Higher Voltage

There was a time when the job of college president was a cushy capstone to an ascendant academic career. These are not those times. The job of leading an institution of higher education has never been more difficult, and today's presidents must be masters of strategic communications and operations. Teresa Valerio Parrot and Erin Hennessy of TVP Communications join host Kevin Tyler to talk about what it takes to successfully communicate for – and to – the many constituencies of a higher ed institution.

It's time to forget about rankings and traditional notions of prestige in higher education, says Otterbein University President John Comerford. Instead, he argues for putting students first with courses and programs and partnerships that provide them the education that they actually need, which may not always align with what higher ed has long been selling. 708611

Mary Osako explains UCLA's storytelling-based approach to marketing, and why they hired a Chief Content Officer and a Chief Brand Officer.

Higher ed social media has never been more critical to marketing efforts than it is now, and that's a good thing.

On this episode of Higher Voltage, we sat down with Bridget Burns, the executive director for the University Innovation Alliance (UIA).  Listen in as Kevin Tyler, Higher Voltage host, and Bridget discussed how the UIA is using data, process mapping, design thinking, and a university alliance to increase the number and diversity of college graduates through a student-focused approach.

Eddie Francis of Dillard University and Chelsea Holley of Spelman College explore how a global pandemic and nationwide calls for racial justice have changed how HBCUs market themselves to prospective students, and ways in which HBCUs were perfectly primed to meet the moment at hand.

On the latest Higher Voltage, we discuss best practices with three experts who live this every day. Liz Gross, the CEO of Campus Sonar, has compiled answers to all the questions she gets online and at conferences and that she has ruminated on for years, and turned it into a free ebook titled “Fundamentals of Social Media Strategy: A Guide for College Campuses.” Joining her are Anice Barbosa, Digital Marketing Specialist of Wheaton College and AJ Lopez III Assistant Director for Digital Marketing and Social Media of Midwestern State University, who share their best practices, their common challenges, and solutions.

Jamila Walker, Taquinda Johnson, Josie Ahlquist, and Christina Garnett discuss how building digital communities can provide a haven for those working in higher ed, and higher ed social media.

How Butler University rose from a small Indiana University to a basketball powerhouse, and how that rise boosted the school's enrollment and endowment. Graham Honaker, co-author (with Jerry Logan) of "The Cinderella Strategy: The Game Plan behind Butler University's Rise to Prominence," joins the podcast to explain.

Drexel University's Craig Kampes and Joseph Master dig into the origins, strategy, and execution of the school's "Ambition Can't Wait" brand awareness campaign, which has been the school's marketing backbone since 2016.