Higher Voltage
Education & Explainer
About
Higher Voltage explores what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to change in higher education. Higher Voltage isn’t just for anyone who works in higher education—it’s for anyone who is interested in or cares about higher education.
Episodes
- Tasty Branding: Inside Fordham’s Pop-Up Pizza Shop
In this episode of Higher Voltage, Justin Bell, Vice President for Marketing and Communications at Fordham University, joins Kevin to break down the strategy behind the Fordham Pizza Shop activation at NACAC. What looked like a creative st…
- The Search Party is Over: Seth Odell on AEO and Life After SEO
In this episode of Higher Voltage, Seth Odell joins Volt to discuss how AI is transforming search and what it means for higher education marketers. As zero-click search results, AI-generated answers, and new discovery platforms change how…
- Breaking Down Silos: What It Really Takes to Build a Connected College
On this episode of Higher Voltage, Kevin Tyler sits down with higher ed strategist and author Elliot Felix to explore the concept of the connected college. From silo-busting strategy to integrating career development into the academic expe…
- What’s Fueling the Next Wave of HBCU Enrollment Growth
HBCU enrollment is gaining momentum—and strategy is driving the surge. In this episode of Higher Voltage, Kevin Tyler speaks with Tanya Clark of 3 Enrollment about record-breaking male enrollment, intentional digital marketing, and how dat…
- An Inside Look at the ‘Research Saves Lives’ Campaign
In this episode, Kevin Tyler interviews Marina Cooper, the Senior Associate Vice President for Integrated Marketing and Brand at Johns Hopkins University. They discuss the ‘Research Saves Lives’ campaign, which aims to communicate the valu…
- Actually, Americans Do Trust Higher Education
Kevin Tyler talks with researcher David Lazer about new national polling that reveals a more nuanced picture of how Americans view colleges and universities. They unpack long-term trust trends, the role of partisanship, and what higher ed…
- FU: Colorado Mesa’s Bold Stand Against Elitism in Higher Ed
Colorado Mesa University’s Featherstone campaign flipped the script on higher ed marketing with humor and honesty. Kevin Tyler talks with Katlin Birdsall, AVP for Marketing and Brand Strategy, about challenging elitism, connecting with fir…
- The State of Student Support Services
What does it mean for colleges to be “student ready”? In this episode of Higher Voltage, Kevin Tyler talks with RAND researcher Lindsay Daugherty about meeting students’ basic needs — food, housing, mental health — and how institutions can…
- Why Are Fewer Men Going to College?
In this episode of Higher Voltage, Kevin Tyler talks with journalist Erica Levi Zelinger about the sharp decline in male enrollment across higher education. They explore how outdated messaging, retention challenges, and cultural disconnect…
- Heart Over Hype: The Empathy Overhaul Higher Ed Marketing Needs
Higher ed veteran and author Jaime Hunt breaks down how real, layered and strategic empathy can transform not just marketing messages, but student outcomes. From jargon traps to missed opportunities for connection, this conversation with h…
- The Student Registry: Crowdfunding the College Journey
Student debt is crushing. Financial aid is outdated. And higher ed still expects students to figure it out solo. Kevin Tyler talks with Lisa Hennessy and Alex Boylan—co-founders of The College Tour and the new platform The Student Registry…
- Proud Sponsor: Reclaiming the Narrative for Higher Education
Kevin Tyler speaks with Tam Powell and Gary Mueller of BVK and Serve Marketing about the Proud Sponsor Campaign, a bold national initiative to reframe the public conversation around higher education. They explore why the value of college e…
- Beyond the Sage on the Stage: The Future of Quality Learning
Higher ed must evolve from delivering education to fostering quality learning—a continuous, experiential process that benefits both students and faculty. In this episode of Higher Voltage, Scott Marshall, CEO of Semester at Sea, joins Kevi…
- Trust, Credibility and the Power of Checklists
New leaders in higher education face big challenges, but Melissa Farmer Richards has a roadmap. She joins host Kevin Tyler to discuss her book The 30-60-90-Day Handbook: Checklist for Communications and Marketing Leaders in Higher Educatio…
- Shifting from Reactive to Proactive ADA Compliance
How will recent ADA updates impact digital accessibility in higher education? Kevin Tyler and Jamie Axelrod discuss the shift from reactive to proactive compliance, the legal stakes of non-conformance, and why universal design is the key t…
- How Performance TV is Transforming Higher Ed
Can Performance TV revolutionize higher ed marketing? In this episode of Higher Voltage, Kevin Tyler talks with Jennifer Lonchar of AmbioEDU about how data-driven digital advertising is changing the game for student recruitment and retenti…
- Beyond the Search Cliff
The search cliff is changing the game for higher ed recruitment, making it harder to reach prospective students through traditional methods. Kevin Tyler, Jenny Petty, and Emily Smith explain what this means for colleges and universities—an…
- Community College — America’s Best-Kept Promise
What makes community colleges America’s best-kept secret? Kevin Tyler and Devin Purgason explore the future of higher education, from AI’s role in student engagement to the growing impact of micro-credentials. Institutions such as Forsyth…
- Finding Opportunity Amid Politicization
Kevin Tyler and guest Carri Twigg examine higher ed’s future in light of potential political disruptions, a dismantled Department of Education and shifts in institutional identity and collaboration.
- Shifting Landscapes – The Future of Study Abroad
Inclusive marketing and shifting demographics are reshaping the future of international education, as Kelly Holland of the American Institute for Foreign Study explains.
- Got Education? - Reframing the Value of Higher Ed
Kevin Tyler is joined by Lauren Griswold of Boise State University and Chris Nelson of the University of Utah to discuss the collaborative efforts of institutions to reshape the public perception of higher education’s value. Hear strategie…
- Start Small, Start With One Place.
Ready to level up your content game? Host Kevin Tyler welcomes guest Brian Piper to discuss how universities can build trust, connect with audiences and thrive in a digital-first world.
- Want High Student Satisfaction? Well, Who’s Going to Deliver It?
Host Kevin Tyler welcomes Eddie Francis, principal and brand consultant with Edify Ventures, to discuss the importance of employer branding in higher education. Colleges and universities must focus on talent attraction, talent experience a…
- In a Word-of-Mouth Business, No One Shares Average
Host Kevin Tyler interviews branding expert Allen Adamson to discuss the importance of focusing on a clear and distinct mission, rather than diluting the institutional identity with multiple conflicting messages.
- No One Asks What Students Actually Want
Kevin Tyler welcomes Catherine Friday, Ernst & Young Oceania’s managing partner for government and health sciences, as they delve into EY’s global findings of student dissatisfaction and how universities must deliver on the value propositi…
- It’s Time to Treat Social Media as an Adult
Higher Voltage’s Kevin Tyler welcomes Jenny Li Fowler, MIT's director of social media strategy and recently published author, to discuss her book, “Organic Social Media: How to Build Flourishing Online Communities.” Fowler emphasizes the i…
- Change and the Future of Higher Ed Marketing
In the first episode of 2024, host Kevin Tyler sits down with Bennie F. Johnson, the CEO of the American Marketing Association (AMA). As a self-proclaimed "marketing kid," Bennie understands the vulnerability of the marketing industry, esp…
- Be Visible, Be Engaged, but Be Circumspect
Dr. William 'Brit' Kirwan, chancellor emeritus of the University System of Maryland, joins host Kevin Tyler to discuss university presidents' precarious position when they make or abstain from statements on emotionally charged issues.
- What’s Your Institution’s McDonald’s Order?
Dr. Marcus Collins, author, professor and devoted cheeseburger lover, joins host Kevin Tyler to discuss the importance of understanding the cultural characteristics of a community and finding congruence between the values of the institutio…
- The End of Affirmative Action: What Now?
Natasha Warikoo, Lenore Stern Professor in the Social Sciences Department of Sociology at Tufts University, rejoins host Kevin Tyler to discuss the recent SCOTUS decision and how institutions may move forward in the post-affirmative action…
- Degree Choices Hopes to Reduce U.S. News’ Dominance
David Levy, head of data for Degree Choices, joins Kevin Tyler to discuss how higher ed rankings are doing a disservice to Black applicants, the importance of comprehensive data collection to highlight topics such as underfunding, and why…
- How to Recruit More First-Gen and Underrepresented Students
Jonathan B. Williams, AVP for undergraduate admissions, access and pipeline programs at NYU joins host Kevin Tyler to talk about ways institutions can partner more with communities in their quest to recruit more diverse and first-gen stude…
- The End of Affirmative Action?
The Supreme Court is weeks away from handing down a decision that will impact the future of affirmative action in higher education, with many court observers speculating the conservative-leaning court will rule that colleges can no longer…
- Study Hall is Tackling Student Debt and the Entire Higher Ed Model
An estimated 40 percent of Americans with student debt have not completed a four-year college degree. Hank Green, vlogger, entrepreneur, cofounded Study Hall to change that. The online learning platform will offer individual college course…
- Breaking the College Ranking Industry
As the furor around the college ranking system grows, Colin Diver, joins Higher Voltage. The author of "Breaking Ranks: How the Rankings Industry Rules Higher Education and What to Do about It" discusses what's wrong with the system and ho…
- Trouble in Florida — Higher Voltage + Trusted Voices
The increasing politicization of both K-12 and higher education across the country shows no signs of slowing. And so, today, we have a very special crossover episode of Volt podcasts Higher Voltage and Trusted Voices, with hosts Kevin Tyle…
- The Problem with Prestige—Matt Reed
Matt Reed of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges explains why community colleges and other non-selective institutions are the key to expanding college access and increasing social mobility.
- The Power of Prestige—Ryan Craig
Venture capitalist Ryan Craig discusses why he thinks that, in order to save higher ed, selective institutions must increase access by opening satellite campuses.
- The Myth of Political Neutrality in Higher Education
College and university presidents often have an aversion to conflict and unwanted attention, especially when it comes to politics. But as higher ed, itself, is increasingly politicized, political neutrality in higher ed is a myth. So say t…
- CCOs vs. CMOs - Teresa Valerio Parrot and Erin Hennessy
Should colleges and universities hire a CMO or a CCO? Or both? And how are those two roles distinct from one another? On the latest Voltage, Teresa Valerio Parrot and Erin Hennessy of TVP Communications join host Kevin Tyler to discuss.
- ’It Isn’t a Storytelling Problem’ — Teresa Valerio Parrot and Erin Hennessy
Teresa Valerio Parrot and Erin Hennessy of TVP Communications join host Kevin Tyler to analyze the latest headlines, including the growth of micro colleges, the decline in Black enrollment, why more high school students are rejecting highe…
- The Future of Work in Higher Ed — Kevin McClure
Discussing burnout, demoralization, and how to fix work in higher ed with Kevin McClure, associate professor of higher education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
- The ’Woke Campus’ and the Politicization of Teaching - Dyanis Conrad
After she was targeted by state politicians for teaching about the legacy of racism, Dyanis Conrad ultimately left her position at the University of South Dakota. On the latest Higher Voltage she discusses the politicization of teaching in…
- ’A Dirty Open Secret’: The Legacy of Racial Inequality in Higher Education - Adam Harris
Adam Harris, a staff writer for The Atlantic, joins the show to discuss the long history of imbalanced support for institutions that enroll high numbers of Black students, the unique legacy of HBCUs, and the role that school rankings play…
- Real Ways to Increase College Access Right Now - Denise Runge, University of Alaska-Anchorage
Denise Runge of the University of Alaska-Anchorage joins the show to discuss real ways colleges and universities can help students overcome barriers to access.
- The Cookie-Cutter Quagmire - Aaron Basko, University of Lynchburg
The University of Lynchburg’s Aaron Basko discusses his article in The Chronicle about the perils of the generic college.
- How To Market Religiously Affiliated Institutions - Jayson Boyers of Rosemont College
Jayson Boyers, the president of Rosemont College, joins host Kevin Tyler to talk about the challenges and nuances of leading and marketing a religiously affiliated institution of higher education.
- Making Higher Ed Marketing More Inclusive - Jaime Hunt and Ayana Hernandez
Jaime Hunt, vice president and chief communications and marketing officer at Miami University, and Ayana Hernandez, associate vice chancellor for university relations at North Carolina Central, join host Kevin Tyler to discuss DEI marketin…
- All About NIL - Teresa Valerio Parrot and Jon McBride
Jon McBride of BYU and Teresa Valerio Parrot join host Kevin Tyler to discuss the radical new landscape of name, image & likeness marketing opportunities that is transforming college athletics, and what it means for higher ed institutions…
- The Great Resignation Hits Higher Ed - Seth Odell and Corynn Myers
The Great Resignation sweeping the nation has people leaving unsatisfying jobs at unprecedented rates. Higher education is, by many anecdotal accounts, being hit hard by this trend. And that hit is coming at precisely the wrong time, as lo…