In Part 2 of this Pulse Check series, Kin is joined by W. Kent Barnds, who has 33 years of experience in higher ed and shares his why and the importance of working at a college campus.

Key points/takeaways include:

• The need for leaders to stay at institutions to fight the good fight.
• The comfort level of employees with a delayed sense of gratification that often is part and parcel of working in higher ed.
• The importance of giving space to break out of the mundane, repetitive work
• The difference between what can be controlled and what cannot as circumstances change around us.
• Finding opportunities to be surrounded by student stories and the larger purpose of advancing education.

Guest Name: W. Kent Barnds

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wkentbarnds/

Guest Bio: W. Kent Barnds, Executive Vice President for Strategy & Innovation, Augustana College
Kent Barnds is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in higher education, known for his strategic acumen and proficiency in driving organizational success. His strategic vision has played a pivotal role in advancing the objectives at Elizabethtown College and Augustana College, contributing to their sustained growth and impact.
Having served in key leadership positions, including Vice President for Enrollment, Communication, and Planning at Augustana College and as the Executive Vice President at Augustana College, Kent has honed his skills in strategic planning, enrollment management, and communication. His experience equips him with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing higher education institutions and non-profits today.

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Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

Seth Odell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

Join hosts Seth and Mallory as they share invaluable career advice for rising leaders in higher education. From building a strong network to developing financial savvy, this episode is packed with practical tips and personal anecdotes to help you advance in your career. Whether you're aiming for a director title or aspiring to join the C-suite, this conversation will provide you with the tools and inspiration you need to succeed.

• Think of Your Career in Chapters: Focus on creating a clear narrative and move on when you've achieved it.
• Invest in Your Network: Relationships are crucial for career growth; prioritize both mentors and peer connections.
• Solve Your Boss's Problems: Your primary goal should be to help your boss achieve their objectives.
• Develop a Give-A-Shit Scale: Determine which battles are worth fighting to avoid burnout.
• Hire Slow, Fire Fast: Make careful hiring decisions and don't hesitate to make changes if necessary.
• Be Financially Savvy: Understand budgets and financial statements to make informed strategic decisions.

Get your Leadership Handbook

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Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

Seth Odell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

In this debut episode of our new Pulse Check on seeking purpose in the world of Higher Ed, guest Carrie Phillips joins guest host Kin Sejpal to discuss her purpose as higher ed leader, and what keeps her - and her team - going.

Insightful takeaways include:

• Personal and professional experiences can shape one’s purpose.
• Making space in the day-to-day grind to soak in the environment can be invigorating.
• Regularly centering conversations around institutional mission can help teams stay focused and motivated.
• Integrating students as student workers, focus group members, and/or ambassadors can keep MarComm close to the student experience.
• MarComm can add value by breaking silos and connecting the whole student experience, thus contributing to student success and institutional mission.

Guest Name: Dr. Carrie Phillips

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriehphillips/

Connect with Guest Host Kin Sejpal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kinsejpal/

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Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

Seth Odell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

Mallory and Seth dive into the pressing issue of higher education's reputation for lagging behind other industries. They discuss why higher ed institutions often struggle with innovation and explore practical strategies for overcoming these challenges. Drawing insights from their experiences and industry trends, they highlight the importance of embracing technology, fostering a culture of change, and rethinking traditional structures to drive progress and ensure the sector's future relevance.

Key Takeaways

• Slow Pace of Change: Higher education institutions are often seen as slow to innovate due to traditional structures, long recruitment cycles, and a resistance to change.
• Cultural and Structural Barriers: Long-term staff, established bureaucracies, and misaligned incentives contribute to stagnation.
• Role of Technology: There's a critical need for higher ed to fully integrate and lead in technology adoption, from recruitment to the student experience.
• Product Evolution: Higher education must rethink its core offerings, moving beyond traditional degrees to modular, flexible learning opportunities.
• Talent Retention: Addressing talent churn and investing in professional development are crucial for fostering a dynamic and innovative workforce.
• Institutional Focus: Rebranding efforts should focus on individual institutions rather than the entire industry to drive meaningful change.

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Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

Seth Odell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

Welcome to the 5th and final part of this Pulse Check series hosted by Dr. Cody Nielsen and Dr. Tomika Ferguson. In this episode, key takeaways include:

• To serve as an authentic and talented leader, self-love is essential.
• Involving practitioners in more search can benefit the field of higher education, particularly the impact of the work to prepare future and current educational leaders.
• In higher education, we must integrate both theory and practice, ensuring our work is grounded in real-world applications.
• Achieving our professional goals requires a curiosity about others' journeys, without being consumed by following their exact paths.

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Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

Seth Odell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

Mallory and Seth dive headfirst into a lively discussion about their biggest pet peeves in higher ed marketing. From websites serving too many audiences to overused mascots, they vent about the common pitfalls that institutions fall into and share their frustrations with generic taglines, fake diversity, and ineffective content strategies. Tune in for a candid and humorous rant session filled with some tips on how to avoid these marketing missteps.

Learn more about Enrollify’s new course “Lessons in Leadership”: enrollify.org/courses/lessons-in-leadership-higher-education

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Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

Seth Odell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

In Part 4 of this Pulse Check series, Tomika and Cody explores the essence of intentional leadership and its role in fostering inclusivity in decision-making processes with special guest Jaunelle White.

Key takeaways include:

• Intentional leadership fosters inclusivity in decision-making and strengthens relationships with your team.
• Overcoming others' assumptions about you as a leader requires sustained commitment, trust-building, and humanizing yourself to those you lead.
• During a crisis, prioritizing the humanity of your team is more important than the needs of the institution.
• Being confident about making a significant career move requires evaluating the opportunity, timing, and location.

Guest Name: Jaunelle White, Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and Chief Student Development Officer, Point University

Guest Social:
LinkedIn
X (Twitter)

Bio: Jaunelle White is the Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Chief Student Development Officer at Point University in West Point, GA. White is the university's third athletic director and first female director. She has recently been recognized by Southern States Athletic Conference as the Athletic Director of the year. Jaunelle White is a proven leader in Athletics as she was named as one of Sports Illustrated's top 100 Black Women in Sports.
White has led the transition of full membership of Point University from the Appalachian Athletic Conference to the Southern States Athletic Conference.. She also added Women's Flag Football to the Athletic Department, which competes in the Sun Conference and will have its inaugural season in Spring 2024. White oversaw three NAIA National Tournament teams, three NAIA All-Americans l), and one Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship team (Women's Basketball). Point University is a school in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. NAIA announced Point University as a Champions of Character Five-Star Gold Institution.
White has nearly 20 years of athletic administration experience, particularly at the NCAA Division I level. Most recently, White served as the senior associate athletic director for internal operations and senior woman administrator at Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis. She has served in several athletic administrative roles, including compliance, at Texas Southern, Alabama State University, University of South Alabama, Middle Tennessee State University, and Louisiana State University.
White is a native of Lawrence, Kansas, and played collegiate volleyball at Auburn University from 1996 to 2002. She holds a master's degree in education and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Auburn University.

- - - -

Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

Seth Odell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

Live from eduWeb Summit, Mallory interviews Maureen Stokes, the Assistant Vice President of Communications and Marketing at Worcester State University. They discuss the impact of AI on making dense research accessible, the power of visual student-centered storytelling in marketing, and how AI can enhance productivity and creativity.

- - - -

Connect With Our Co-Hosts:
Mallory Willsea
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorywillsea/
https://twitter.com/mallorywillsea

Seth Odell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethodell/
https://twitter.com/sethodell

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Pulse is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Some of our favorites include Generation AI and Confessions of a Higher Education Social Media Manager.
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.