Reaching #4 on the Apple Podcast Education charts, The Signal (formerly the EdTech Connect Podcast) is the definitive podcast for higher education’s transformation leaders.
Hosted by Jeff Dillon, The Signal cuts through the noise of the "status quo" to bring you the strategic intelligence needed to reshape how institutions recruit, support, and retain students. Every Friday, we sit down with the practitioners and technology builders who are actively defining the next decade of campus life.
Why Higher Ed Leaders Listen:
In one of the most consequential periods for academia, we move past the hype to focus on Human-Centered Innovation. Our episodes feature deep-dive interviews with guest experts from SNHU, EAB, WGU, and Panopto, focusing on the "real work" of institutional evolution.
Core Topics & AI Strategy:
* Artificial Intelligence: Practical AI adoption, governance, and the "Human in the Loop" mindset.
* Enrollment Marketing: Modern recruitment strategies and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
* Student Success: Data-driven retention, mental health, and digital engagement.
* Institutional Transformation: Navigating digital transformation with a focus on workforce readiness and AVPs reimagining student care.
Whether you are a C-suite leader, IT Director, or Faculty member, join our community of 70,000+ professionals to stay ahead of the curve.
New episodes every Friday. Learn more at edtechconnect.com
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Emily Chase Coleman: How Data Can Fix Higher-Ed’s Pricing Problem
Episode 50
Friday, August 29, 2025 • Duration 25:15
In this episode of EdTech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Emily Chase Coleman, CEO and co-founder of HAI Analytics, to explore how data is reshaping higher education strategy.
With over two decades of experience blending social psychology and statistics, Emily shares her journey from academia to entrepreneurship and how HAI’s AI-powered platform helps colleges predict enrollment, optimize financial aid, and improve retention—without overwhelming internal resources.
From challenging outdated tuition models to advocating for test-optional admissions, Emily offers a candid look at the equity gaps in data, the pitfalls of "gut instinct" leadership, and why real-time metrics are non-negotiable in today’s volatile landscape.
Tune in for a conversation that’s equal parts analytical and actionable, and discover how to turn campus data into a competitive advantage.
Key Takeaways:
Data Over Gut Instinct:
Leadership often relies on intuition, but data reveals hidden patterns (e.g., dorm placement impacting retention, course selection signaling struggle).
Combining quantitative analysis with qualitative insights prevents bias and creates a fuller picture of student behavior.
The High-Discount Model is Unsustainable:
Rising discount rates are squeezing out middle-income families and straining institutional budgets.
Schools must articulate their value proposition clearly to justify costs and reduce reliance on discounts to aid enrollment.
Test-Optional Isn’t a Silver Bullet for Equity:
While test-optional policies reduce bias, holistic reviews can still favor affluent students (e.g., via extracurriculars).
True equity requires deeper scrutiny of all admissions factors and their socioeconomic implications.
Predictive Modeling Demands Transparency:
HAI prioritizes open algorithms and explainable results to build trust with presidents and boards.
AI and machine learning can process vast datasets but require human oversight to avoid flawed conclusions.
Real-Time Data is Non-Negotiable:
Pandemics and shifting demographics make historical data unreliable.
Presidents should track enrollment, financial aid, and retention metrics in real time to adapt quickly.
Founding Challenges for Women in EdTech:
Female founders face disproportionate funding barriers.
Supporting women-led startups is critical for diversifying innovation in higher ed.
From Consultancy to Self-Sufficiency:
HAI helps schools build internal data capabilities but remains a partner for ongoing strategy and context.
The goal is empowerment, not dependency.
Ready to rethink your data strategy? Learn more at https://haianalytics.com/ and follow Emily’s work at the intersection of human intuition and artificial intelligence.
(00:00:00) - AI models have allowed us to take huge data sets
(00:00:42) - Emily Chase Coleman
(00:02:00) - What Inspired You to Start HAI Analytics?
(00:03:03) - Advisers to Colleges and Universities Turn Campus Data Into Stories
(00:06:00) - Enrollment Dashboards: Should Colleges Buy Them?
(00:07:53) - Have we Found the Secret to Predicting Student Retention?
(00:11:34) - Private schools' high-price tuition model
(00:13:16) - Predicting Future Student Behavior with the Pandemic
(00:15:06) - Race and Equity in College Admissions
(00:16:34) - Can HAIS Forecasts Affect Financial Aid Awards?
(00:18:49) - How do you keep institutions from becoming dependent on your analysts?
(00:20:17) - WSJDLive: The Use of AI in Business
(00:22:05) - What Measures Should Colleges Track to Prepare Students?
(00:24:27) - EdTech Connect
Jarrett Smith: The Biggest Disconnect on Campus? What Students Want vs. What Colleges Think They Want
Episode 49
Friday, August 22, 2025 • Duration 31:59
In this episode of EdTech Connect, host Jeff Dillon talks to Jarrett Smith, Senior VP of Strategy at Echo Delta and co-author of the groundbreaking Designing for Decisions report. Fresh from his eduWeb conference presentation, Jarrett dives into the eye-opening findings from their survey of over 1,000 prospective students, revealing what students actually want from college websites—and where institutions are missing the mark.
From the overwhelming demand for cost transparency to the surprising similarities across student segments, Jarrett challenges common assumptions and shares actionable fixes for enrollment and marketing teams.
Tune in to learn why payment plans are a hidden gem, how to avoid "institutionally centric" pitfalls, and why less personalization might be more effective than you think.
Key Takeaways:
Cost Transparency is King:
Total cost of attendance emerged as the #1 priority across all student segments (traditional, non-traditional, graduate, and international).
Only 17% of students said they can always find what they need on college websites, with 55% admitting they’ve abandoned a site due to frustration.
Fix: Make cost information unmissable—avoid burying it under financial aid links or forcing students to manually calculate totals.
Students Want Clarity, Not Jargon:
Institutional language (e.g., "bursar," "baccalaureate") and org-structure navigation create barriers.
Fix: Audit content for student-friendly terms and prioritize intuitive wayfinding (e.g., Missouri S&T’s program-specific cost breakdowns).
Overestimated vs. Underestimated Priorities:
Overestimated: Program rankings, application deadlines, and "prestige" content.
Underestimated: Payment plans (a "hidden gem"), acceptance rates (critical for traditional undergrads), and student satisfaction metrics.
Chapters
From Hotels to Horned Frogs: Lessons in Scalable Web Management
Episode 40
Friday, June 20, 2025 • Duration 31:08
In this episode of Edtech Connect, host Jeff Dillon chats with Corey Reed, Director of Web Management at TCU, about bridging the gap between marketing and IT in higher ed’s digital landscape.
From his early days designing Flash websites (RIP) to leading TCU’s search optimization and accessibility efforts, Corey shares how his hospitality tech background translates to campus—and why AI-powered analytics are revolutionizing content strategy.
Discover how TCU tackles "content sprawl," balances innovation with legacy systems, and prepares for a future where generative AI reshapes student search behavior.
Key Takeaways
From Flash to Future: Corey’s graphic design roots taught him to adapt—now he’s applying that flexibility to AI’s rapid evolution in higher ed.
Marketing-Led Web Teams: Why embedding web leadership in marketing (not IT) accelerates decision-making and aligns with institutional goals.
AI as an Analytics Powerhouse: Tools like AI-enhanced search analytics help small teams "do more with less" by spotting trends faster.
The "Future You" Mindset: Building today’s tech stack to make future Corey’s job easier (thank you, past Corey!).
Accessibility as a Process: WCAG 2.2 readiness and remediation groups ensure compliance isn’t a one-time project.
Listen now for deep insights into balancing tradition and transformation—where AI meets accessibility and every pixel has purpose.
Chapters
Student Success by Design, Insights from a CSU CIO
Episode 39
Friday, June 13, 2025 • Duration 26:28
In this episode of Edtech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Dr. Bao Johri, CIO at Fresno State and 2025 Top Women Leader in Technology, to explore how universities can harness AI as a force for equity and transformation.
From launching Fresno State’s campus-wide AI initiative (with 60+ faculty collaborators) to mentoring the next generation of IT leaders, Bao shares how her research on Hmong American women informs her approach to inclusive tech leadership.
Discover how Fresno State is navigating AI governance, empowering first-gen students with tools like Grammarly, and preparing for the fall 2025 CIO’s AI Conversation Webinar Series—a platform to normalize AI in teaching and operations.
Key Takeaways
AI as a Strategic Partner: Fresno State’s AI initiative, co-led by faculty, has shifted from curiosity to demand—with 250+ attendees at their AI Immersion Day.
Governance with Guardrails: Faculty-driven committees established ethical guidelines for AI use, enabling responsible adoption (e.g., ChatGPT provisioning).
Student Success Beyond Metrics: Technology must remove barriers—like providing laptops or writing tools—to help first-gen students feel they belong.
Inclusive Leadership: Bao’s dissertation on Hmong women leaders shapes her mentorship, emphasizing cultural wealth and intergenerational support.
Budgeting for Impact: Prioritize projects tied to core goals (compliance, student success) through collaborative, data-informed decision-making.
The Human-AI Balance: “Tech supports your journey, but people help you through it”—Bao’s advice to students navigating AI and beyond.
Listen now for a lesson in leading AI initiatives with heart—where technology meets inclusion and transformation.
Chapters
Keeping 100 Editors in Sync Running a University Website with Jill Whitaker
Episode 38
Friday, June 6, 2025 • Duration 30:13
In this episode of Edtech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Jill Whitaker, Director of Web Services at Southern Utah University, to explore the evolving landscape of higher ed website management.
With 25 years of experience, Jill shares candid insights on balancing short-term fixes with long-term strategy (inspired by her half-marathon coaching!), wrangling 100+ content editors, and championing accessibility through empathy-driven tactics.
Discover how SUU’s centralized approach keeps their site student-focused, why "Don’t Make Me Think" remains a timeless mantra, and what AI’s rise means for the future of university web teams.
Key Takeaways
The Marathon Mindset: Website governance mirrors distance running—balance immediate tasks with long-term vision to avoid burnout or shortsighted decisions.
Student-Centric Design: SUU’s homepage prioritizes recruitment/retention, with internal content redirected to portals—a battle-tested strategy.
Accessibility as Empathy: Tools like Siteimprove help, but real change comes from humanizing compliance (e.g., revealing colleagues who rely on screen readers).
Federated Governance: A Google Group for 100+ CMS users replaces formal committees, fostering peer support and accountability.
AI’s Double-Edged Sword: Excited for code debugging but wary of zero-click searches scraping outdated content.
Future-Proof Teams: Web teams of 2027 will blend marketing savvy with technical literacy—no more "coders in the dark."
Listen now for a masterclass in keeping university websites human-centered—no matter how tech evolves.
Find Jill Whitaker here:
LinkedIn
Chapters
How AI Will Redefine Learning in the Next Decade with Slalom's Jennie Wong
Season 1 · Episode 37
Friday, May 30, 2025 • Duration 25:33
In this episode of Edtech Connect, host Jeff Dillon chats with Jennie Wong, Global Director of Education at Slalom, about how universities can harness AI and data to drive strategic value. Jennie shares her innovative "car metaphor" framework for AI implementation, reveals surprising GenAI use cases, and explains why federated data models are the future for higher ed.
From overcoming institutional overwhelm to reimagining student engagement with e-commerce tactics, this conversation is packed with actionable insights for leaders navigating the AI revolution.
Key Takeaways
The "Car Metaphor" Framework: AI is the engine, but you also need steering (functional expertise), integration (systems), and fuel (data) to reach strategic goals.
Start Small, Scale Fast: Focus on high-impact, low-complexity projects (e.g., A/B testing AI-enhanced fundraising emails) to demonstrate quick wins.
Federated Data Strategy: Centralize only what’s necessary (e.g., cloud contracts) and empower departments with domain-specific data ownership.
E-Commerce Lessons for Higher Ed: Apply tactics like "comeback campaigns" for stopout students and reduce application abandonment with behavioral design.
ROI Nuances in Higher Ed: Measure year-one success via efficiency gains (e.g., administrative workflows) and year-three via mission outcomes (e.g., persistence rates).
Agentic AI Future: Every campus role will blend human judgment with AI assistance—escalating complex/emotional tasks to people.
Chapter Headings with Time Stamps
(00:01) - Introduction: Meet Jennie Wong - From Organizational Communication to AI Strategy
(04:40) - Slalom’s Triple-Digit Growth: Personas and Partner Alignment
Chapters
Artificial Intelligence Will Transform How We Learn and Teach Forever with Sasha Sidorkin
Season 1 · Episode 36
Friday, May 23, 2025 • Duration 30:51
In this episode of Edtech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Dr. Alexander "Sasha" Sidorkin, Chief AI Officer at Sacramento State University, to explore the transformative impact of AI on education.
From debunking myths about AI replacing teachers to discussing practical applications in the classroom, Sasha shares his insights as an "AI realist."
Tune in to learn how AI is reshaping learning outcomes, the challenges of governance and equity, and why fostering relational learning remains irreplaceable.
Key Takeaways
AI as a Disruptive Force: AI has rendered traditional assignments like essays obsolete, forcing educators to rethink teaching methods and learning outcomes.
Relational Learning is Key: Education thrives on human relationships—AI cannot replace the emotional and contextual aspects of teaching.
Equity and Access: AI can level the playing field for students with disabilities or language barriers, but disparities in technology access must be addressed.
Policy and Governance: Institutions should avoid rigid AI policies until consensus emerges; faculty must justify AI use (or restrictions) pedagogically.
Future Skills: "Executive thinking"—orchestrating tasks between human and AI collaboration—is the emerging critical skill for students.
Breaking Silos and Building AI at Arizona State University with Gemma Garcia
Season 1 · Episode 35
Friday, May 16, 2025 • Duration 28:38
In this episode of EdTech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Gemma Garcia, Executive Director of Learning Technology at Arizona State University, to explore how ASU is leading the charge in scalable digital learning innovation.
With over 130,000 learners worldwide, Gemma shares insights on balancing bold experimentation with practical implementation, fostering faculty adoption of new technologies, and ASU's groundbreaking AI initiatives—including their partnership with OpenAI. Discover how ASU's "principled innovation" framework guides responsible AI integration, why personalized learning pathways are the future, and how the university is breaking down silos to create a collaborative, global learning community.
Whether you're an educator, administrator, or tech enthusiast, this episode offers a masterclass in scaling educational innovation while keeping student success at the core.
Key Takeaways
Scalable Innovation: ASU’s "principled innovation" framework ensures new tools align with student outcomes and institutional goals before adoption.
AI in Action: From language-learning chatbots to faculty "AI challenges," ASU leverages AI to enhance engagement while maintaining ethical guardrails.
Faculty Adoption: Meet faculty where they are—emphasizing how tools solve their problems and benefit students—to drive buy-in.
Global Inclusion: Designing for cultural and linguistic diversity is key to serving ASU’s worldwide online learner population.
Personalized Learning: The future of edtech lies in adaptive pathways tailored to individual learning styles (powered by AI).
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Cracking Higher Ed Content and AI Discovery with Brian Piper
Season 1 · Episode 34
Friday, May 9, 2025 • Duration 30:13
In this episode of EdTech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Brian Piper, Director of Content Strategy at the University of Rochester and author of Epic Content Marketing for Higher Education, to explore how AI is transforming content creation and audience engagement in higher ed.
Brian shares practical insights on building AI-driven personas, repurposing content at scale, and overcoming institutional resistance to AI adoption. Learn how custom GPTs can simulate student perspectives, why "audience-first" storytelling is non-negotiable, and how to leverage student ambassadors to amplify authenticity.
Whether you're a marketer, administrator, or educator, this episode offers actionable strategies to harness AI while keeping human creativity at the core.
Key Takeaways
AI-Powered Personas: Train custom GPTs on institutional data (e.g., strategic plans, student demographics) to simulate audience perspectives and test content ideas before production.
Content Repurposing: Use AI to redistribute high-performing content across channels, combating declining organic reach and maximizing ROI.
Fear vs. Opportunity: Resistance to AI stems from fear of replacement and lack of time—but it’s a change management challenge, not just a tech adoption hurdle.
Governance First: Clear AI usage guidelines prevent "shadow AI" and ensure ethical data practices (e.g., avoiding public ChatGPT for sensitive records).
Student Ambassadors Matter: Authentic, student-generated "day-in-the-life" content outperforms institutional messaging in building trust with prospects.
Revolutionizing Higher Education Through Performance TV with Jennifer Lonchar
Season 1 · Episode 33
Friday, May 2, 2025 • Duration 31:53
In this episode of EdTech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Jennifer Lonchar, founder of AmbioEdu, to explore how streaming TV is revolutionizing higher ed marketing. Jennifer shares her journey from traditional digital marketing to pioneering performance-based TV advertising for colleges and universities.
Discover how AmbioEdu ‘s cutting-edge platform targets households with unskippable commercials, tracks enrollment attribution, and supercharges traditional digital campaigns. Jennifer also weighs in on the "perception cliff" facing higher ed, why video is the future of student engagement, and how schools can stand out in an increasingly noisy digital landscape. Tune in for actionable insights on modernizing your marketing strategy with streaming TV!
Key Takeaways
Streaming TV is the New Frontier: Higher ed lags behind other industries in adopting streaming TV ads, but it offers unskippable, measurable, and highly targeted opportunities to reach students and parents.
Full-Funnel Marketing: Unlike traditional TV ads, streaming campaigns can track engagement from awareness (top of funnel) to conversions (applications, deposits) by linking ad exposure to household IP addresses.
Emotional Storytelling Wins: Schools must move beyond generic taglines and create emotionally resonant 15-30 second spots that make students say, "I can see myself there."
The "Perception Cliff": Beyond demographic declines, higher ed faces a crisis of perceived value. Jennifer advocates for industry-wide efforts to promote lifelong learning and combat skepticism
Diversify or Fall Behind: Relying solely on crowded digital channels (e.g., social media, Google Ads) is no longer enough. Streaming TV complements existing strategies and boosts performance across platforms.
Conversation Rundowns
Introduction (00:00)
Jennifer’s Journey from Carnegie to AmbioEdu (02:04)
Why Streaming TV? The Untapped Opportunity in Higher Ed (04:22)
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For more insights on innovative teaching strategies, the role of technology in education, and the future of learning, visit EdTech Connect. Subscribe to stay updated on the latest trends and conversations in educational technology or visit https://edtechconnect.com.
For more insights on innovative teaching strategies, the role of technology in education, and the future of learning, visit EdTech Connect. Subscribe to stay updated on the latest trends and conversations in educational technology or visit https://edtechconnect.com.
For more insights on innovative teaching strategies, the role of technology in education, and the future of learning, visit EdTech Connect. Subscribe to stay updated on the latest trends and conversations in educational technology or visit https://edtechconnect.com.
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(00:09:02) - University Student Personas in ChatGPT
(00:12:00) - What's keeping higher ed from using AI?
(00:18:41) - Audience First: Content Marketing for Higher Ed
