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What type of experience does an enrollment marketer need to be successful? What proficiencies drive the most essential insights? Is it more important to understand marketing frameworks or to know the ins and outs of higher education enrollment? The short answer: Yes.

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Spark451 Vice Presidents and good friends Steve Kerge and Mike McGetrick debate the elements required to run a successful enrollment marketing initiative. The two dig into the importance of brand building and also draw lines in the sand when it comes to liberal arts vs skills-based educations.

Which skillset comes first: The enrollment or the marketing? Two experts discuss.

What’s the Secret Sauce to Successful Enrollment Marketing? That’s Debatable.

What’s the Secret Sauce to Successful Enrollment Marketing? That’s Debatable. - Jenzabar

Even small changes can become large obstacles on a college campus. When the change is as big as implementing a new ERP system, guiding various campus departments through the process can be a full-time job. So, what can institutions and their IT teams do to effectively manage a digital transformation?

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Reformed Theological Seminary CTO Mike Copening discusses his institution's shift to Jenzabar One and the steps he and his team are taking to manage change. Among other things, Copening lays out the importance of establishing need, aligning expectations, and encouraging proactive engagement during the implementation process.

How CIOs/CTOs can keep missions aligned during periods of change.

Managing Change During Technology Implementation

Listen to Jenzabar's podcast to discover how CIOs/CTOs can keep missions aligned during periods of change.

Managing Change During Technology Implementation - Jenzabar

When it comes to ensuring their students have the means to succeed, minority-serving institutions (MSIs) have a unique set of challenges. Funding for MSIs is very different than funding for R1 research institutions, and many of the communities MSIs serve are lacking in foundational resources like strong internet connectivity. To ensure that students thrive, one of the tools employed by institutions like Salish Kootenai College (SKC), a tribal college in Montana, is technology.

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Jenzabar’s Jeff Elliott sits down with Al Anderson, CIO at SKC. The two discussed how SKC's mission to give students opportunities through education led it to partner with peer institutions and with Jenzabar. Elliott and Anderson explore how these partnerships led to improved technology capabilities, which in turn has led to more opportunities for students at SKC and other tribal colleges and universities.

Why putting students first can help institutions overcome obstacles.

How to Use Your Mission to Solve Technology Challenges

Discover why putting students first can help institutions overcome obstacles.

How to Use Your Mission to Solve Technology Challenges - Jenzabar

The best education technology companies are those that are operating as true partners alongside the schools they serve. Similarly, the institutions seeing the most benefits from their campus technology are those that are committed to facilitating and growing their relationships with their tech partners.

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Jenzabar’s Jeff Elliott sits down with longtime Jenzabar partner Lisa Gabriel, Associate Provost at Parker University. Elliott and Gabriel discuss the efficacy of Parker University’s 25-year-long relationship with Jenzabar and how investing energy in that relationship—as well as taking advantage of all offered training opportunities—has enabled Parker University to grow and thrive.

Discover how one institution’s investment in its technology partnership has paid off. 

Not Just Business: Why Building a Partnership Maximizes Your Tech Value

Discover how one institution’s investment in their technology partnership has paid off.

Not Just Business: Why Building a Partnership Maximizes Your Tech Value - Jenzabar

Post pandemic, many institutions are reevaluating their relationships with local employers and are working to build programs that help unemployed and underemployed community members pursue lucrative careers. As institutions work to build valuable professional development programs, how can they effectively market those offerings to their right-fit students? 

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Dr. Jean Leandre, former Dean of Career and Professional Development at Rockland Community College and current Vice President for Workforce, Strategy, and Innovation at SUNY Orange sits down with Spark451’s Chris Fortney. The two explore the process Dr. Leandre undertook to build a robust professional development program at Rockland Community College. They also discuss how partnering with Spark451 enabled Rockland to crystalize its messaging, conduct outreach to its right-fit students, and transform interested learners into matriculating students.

Creating the right programs is only half the battle. How do you get your right-fit students to enroll?

How to Build and Market Relevant Professional Development Programs

How to Build and Market Relevant Professional Development Programs - Jenzabar

With the demographic cliff looming, institutions across the country are turning their attention to student retention. This is especially true for rural and community colleges, as these serve many part-time students and don’t often benefit from population influxes. What actions can rural and community college colleges take to bolster student enrollment, improve student retention, and improve graduate rates?

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Director of Learning Commons Bobbi Muehlenkamp and Director of Recruitment and Admissions Mindy Hope from Mid-Plains Community College discuss the unique challenges institutions like theirs are facing, as well as how focusing on personal relationship building has helped their offices connect with students and support their success. The two also discuss the role Jenzabar Communications plays in their ability to engage with students and how communications technology can strengthen relationships between staff and struggling students.

What causes persistence challenges, and how can institutions improve student success outcomes?

How to Build Relationships That Improve Retention and Student Success

What causes persistence challenges and how can institutions improve student success outcomes?

How to Build Relationships That Improve Retention and Student Success - Jenzabar

Change management is at the forefront of many discussions in higher education. How can decision-makers manage change? How can they get others to the table to support transformation? One question you don’t hear as often: Is change actually required?

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Stead Halstead, Assistant Vice President for Finance & Administration at Bushnell University, discusses the way he and his teams approach change management. During his tenure at Bushnell, Halstead has gone from Director of IT, to Director of Facilities, to his current position in finance and administration, and that journey has given him unique insight into how institutions can determine which changes are necessary and which are not. Halstead also discusses the student experience as the main driver of change, and the importance of turning to technology to facilitate transformation.

With change management, keeping student experience and institutional success top of mind is essential.

To Change or Not to Change? A Look at How Decision-Makers Decide

To Change or Not to Change? A Look at How Decision-Makers Decide - Jenzabar

Whether you’re new to an institution or new to its software, onboarding and training is a vital part of making sure campus technology is working for you. But rules and regulations change, software updates, and new procedures are implemented at an increasingly rapid rate. How can you ensure you and your staff are staying ahead of the curve? You partner with a constantly innovating technology vendor and a team that is always available to help.

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Jenzabar’s Jeff Elliott and Chris Myers sit down with Madison Jeffers, Student Services Coordinator at St. John’s College of Nursing. New to the role, Jeffers discusses her experience as a first-time user of Jenzabar SONIS and how working with Jenzabar’s support staff enabled her to learn the ins and outs of the system quickly as well as create processes that worked better for her team. Jeffers also discusses how connecting with fellow Jenzabar SONIS users has given her fresh ideas for how to maximize the value of Jenzabar SONIS on campus.

When it comes to onboarding new talent, here’s how institutions can ensure their optimal use of technology.

How to Nurture New Talent and Drive Innovation: Hands-On Training and Support

How to Nurture New Talent and Drive Innovation: Hands-On Training and Support - Jenzabar

While many institutions across the country are struggling to meet enrollment goals, many others are enrolling students in record numbers. What are these institutions doing that their peers are not?

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Vice President of Enrollment Marketing at Berry College Andrew Bressette sits down with Jenzabar’s Vice President of Enrollment Marketing Steve Kerge to discuss what makes Berry College unique and how—by leveraging these traits—the institution continues to exceed enrollment goals. Bressette and Kerge also discuss methods that colleges and universities can use to identify “what makes their school cool” and common pitfalls that schools encounter when trying to market their brand to new students.

Successful institutions know who they are and what they have to offer students.

Want to Draw More Students to Campus? Build Your Brand

Vice President of Enrollment Marketing at Berry College, Andrew Bressette, discusses what makes Berry College unique

Want to Draw More Students to Campus? Build Your Brand - Jenzabar

It can be difficult for higher education institutions to keep up with the rapid pace of technology. But students these days are used to amazon-like experiences: curated, personalized, and on demand. Old student service models, which tend to be reactive in nature, are no longer equipped to support student success. So what can institutions do to ensure they have the right processes and technology in place help students thrive?

In this episode of the EdUp Experience Podcast, Dr. Marie John Roberts, Vice President for Enrollment Management at East Central Community College, discusses the steps East Central is taking to predict student needs before they occur so it can better meet student expectations and guide learners through a smoother educational journey. Dr. Roberts also discusses how technology can create more personalized learning experiences and how institutions can embrace technology to help meet students where they are and get them to where they're going.

How can institutions use technology to personalize and improve the student experience?

Why You Should Shift From Reactive Student Service to Proactive Enrollment Management

How Can Institutions Use Technology to Personalize and Improve the Student Experience?

Why You Should Shift From Reactive Student Service to Proactive Enrollment Management - Jenzabar

Institutions that work alongside software companies to develop solutions—design partners—are part of an essential and symbiotic relationship. Since design partners help test software as well as provide feedback and direction, their participation is crucial to the success of a solution. In many ways, providing feedback as a design partner helps ensure the solution is tailored to the needs of the design partner’s students.

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Mike Steele, Vice President of Administrative Services at Mid-Plains Community College, sits down with Chris Morgan, Intrapreneur of Lifelong Learning at Jenzabar, to discuss the college’s role as a design partner for Campus Marketplace. Steele and Morgan also discuss what it takes to become a design partner, why institutions should want to be part of the beta-testing process, and how to ensure the partnership works for both parties involved.

Partnership between institutions and technology providers is essential to the success of both.

Design Partnerships: How Institutions Can Influence and Strengthen the Solutions They Use

Design Partnership: How Institutions Can Influence and Strengthen the Solutions They Use - Jenzabar

In today’s higher education climate, informed decision-making is critical to achieving sustainability. This is especially true for smaller institutions that serve niche communities. To meet the needs of their students and to ensure those learners return to campus, institutions need to leverage all the tools at their disposal. 

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Al Santos, Director of Information Technology at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, sits down Jenzabar’s Chris Myers to discuss how Jenzabar SONIS empowers specialized and growing institutions to make data-informed decisions across every facet of their organization. Santos and Myers also discuss the importance of using that data to stay connected to alumni, to improve student experiences, and to ensure the institution is fulfilling its mission.

When your SIS leverages student data, you'll be better equipped to fulfill your institution's mission.

How Your Student Information System Can Power Strategic and Institutional Decision-Making

When your SIS leverages student data, you'll be better equipped to fulfills your institution's mission.

How Your Student Information System Can Power Strategic and Institutional Decision-Making - Jenzabar

CIOs in higher education have their work cut out for them; many institutions’ aging tech stacks are having trouble keeping up with student expectations. When it comes to implementing the technology critical to addressing this concern, how can CIOs make a case for and manage change?

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, American International University CIO Mimi Royston and Director of Systems and Projects Kelly Taylor sit down with Jenzabar’s Jim Brossenne to discuss the role CIOs can play in the student journey and how understanding that journey can help CIOs advocate for change. Through the lens of the student experience, they also discuss the benefits of cloud solutions and of aligning with the right technology partner.

Understanding the student journey is essential to digital transformation.

How CIOs Can Leverage Student Experience as a Catalyst for Change

How CIOs Can Leverage Student Experience as a Catalyst for Change - Jenzabar

Traditionally in higher education, relationships with technology vendors are intentionally brief, wrapping up quickly after implementation. Today, many smaller, specialized institutions—especially those with lean administrative departments—are taking a different approach to technology partnerships by building lasting relationships that positively impact day-to-day and strategic operations.

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Dr. Brian Schmisek, Provost and Vice President of Development and Marketing at University of Saint Mary of the Lake, sits down with Jenzabar’s Chris Myers to discuss the symbiotic and valuable relationship his campus has with Jenzabar. Schmisek also details the challenges that can arise at specialized institutions and how technology and training can empower staff to overcome those issues.

Listen to this podcast to discover how building a strong technology partnership can promote institutional sustainability in the long run.

What can small and specialized schools accomplish when they fully leverage technology partnerships?

Technology Partnerships: Why Building Strong Relationships Drives Institutional Success

Technology Partnerships: Why Building Strong Relationships Drives Institutional Success - Jenzabar

As educational environments turn hybrid, securing student engagement has become more challenging and more important than ever. Many higher education institutions are looking to technology providers for solutions that will enable them to stay connected with their online and hybrid cohorts. But possessing the right technology is only part of the equation. To strengthen engagement, institutions need to be both creative and proactive in their use of technology.

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Melinda Bunnell-Rhyne, Vice President for Student Engagement and University Development at Capital Technology University, and Jeff Elliott, Director of Product Management at Jenzabar, sit down to discuss the impact that strong student engagement can have across campus—from increasing retention rates to boosting alumni support. They discuss the importance of getting to know your students and how institutions can use technology to enable deeper communication and help build stronger community ties, even when courses are held entirely online.

Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about the impact strong student engagement can have on an institution and how technology can help facilitate student engagement strategies.

What must institutions do to ensure students stay engaged throughout their lifecycle?

From Retention to Advancement: The Overwhelming Impact of Student Engagement

From Retention to Advancement: The Overwhelming Impact of Student Engagement - Jenzabar

IT departments are critical to the success of a campus’s day-to-day operations and to its students’ experience. Yet while the threat of cyberattacks grows alongside student demands, IT departments across the country seem to be shrinking. Can moving to the cloud help campuses cope? 

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Merrimack College’s CIO, Karen Slaton, sits down with Jenzabar’s Jim Brossenne to discuss how moving to the cloud is helping Merrimack support a growing student body. Slaton also reveals her secret to managing campus-wide change, what it’s like to be a woman in tech, and how working with a managed services partner is helping Merrimack accomplish its mission and better serve its students.  

Listen to this podcast to discover how moving to the cloud and partnering with an experienced managed services provider can support institutional growth. 

Here’s how the cloud is helping one CIO and her staff better support institutional growth.

Cloud Computing and Campus Growth: The Role of the CIO in Managing Change

Technology plays a critical role in campus operations, but IT staff can’t be everywhere at once. Here’s how the cloud is helping one CIO and her staff better support their institution’s growth.

Cloud Computing and Campus Growth: The Role of the CIO in Managing Change - Jenzabar

The questions about the return on investment of a liberal arts degree are hitting smaller college and university enrollments hard—especially if those institutions are in higher ed-inundated, hyper-competitive cities. So how is it that Dominican University, a private Roman Catholic university 10 miles outside of Chicago, has managed to defy the odds?

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Todd Kleine, CIO at Dominican University, breaks down the secrets to his institution’s success, including how Dominican was able to increase enrollments, secure essential funding, and help students translate degrees into careers. Kleine also discusses myriad ways CIOs can impact campus culture, student retention, and campus efficiency, among other things. 

Listen to this podcast to discover the small changes campuses can make to change perceptions surrounding liberal arts degrees and ensure greater institutional and student success. 

As small liberal arts institutions across the country struggle to enroll students, address staffing gaps, and digitally transform their campuses, is there a way to beat the odds?

Secrets of Success: How CIOs Can Help Drive Enrollments, Staffing, and Digital Transformation

Secrets of Success: How CIOs Can Help Drive Enrollments, Staffing, and Digital Transformation - Jenzabar

A successful partnership is one in which both parties challenge one another and feel heard. In higher education, the chief technology officer’s (CTO) role is a primary player in building partnerships across campus, not only with senior leaders, but also with technology vendors. As more and more operations, roles, and objectives are fundamentally tied to technology, building these relationships is more important than ever.

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Neal Dyer, CTO at Southeastern University, and Chris Morgan, Intrapreneur of Lifelong Learning at Jenzabar, discuss why healthy and sustainable partnerships are fundamental to software development and technology implementation in higher education. They also discuss how CTOs can address change management across campus by showcasing wins, demonstrating a technology’s value, and putting a large focus on user experience.

Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about what CTOs can do to support their institution’s transformation through the successful adoption, implementation, and ongoing use of technology.

The best digital transformation strategy relies on engaging proven, lasting partnerships to continually chase innovation.

Higher Ed CTOs: How to Balance Technology, Strategy, and Partnership

Budget management, tuition revenue, operational costs and expenses—all of these are vital areas of focus for higher education CFOs and their teams to track, manage, and support. But in addition to overseeing these financial-focused domains, the CFO is also playing a big role on campus in enabling change management—and the impact of this work can be difficult to evaluate in dollars. With so many priorities and with limited resources, how should CFOs balance their objectives?

In this episode of the EdUp Experience podcast, Tyson Cooper, CFO of Southern Virginia University, and Les Zimmerman, Vice President of Product Development at Jenzabar, discuss the importance of change management and agility on campus. Cooper also explores what CFOs can do today to set their institutions up for a better tomorrow.

Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about the CFO’s evolving role of in higher ed and how they can help align institutional objectives with risk, opportunity, and strategy. 

Successful transformation requires investing in new strategies and technologies. But with budgets tightening, what areas should be prioritized?

The CFO’s Role in Higher Ed: Managing Risk, Opportunity, and Strategy

The CFO’s Role in Higher Ed: Managing Risk, Opportunity, and Strategy - Jenzabar

Not everyone shares the same expectations for their higher education experiences, especially as the job market shifts and employers place a heavier emphasis on skills. So, without a one-size-fits-all answer to “what defines student success,” is there any way to map out higher education’s true return on investment? 

This episode of the EdUp Experience podcast hosts Dr. Jen Janecek-Hartman, Vice President of Campus Services at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC), and Jeff Elliott, Director of Product Management at Jenzabar. Together, they discuss how institutions can align regional and local needs with nationwide perspectives to showcase the value of higher education.  

Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about how to align institutional objectives with learner ROI expectations. 

If ROI is mapped to student success, but student success has no uniform definition, how can institutions quantify the value of higher ed?

Higher Education’s True ROI: Value Goes Beyond Dollars and Cents

Higher Education’s True ROI: Value Goes Beyond Dollars and Cents - Jenzabar


A key theme at the 2021 EDUCAUSE conference was how pre-pandemic IT concerns have grown into overwhelming obstacles. Institutions today face far greater challenges than in previous years, challenges that threaten their students’ success and their institutional viability. 

In the inaugural episode of the Jenzabar Podcast, industry expert and founding director of The Campus Computing project Casey Green is joined by Jenzabar senior executives Jeff Elliott, Carina Ganias, and Meghan Turjanica to discuss what colleges and universities can do today to survive tomorrow. 

Listen to this episode of the Jenzabar Podcast to hear how institutions can address their questions regarding digital transformation.

How can new technologies empower students?

How should institutions balance the return to normal with the need for digital transformation?

How can schools leverage data to better understand the pandemic’s short-term and long-term impact?

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How can institutions apply lessons learned from the pandemic to their digital transformation initiatives?

Jenzabar Podcast, Ep. 1: EDUCAUSE 2021 Kickoff With Casey Green and Jenzabar

Led by industry expert Casey Green, our inaugural podcast features Jenzabar experts and dives into key themes featured at the EDUCAUSE 2021 conference.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for colleges and universities to make long-overdue changes to their digital infrastructure. EDUCAUSE’s Top IT Issues for 2022 examined the challenges and considerations that arise as institutions begin to ramp up their digital transformations. 

In the second episode of the Jenzabar Podcast, Casey Green, the founding director of The Campus Computing Project, and Les Zimmerman, Jenzabar’s Vice President of Product Development, examine several of EDUCAUSE’s key projected issues, including best practices for driving student engagement and migrating to the cloud.

Listen to this episode of the Jenzabar Podcast for insight into the following questions and more.

How can institutions leverage the power of the cloud to mitigate cybersecurity concerns and make sense of institutional data?

How can new technology enable institutions to create better communications strategies?

How will focusing digital transformation efforts on student engagement help institutions attract and retain more students?

Challenges with cybersecurity, COVID-19, and the shift to the cloud were highlighted in EDUCAUSE’s Top 10 IT Issues for 2022. What can institutions do to prepare?

Jenzabar Podcast, Ep. 2: EDUCAUSE 2021 Top 10 IT Issues

Hear Casey Green talk with Jenzabar’s Vice President of Product Development, Les Zimmerman, about the opportunities and challenges presented by the emerging IT issues facing higher education.

“Evolve or become extinct” was second on EDUCAUSE’s Top IT Issues of 2022, and yet the necessity of digital evolution seemed to be an undercurrent to many of the other predicted challenges institutions will face in the years to come. While there’s no certainty another pandemic will occur, the potential is high that there will be similar challenges for which institutions must prepare.

Listen to the third episode of the Jenzabar Podcast, which brings together Casey Green, the founding director of The Campus Computing Project, and Les Zimmerman, Vice President of Product Development at Jenzabar, to review the issues with legacy technology and the benefits of a digital transformation.

Tune into this episode of the Jenzabar Podcast for an in-depth discussion of the following questions and more!

What is the difference between a digital upgrade and a digital transformation?

How will breaking down silos and uniting departments drive institutional change? 

How will the cloud help institutions scale, grow, and recover when facing future challenges?

What is the difference between a digital upgrade and a digital transformation? What will the digital evolution look like?

Jenzabar Podcast, Ep. 3: The Urgency of Digital Transformation

This episode highlights the difference between digital upgrades and digital transformations, as well as how COVID-19 became a catalyst for institutional change.