Building a Connected College by Aligning Strategy and Services
Release Date: 07/15/2025
How AI Dashboards Can Strengthen Board Governance
Changing Higher Ed
AI dashboards offer higher education boards the opportunity to boost performance to improve their institutions. In this episode of the , speaks with , about how AI dashboards provide trustees with better insight into board work and support This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, trustees, and board professionals seeking to strengthen board readiness and make governance more data-informed. Topics Covered: How AI dashboards consolidate board materials and surface the most important information Methods for tracking progress against institutional strategy over multiple years...
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International Student Recruiting in Higher Education—23 Touchpoints, Visa Barriers, and Retention Risks for Boards
Changing Higher Ed
Families are writing universities directly to ask if it’s safe to send their children to the United States. Institutions are also facing longer visa backlogs and growing competition from abroad. In this episode of the , Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with , Dean for International Programs and Development at St. Martin’s University, about how leaders can strengthen international enrollment pipelines, improve retention, and protect graduate research capacity. Topics Covered: The 23-touchpoint recruitment model that keeps students and families engaged until they commit How graduate...
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Enrollment Management Solutions in the Enrollment Cliff Era
Changing Higher Ed
This episode of focuses on enrollment management solutions presidents and boards can use to navigate the enrollment cliff. and of Enrollment Intelligence Now join to share practical guidance on setting realistic enrollment goals, aligning enrollment with finance, and . (Part one examined the challenges; this discussion turns to the solutions.) Topics Covered: Setting realistic enrollment goals using 3–5 years of funnel data Why inflated projections undermine trust with CFOs and boards Real-time dashboards and funnel monitoring for early intervention Mission-driven messaging and...
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Beyond the Headlines: Reframing Enrollment Management in the Enrollment Cliff Era
Changing Higher Ed
Institutions face converging pressures that are reshaping enrollment management. Declining participation rates, tuition discounting that erodes net revenue, international enrollment volatility, and political mandates are forcing colleges to rethink how they attract and retain students. Enrollment management is no longer just admissions and aid — it has become a strategic system linking recruitment promises to student success and institutional stability. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with . They share how enrollment management has evolved...
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Caltech’s Approach to Stronger Private Board Governance
Changing Higher Ed
Caltech’s board once had nearly 80 members; too many for focused discussion or quick decisions. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, talks with , about how the institution streamlined , strengthened committees, and made trustee reorientation mandatory. Light, who has held senior roles at Carnegie Mellon University and the Semester at Sea program, outlines how Caltech conducts trustee assessments, structures its executive committee, and uses an ongoing governance review to keep the board working at its best. Topics Covered: Governance changes prompted by the pandemic ...
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How University Leaders Can Transform Institutions with Program Realignment and Scalable Mental Health Services
Changing Higher Ed
40% of California’s licensed doctoral psychologists come from one university that nearly failed a decade ago. Their turnaround didn’t come from diversifying programs or chasing enrollment—it came from making the hardest decision in higher ed: cutting what wasn’t excellent. In this episode of the , speaks with , President and CEO of Alliant International University, about how institutional leaders can drive by making tough calls, realigning programs, and embedding scalable mental health support into their core operations. Drawing from Alliant’s strategic shift, Vaughn explains why...
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Helping First-Gen and Low SES Students Succeed: A Regional Model That Works
Changing Higher Ed
With first-generation and low SES students facing steep barriers to completion and career entry, Great Jobs KC has built a replicable model that starts in high school, continues through college, and delivers real workforce outcomes. In this episode of the , Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with about how regional collaboration, wraparound services, and employer partnerships are beyond graduation. Phalen outlines how Great Jobs KC collaborates with 24 higher education institutions, over 150 employer partners, and K–12 feeder systems to support students from high school through college...
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Washington Update: July 2025 Reconciliation Bill’s Impact on Higher Ed
Changing Higher Ed
Higher education leaders are facing the most sweeping set of federal regulatory and funding changes in over a decade. In this Washington Update episode of the , Dr. Drumm McNaughton welcomes back frequent guest Tom Netting, president of TEN Government Strategies, to discuss the July 2025 budget reconciliation bill—federal legislation that significantly alters student loans, Pell Grants, institutional accountability, and the rules governing program eligibility. While not a formal reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the bill introduces statutory earnings-based accountability for...
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Building a Connected College by Aligning Strategy and Services
Changing Higher Ed
Most colleges rely on more than 20 disconnected systems to support students, creating confusion, reducing engagement, and lowering graduation rates. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, speaks with is the founder of brightspot Strategy (acquired by in 2020) and the author of about how building integrated systems where strategy, services, and technology work together can improve student outcomes without increasing institutional complexity or cost. Felix, who has worked with more than 100 institutions including MIT, NYU, and the University of Virginia, draws on his...
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Using AI to Fix Admissions and Enrollment Without Losing the Human Touch
Changing Higher Ed
AI can change how colleges and universities approach enrollment, making it faster, fairer, and more aligned with student success. In this episode of , Dr. Drumm McNaughton talks with , about how institutions can use artificial intelligence to improve admissions, automate routine tasks, and personalize support without losing the human touch. Drawing on real-world implementations at Western Governors University, Franklin University, and others, Fernando outlines how AI enables institutions to make faster admissions decisions, better assess student fit, and improve long-term outcomes. He also...
info_outlineMost colleges rely on more than 20 disconnected systems to support students, creating confusion, reducing engagement, and lowering graduation rates.
In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Elliot Felix is the founder of brightspot Strategy (acquired by Buro Happold in 2020) and the author of The Connected College: Leadership Strategies for Student Success about how building integrated systems where strategy, services, and technology work together can improve student outcomes without increasing institutional complexity or cost.
Felix, who has worked with more than 100 institutions including MIT, NYU, and the University of Virginia, draws on his background in architecture and design thinking to offer practical solutions for breaking down silos and creating seamless student experiences. This conversation provides actionable strategies for institutional leaders seeking to move from fragmentation to alignment while managing limited resources.
This episode is particularly valuable for presidents, trustees, and senior administrators looking to redesign operations and improve student success through systemic coordination rather than adding more programs and services.
Topics Covered:
- Why the "additive culture" in higher education creates operational sprawl and student confusion
- How design thinking can transform institutional strategy and student experience
- Practical approaches to breaking down silos without major reorganizations
- Using RACI models and governance structures to enable faster, smarter decisions
- The critical importance of aligning strategic planning with budget decisions
- Reframing risk as a condition for progress through prototyping and piloting
- Strategic partnerships as tools for expanding capacity without internal complexity
Real-World Examples Discussed:
- NYU's transformation of computer labs into "connect and create" collaborative spaces
- UVA's co-location of different advising functions for seamless student support
- Purdue University's Communicators Council as a model for decentralized coordination
- Colorado State's IT governance process for strategic technology investments
- The pitfall of institutions with both writing centers and writing labs in the same building
- Quinnipiac's healthcare partnership providing both services and talent pipeline
- Amarillo College's community partnerships that increased graduation rates from 14% to 65-80%
Three Key Takeaways for Leadership:
- Create a focused strategy that prioritizes where to invest, makes hard tradeoffs, and aligns budget with institutional goals
- Break the cycle of fragmentation by consolidating services and systems to improve access, reduce duplication, and enhance outcomes
- Reframe risk as progress by encouraging piloting and iteration to unlock innovation without waiting for consensus or perfection
This episode offers institutional leaders a clear, actionable framework for moving from fragmentation to alignment while improving student outcomes through strategic execution rather than adding complexity.
Recommended For: Presidents, trustees, chief academic officers, student affairs leaders, and institutional planning teams focused on improving student success through systemic coordination.
Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/connected-college-strategy-to-improve-student-success/
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