College Is Worth It: Recent Episodes
Ardeo Education Solutions
More than ever, the value of a college degree is questioned. While there is much evidence to support the argument that college is a great investment, innovation and change is necessary to continue to improve higher education and to prove that college is still worth it. Tune in for fascinating conversations with higher-ed thought leaders about the most important stories in education today. If you seek to learn about innovation in higher education, don’t miss an episode!
The College Is Worth It Podcast, welcomes to the show Deborah Maue, SVP of Enrollment and Marketing, Aurora University. Deborah Maue joins the podcast to talk about higher ed marketing and branding. Deb is an expert and thought leader in higher ed marketing. After a successful career in consumer packaged goods, Deb has worked as a higher ed consultant and in-house at a number of large, successful private institutions. We discuss how colleges can improve their value proposition in the face of questions about cost and value, her thoughts on the college experience as administrator and a parent, and some of the unique programs at Aurora University.
Jonathan Shores, Sr. Vice President of Client Service at Ardeo Education Solutions interviews Dr. Evan
Duff, President of North Carolina Wesleyan University. This wide-ranging discussion covers Dr. Duff’s career trajectory, the North Carolina Wesleyan name change from ‘College’ to ‘University’, how students and parents are both becoming more savvy than ever in choosing a college that will deliver an ROI, and NCWU’s Personal, Practical and Purpose-Driven approach to higher education.
The College Is Worth It podcast welcomes to the show Dr. Bill Carroll former president of Benedictine University who currently serves as president of Hunter Global Education, working with American and Asian educational institutions. Drew and Dr. Carroll discuss the higher ed landscape from the perspective of his former presidency, and creative ways to improve enrollment.
Jonathan Shores, Sr. Vice President of Client Service at Ardeo Education Solutions, and who has spent over half of his life working in higher education, interviews his longtime colleague Roger Kieffer. Roger’s career in higher education spans 37 years including 30 years of enrollment leadership. He also served a role as VP of Client Service at Ardeo alongside Jonathan. In this episode, Jonathan and Roger exchange their knowledge of enrollment development and discuss what it means to be a leader in the enrollment space today.
The College Is Worth It Podcast, welcomes to the show Justin Ahrens. Justin is the Chief Evangelist at Rule 29, a creative agency specializing in Branding, Story & Marketing that works with several higher education institutions. He describes the pitfalls of higher ed marketing and what colleges and universities can do to brand themselves uniquely and effectively. As a parent himself, Justin provides insight about what families seek when looking for colleges.
The College Is Worth It Podcast welcomes to the show Carroll Stevens. As the Interim President of Rhodes College, he informs us how his diverse array of experiences in the education space has assisted him as a college president during the COVID-19 Pandemic. He describes how a residential liberal arts college that values its close-knit in-person community fostered a virtual community. Carroll also shares his valuable insights about general trends in higher education like how to colleges and universities can work to increase access to their institutions.
The College Is Worth It Podcast welcomes to the show Rachelle Gasior. Rachelle tells us about her journey as a college student with a fear of student loan debt, balancing both school and work to pay for college. Overwhelmed, she would seek out help and eventually receive a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). She would later become the Vice President of Client Service at Ardeo Education solutions and help provide LRAPs to higher education institutions. Rachelle explains what her experience is like working with colleges and universities and what trends she sees in institutions with declining student enrollment.
The College Is Worth It Podcast welcomes to the show Peter Samuelson. Peter is the founder and president of Ardeo Education Solutions and today, he details his higher education story and the full circle moment of the start up’s origin. Peter could not go to his first-choice undergraduate college and then faced the same struggle when applying to law school and actually received a Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) himself. These experiences, amongst other events in his life, inspired him to create a company that eases loan fears for students with LRAPs . He also talks about what it was like to have founded a start-up company and gives some advice to those who wish to do the same.