31Minutes

We’re sharing some of the best examples we’ve seen across campuses during COVID-19 interruptions—examples of good leadership, great communication, and effective connection building during a time of uncertainty. Guests include Jeffrey Schiffman, Tulane University’s Director of Undergraduate Admission discussing his team’s Dean for a Day initiative; Dr. Herman Felton, Jr., President of Wiley College sharing why he initiated the HBCU President #DontRushChallenge; and a helpful mantra from H·A ThirtyOne for how to manage communications during this bizarre time. Resources and links for this episode: Learn more about Tulane University Read Jeff’s Admission Blog Learn more about Wiley College View the HBCU President #DontRushChallenge

Hosts Karyn Adams and Karen Black talk about challenges and some advice amid the COVID-19 crisis as developments continue to unfold within higher ed. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Niche Survey on the Impact of Coronavirus on Students’ Academic Progress and College Plans Coronavirus Higher Education Industry Briefings from Campus Sonar The College Search and COVID-19

Dayna Bradstreet, Sr. Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission at Simmons University in Boston, joins us to recap the March 13th #EMchat discussion on Twitter about COVID-19, Crisis Communications, and College Admissions.

Guest host Tim Douglas turns the table on our regular hosts Karyn Adams and Karen Black. The K’s talk about learning to podcast, what they’re looking forward to this season, their thoughts on what higher ed may be obsessing over and what’s sneaking up on us, and more. About Tim: Tim Douglas (Assistant Director, Academic Advising, Emerson College) has more than 15 years of experience in higher education as an admission counselor, academic advisor, consultant, and teacher. He has worked with schools throughout New England including Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and his alma mater, Emerson College. Tim is an original cast member of Boston’s acclaimed Improv Asylum and brings that experience to his workshops and talks, including his most recent presentation on using improvisational techniques to improve connections and outcomes when working with college students.

Eric Stoller from GeckoEngage joins us to chat about... chatbots! In his role as Gecko's VP of Digital Strategy, what does Eric mean by digital transformation? What changes must take place on campuses in order to effectively use conversational technologies? Eric will share what listeners need to know about what's new in this evolving space and how it can improve both efficiency and outcomes. (Order a free copy of The Ultimate Guide to Chatbots for Higher Education.) Eric is the new VP of Digital Strategy at GeckoEngage, a leading provider of higher ed chatbots. You might know Eric from his Inside Higher Ed blogs over the past nine years, or as a higher education digital engagement consultant. Eric’s work is focused on how conversational technologies can provide around-the-clock support to enhance the student experience.

Typical campus imagery—quads, tech centers, trees, residence halls, art studios, faculty being engaging, students being lively, and mascots being goofy—can make one school look like, well, any other. But what makes the photography of some institutions convey compelling stories? When should you plan a professional photo shoot and when should you use internal resources and crowd-sourced snapshots? Drone footage? Video versus still? This month we're joined by Jason Jones (of jonesFoto) and Bruce Cole as we explore what you need to know to successfully work with vendors and art direct photo and video shoots to effectively tell the story of your school. GUESTS Jason Jones, lifestyle photographer and cinematographer specializing in higher education, jonesFoto Bruce Cole, Director of Operations, H·A ThirtyOne

In the second half of our series for institutions ready to practice courage and innovation, and realize big change, we talk with Joretta Nelson and Emma Jones of higher ed consulting firm Credo. This episode will help presidents, vice presidents and provosts, faculty, and staff recognize the need to roust the courage within, let go of what has been, and innovate what can be.

Colleges and universities aren’t typically known for being nimble or change-embracing, but intense and rapid changes in technology, demographics, and culture are demanding that higher ed innovate and evolve faster and with greater vision than ever before. In this two-part series, experts from consulting firm Credo introduce us to their new book “Pivot: A Vision for the New University,” and discuss working with campus leaders to achieve and exceed challenging goals while fostering rapid change. In this episode, Pivot co-author Joanne Soliday shares solid examples of success, and talks about “disrupters-in-chief” and how to turn the concept of consensus on its head.

Career transitions and team turnover are part of professional life, especially at this time of year in higher education. We interviewed three former higher ed pros (Nicholas Love, Susan Oakes, and Matthew Pohl) to find out about their career paths, what they learned and what they miss, and what advice they have for staff and leaders in academia.

Greg Zaiser, Elon University's Vice President for Enrollment and our June guest, talks about how brand stewardship ties into facilities and is a distinguishing characteristic of Elon, especially when it comes to enrolling Gen Z students.

Greg Zaiser, Elon University's Vice President for Enrollment and our June guest, explains how Elon's strategic planning process works.

Elon University’s Vice President for Enrollment Greg Zaiser joins us to talk about successful, campus-wide brand stewardship and how his institution transformed itself into one of the preeminent schools in the country.

May 1 is the big day for college admissions, but what happens next? Most schools work hard to complete their classes well after the First of May. How do staff and leadership deal with the parallel work streams and transitions of finishing up the current class while beginning the intense recruitment of the next class? We will bust the myth of summer “down time” and include post-May 1 strategies to lead teams forward from stress decompression to being ahead of the pack for next year. Our podcast guests: • Ken Anselment, Vice President for Enrollment and Communication and Dean of Admission, Lawrence University (Appleton, WI) • Adam Castro, Vice President of Admissions, Mercy College (New York, NY) • Jimmie Foster, Jr., Vice President of Enrollment Planning, College of Charleston (Charleston, SC) • Sherie Gilmore-Cleveland, Director of Admissions, Mills College (Oakland, CA)

Have a few minutes? Enjoy the first of our Seconds (Extra Helpings from the 31Minutes Vault). Liz Gross explains why Listen Up is not your average EDU conference. 

Meet Ginger Hansen. She likes her job. A lot. Ginger is H·A ThirtyOne’s Director of Enrollment Solutions and she joins us to unveil a 2019 Best Idea ahead of SACAC. Ginger explains the what and the why behind her team’s choice to include University of Tennessee - Knoxville’s break from the traditional “three and a tree” photo spread. 

This month we talk with Liz Gross, founder and CEO of Campus Sonar, about her company’s tailored and human approach to the field of social listening. Liz breaks down what social listening truly is, what it is not, and how it can be used in higher education (or any enterprise.) Learn how real social listening goes far beyond software, AI bots, and engaging with your students and alums on social channels, and how it provides invaluable information that, when analyzed well, can be a game-changer for your institution's strategic goals. (Plus, special guest...Moxie!)

In our pilot episode, H·A ThirtyOne Principal and Creative Director Karyn Adams kicks off 31Minutes in the hot seat, talking with Content Strategist Karen Black about: The significance of the number 31 Her team’s philosophy of sharing How (and why) their annual Best Ideas project began, and where it is heading The inspiration behind this new podcast and how she envisions it helping higher education professionals … and the common thread she sees among all of the best projects and best ideas Karen Black poses the impossible question:  Which ideas are the best of the Best; and Karyn Adams shares a tidbit about next month’s episode on social listening, and a teaser for H·A ThirtyOne’s 2019 SACAC presentation.