call, a better way to nurture healthy mindsets is by creating early awareness of common struggles. This means recognizing early warning signs and helping students address their feelings proactively through appropriate therapies.

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If you enjoyed this episode, and want to explore these topics in greater detail, be sure to check out the second edition of Salesforce.org’s Connected Student Report. The survey includes insights from more than 2,000 students and staff across 10 countries about student and staff wellbeing, career readiness, flexible learning options, and so much more! You can find the report at sfdc.co/connectedstudentreport.

This week, we dive into the work Southern New Hampshire University is doing to better serve incoming students; from redesigning the admissions experience to rethinking which marketing strategies resonate best. SNHU recently won the Salesforce Excellence in Recruiting and Admissions Innovation Award, and here to talk about what changes SNHU has implemented and why is Senior Director of MarTech & Growth Marketing, Timothy Cerato.

Tim is a growth marketer and technologist with 10 plus years of experience in B2B and B2C marketing. He started his career doing work-study at SNHU, left for a time to work at a startup, but found himself called back to education. When he came back to SNHU, they began the process of re-platforming the whole school to a tech stack geared towards online education that has the capacity to double, if not triple, their student body. 

In this episode, Tim walks us through some of his thought processes around how SNHU is working on shifting consumer behavior to further benefit their student and potential student body. Plus, Tim shares some of the ways he’s worked to improve the student experience by  engaging students in new, innovative ways on SNHU’s website.

Key Takeaways:

• Experimenting with ways to grow: SNHU made the move to revamp their admissions procedures, making the process quicker and all online for the first time. The timing of this move was paramount to their success as an organization and has opened the doors of educational opportunity to tens of thousands of new potential students.  
• Communicating in the ways that students need: There has been a lot of research around the quality of communication between students and their universities. Learning what students need - and don’t need - from a university’s website and making the process of enrolling easier have been game-changers for SNHU. 
• Working changes into the organization through experimentation: With Cerato’s help, SNHU has been running a series of smaller experiments that help them test what works and what doesn’t. These micro-experiments provide insights into what initiatives are most beneficial to students and should be expanded on or further invested in.

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If you enjoyed this episode, and want to explore these topics in greater detail, be sure to check out the second edition of Salesforce.org’s Connected Student Report. The survey includes insights from more than 2,000 students and staff across 10 countries about student and staff wellbeing, career readiness, flexible learning options, and so much more! You can find the report at sfdc.co/connectedstudentreport.

Welcome to Season 5 of Education Empowered! Kicking off the new season, we are joined by Chris Lowery and Jordan Skeen. Chris is the Senior Vice President of Workforce, Careers and Adult Strategy, at Ivy Tech Community College. And Jordan is an academic coach at Central New Mexico Community College. 

Both Chris and Jordan have a passion for helping students achieve their highest potential and the best, most-rewarding careers possible. Today, they share how they do just that at their respective schools.

Looking outside of normal channels, and finding ways to stay connected with their students and communities were critical for their organizations to stay strong in the last year. Chris and Jordan tell us how they met students' needs in challenging times, and how those changes have helped them continue to nurture lifelong learners.

Key Takeaways: 

• Intentionality Intensified: At both higher education school systems, the leadership has been forced to be intentional with reaching out to their students directly on a regular basis so they can continue to get the kind of feedback about what technological, educational and career support they need. Many of the virtual aspects of this community and communication will continue even as students come back to campus.
• Quality Career Placement and Coaching: The graduates of community college systems around the US have always had a lot of competition when entering the workforce, but especially through this pandemic the schools have taken it upon themselves to be more pointed with the real-world tools they give to their students, enabling them to get the best jobs on the market.
• Opening Up Opportunities to More Individuals: Some of the job placement opportunities, career programs and funding that have been available in the past were there for a smaller segment of the population to benefit from. During the pandemic the leaders of these organizations found the need to open up the requirements allowing even more educated and qualified individuals to participate in and benefit from the career-starting infrastructure they already had in place.

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If you enjoyed this episode, and want to explore these topics in greater detail, be sure to check out the second edition of Salesforce.org’s Connected Student Report. The survey includes insights from more than 2,000 students and staff across 10 countries about student and staff wellbeing, career readiness, flexible learning options, and so much more! You can find the report at sfdc.co/connectedstudentreport.

In 2020, institutions everywhere heard a cry for change. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed digital shortcomings, the ensuing economic devastation further highlighted the need for better college affordability, and social movements made it clear that access for all should never be an afterthought.

In 2021, it’s time for higher education institutions to answer the call and address those challenges and more.

Joining the show today is Dr. Adrian Haugabrook. Adrian is the Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the Horizon Group at Southern New Hampshire University, one of the largest nonprofit universities in the country. On this episode of Education Empowered, Jason and Adrian discuss what important conversations have been started over the last year, how the acceleration to virtual learning has changed education for the better, and the value of social and community-based partnerships. Plus, they dive into how digital environments can be used to enhance accessibility, affordability, and success.

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Join us on June 16th for Education Summit 2021, the virtual event for education Trailblazers from across the globe. Learn more at sfdc.co/educationempoweredsummit.

Gen Z is the newest generation hitting university hallways. How they think, what they want, and the expectations they set are different than any generation before them. Raised with digital devices in-hand and information at their fingertips, meeting Gen Z where they are requires institutions to upgrade their marketing departments and rethink how they connect with prospective students.

Joining the podcast today is Katharine Johnson Suski, the Executive Director of Admissions and New Student Programs at Iowa State University. Katharine has more than 20 years of experience working in admissions and recruitment, and today she shares not only what she’s learned, but what she’s seen change over the course of her career.

Katharine and Jason discuss how Katharine’s team has leveraged technology to better reach Gen Z and why authentic communication is key. Plus, Katharine shares what it’s been like operating a remote team and how today’s challenges have created new opportunities for inclusivity and access.

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Join us on June 16th for Education Summit 2021, the virtual event for education Trailblazers from across the globe. Learn more at sfdc.co/educationempoweredsummit.

As technology, career paths, academia, and society have changed over the last several decades, what it means to be college- and career-ready has also evolved. 

So what does that evolution mean for K-12 education? How can teachers, staff, and administrators properly prepare students for this new world?

Cherry Creek School District stands out as a guiding light and joining Jason today are two guests who are helping redefine what it means to prepare students for college and career. Sarah Grobbel is Cherry Creek’s Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Career and Innovation and Maria Martin works alongside her as the project coordinator. 

On this episode, Sarah and Maria share how they think about innovation at Cherry Creek, what new programs and partnerships they’ve implemented to provide students with a multidimensional education, and how they are using technology to help implement these individualized pathways for students.

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Join us on June 16th for Education Summit 2021, the virtual event for education Trailblazers from across the globe. Learn more at sfdc.co/educationempoweredsummit.

As schools and universities adapt to a changing world, new models of education and student engagement are emerging every day. Building lasting ties with students requires not only thoughtful, seamless experiences, but it also means throwing out decades-old assumptions and traditions altogether.

Joining Jason today is Dr. Melik Khoury. Melik is the 11th President of Unity College, where he has had an impressive and lasting impact. During his rise from SVP for external affairs to executive vice president to chief academic officer, and, finally, into his current role as president, Melik has overseen significant institutional gains, including three consecutive years of record enrollments and more than 20-percent enrollment growth. He has also overseen significant institutional changes, many of which he dives into today.

Melik shares the results Unity has seen after shifting from a semester schedule to five-week terms, and he explains why his school has completely rewritten what it means to be a “full-time” student. Plus, he and Jason discuss affordability and accessibility and where Melik’s personal passion for education originates. 

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Join us on June 16th for Education Summit 2021, the virtual event for education Trailblazers from across the globe. Looking to share the innovative work happening at your institution? Submit a session proposal by March 5th at sfdc.co/educationempoweredsummit.

The recent rise of computing power and cloud-based software is creating new opportunities for colleges to capture and harness student data in a way they’ve never been able to before. In the minds of many campus administrators, this technology is the answer to slipping retention and graduation rates. It creates more efficient administrator systems and dismantles unnecessary bureaucracy, which in turn produces a more student-centered experience that leads to better student outcomes.

Joining us today to discuss how administrators are doing just that is Diane Biesecker. Diane is the Acting Director of IT and School Systems and the Salesforce Application Manager at the University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. 

She sits down with Jason to talk about IT’s role in student success and how technology can make faculty interactions with students more meaningful. Plus, they dive into the technology and cultural challenges facing institutions today and education trends they are excited about for the future.

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Join us on June 16th for Education Summit 2021, the virtual event for education Trailblazers from across the globe. Looking to share the innovative work happening at your institution? Submit a session proposal by March 5th at sfdc.co/educationempoweredsummit.

What do changing student demographics mean for colleges? What can universities do to differentiate themselves? More broadly, what’s in store for the future of higher education, and where does technology factor into it all?

Joining the podcast to help us answer these questions and many more are Michael Horn and Jeff Selingo. 

Michael is the author of Choosing College and a senior strategist at Guild Education. Jeff is the author of Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions and he is a special advisor at Arizona State University. 

They sat down with Jason to discuss the biggest obstacles facing universities and how to overcome those challenges. They dig into big themes that are permeating the education sector such as student wellbeing on and off-campus, and virtual and hybrid learning models that work. Plus, they share what it really takes for a college to create a seamless student experience that fosters lifelong learning.

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Interested in learning more about the future of higher education? Get inspired with the New U -  a thought-provoking piece written in collaboration with higher education thought leader, Jeff Selingo, and Salesforce.org. Learn more at sfdc.co/educationempowerednewu.