In Campus Sonar’s latest industry trends report on “Rebuilding Trust in Higher Ed,” we explored the gap between trust and value to understand what audiences discuss about a college degree using social intelligence. We focused on how audiences explain the purpose of higher ed, the value of a degree based on current outcomes, and how those outcomes could evolve if trust and values aligned.  Now, it’s time to apply those insights on campus with strategies to help you begin rebuilding trust with prospective and current students, alumni, and the public at large. Make sure you read the other tw ..read more

In Campus Sonar’s latest industry trends report on “Rebuilding Trust in Higher Ed,” we explored the gap between trust and value to understand what audiences discuss about a college degree using social intelligence. We focused on how audiences explain the purpose of higher ed, the value of a degree based on current outcomes, and how those outcomes could evolve if trust and values aligned.  Now, it’s time to apply those insights on campus with strategies to help you begin rebuilding trust with prospective and current students, alumni, and the public at large. Lead with Transparency Transpar ..read more

You’ve been giving your president and board the wrong information from social media, and you need to fix it as soon as possible. I’ve spent the last few weeks listening carefully to trustees, current and former presidents, and the people who advise them. These were positive conversations, but they revealed a huge gap. One former president put it plainly. “Social intelligence sounds like an oxymoron. As president, everything I was shown from social media was terrible. There was nothing systematic or intelligent about it.” According to the Social Intelligence Lab, social intelligence is the stra ..read more

At a macro level, the value of a college degree is a constant topic in higher ed. At a micro level, you invariably need to consider how that value relates to your institution’s brand. There are many indicators of value, as well as internal and external factors contributing to this drop in confidence. But, as contributing expert Mallory Willsea shares, the decline is countered by research from Axios that college grads have significantly higher earning potential—indicating that perception doesn't match reality when it comes to the value of a degree. We see this same gap in perception in our late ..read more

Reddit filed to go public on the New York Stock Exchange last month, and I paid close attention. Its prospectus highlights the impact the anonymous forum site has on public trust—and how higher education leaders can leverage the insight within its 17 billion posts and comments to rebuild trust and inform a proactive, audience-centric market strategy. Higher education didn’t understand the impact Facebook would have on its operations when it went public over a decade ago. Don’t make the same mistake with Reddit. Here’s what you need to know. Founded in 2005, Reddit is the last of the 2000s era ..read more

It’s no secret by now that the redesign and relaunch of the FAFSA form at the federal level has caused stress and confusion for higher ed leaders and college-going families alike. Staff and administrators are navigating frequent updates and shifting processes and timelines; and further uncertainty about aid and finances has added to the worries prospective students already feel about affording a degree. (Our national industry listening continues to reveal scholarships and financial aid as top topics discussed online in terms of the college decision-making process.) At Campus Sonar, our mission ..read more

It’s not surprising that 72% of college presidents agree or somewhat agree that their institution needs to make fundamental changes in its business models, programming, or other operations (Inside Higher Ed’s 2023 survey of presidents). Or that roughly 40% of U.S. higher ed institutions are at, or nearing, financial risk, calculated by EY-Parthenon’s Institutional Viability Metric (IVM). Of these institutions, public campuses are less likely to be stable than their liberal arts and private, nonprofit counterparts. And no wonder—in 1990, state-per-student funding was almost 140% more than that ..read more

Differentiation is the bottom line of brand strategy. It's what makes an institution relevant and justifies its tuition and perceived quality. Yet any effort to stand out from the competition is a challenging prospect for many institutions searching for relevance and future direction.  In a competitive market, it's becoming increasingly important for institutions to stand out. At the Council of Independent Colleges, AASCU, and AMA Higher Ed, industry thought leaders called for collective action to focus strategic planning efforts on differentiation.  That’s why we brought together th ..read more

Every institution has its own distinct flavor. So why do so many institutions try so hard to be vanilla? Each has unique characteristics and culture that set it apart from its competitors. No institution has the same combination of values, culture, people, programs, and facilities it takes to deliver its education outcomes and experiences.  Rob Zinkan outlined why higher ed institutions struggle with the concept of outward differentiation. Their inward-facing perspective affirms the belief that students and donors already recognize the value without saying it, shying away from bold brand ..read more

Our 2024 kicked off with a trip to sunny Florida for the Council of Independent Colleges Presidents Institute. The conversations and sessions covered the toughest current topics, such as endowments, cost of attendance, artificial intelligence, and others, giving us renewed appreciation for the hardest job in higher ed.  Attendees navigated issues and solutions critical for campus leaders this coming year. Although the focus was on independent colleges, the issues and trends affect every institution in some form. We’re sharing four challenges that will shape the 2024 higher ed landscape. D ..read more