Changing Higher Ed Podcast 328 Employer Engagement in Higher Education- Why Available Support Can Still Go Unused with Brad Griffith

Employer Engagement in Higher Education: Why Available Support Can Still Go Unused:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 328 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Brad Griffith

A twelve-person software firm in central Ohio ran six paid interns this past summer, put every one of them on real client work, and then filed with the state for reimbursement of a substantial share of those wages. One of those interns arrived from the University of Richmond with his placement funded by his own institution, roughly five hundred miles away. Others have come through Ohio State with donor money attached. That employer engagement in higher education still required the company to identify, assemble, and navigate several separate funding and placement channels. That is the part of the workforce-readiness conversation that tends to get skipped. The usual assumption is that closing the gap between graduation and employment takes new money, new programs, and new staff. In some states and at

September 8, 2026 October 2, 2026

Changing Higher Ed Podcast 312-Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Nikki Barua-Human-First Transformation: Closing Higher Education’s AI Readiness Gap

Human-First Transformation: Closing Higher Education’s AI Readiness Gap:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 312 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Nikki Barua

AI adoption among students is running at 80 to 90 percent. Only 9 percent of CIOs believe their institutions are ready. That gap is not closing on its own. Higher education has a well-practiced response to disruption: study it, pilot it, committee it, and implement it over several budget cycles. That approach worked for the internet. It worked for mobile. It will not work for AI. The difference is speed. The internet took roughly 30 years to reach mass adoption. Mobile took 10 to 15. AI has achieved massive adoption in under three years, and the technology is improving itself week by week without waiting for anyone’s strategic plan to clear shared governance. That timeline changes the nature of the problem. Incremental change, the model higher education knows best, assumes

May 19, 2026 June 27, 2026

Changing Higher Ed Podcast 307-Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Chris Crittenden - Building Workforce Readiness Through Real Startup Experience

Building Workforce Readiness Through Real Startup Experience:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 307 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Chris Crittenden

Experiential learning has become a near-universal claim in higher education, but the claim and the reality are rarely the same thing. Project-based courses, case studies, and capstone assignments are offered as evidence that institutions are preparing students for the workforce. Most of this activity is too shallow to produce the outcomes institutions advertise. Students move through it, complete the deliverable, and emerge with little more capability than they had before. This analysis draws on the work of Chris Crittenden, founder of Sandbox, a for-credit startup incubator now operating at eight universities. Crittenden’s background spans management consulting at McKinsey, founding and selling an AI technology company to Walmart, and leading the entrepreneur center at Brigham Young University before building Sandbox into a cross-institutional program. Sandbox students earn 18 credits over two

April 14, 2026 June 27, 2026

Changing Higher Ed Podcast 302-Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Jeff Dinski - Students Are Acting Like Consumers. Higher Ed Needs to Catch Up

Students Are Acting Like Consumers. Higher Ed Needs to Catch Up:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 302 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Jeff Dinski

Jeff Dinski spent six years at NBC and ESPN learning that if you do not give your audience what they want, they change the channel. Higher education has never had to worry about that. Until now. The case for treating students as consumers, aligning program portfolios with workforce destinations, and rethinking how faculty are qualified to teach draws on perspectives from Dr. Drumm McNaughton, a higher education consultant who works with institutional presidents and boards on strategy, governance, and transformation, and Jeff Dinski, Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer at Ellucian, the largest edtech company in the world serving approximately half of all U.S. colleges and universities. Dinski brings more than 20 years of experience across sports media, consumer internet, and edtech, including roles as an operating executive at

March 11, 2026 June 27, 2026

Changing Higher Ed podcast 296- Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Jeff Meade Using Entrepreneurship to Redesign the College Operating Model

How Paul Quinn College Uses Entrepreneurship to Reduce Costs, Improve Workforce Readiness, and Graduate Students with Little to No Debt:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 296 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Jeff Meade

Most colleges treat entrepreneurship as a business school elective. Paul Quinn College treats it as an operating system for the entire institution. Under the leadership of Jeff Meade, Founding Director of Every Quinnite is an Entrepreneur, entrepreneurship is not a program layered onto campus. It is woven into tuition strategy, the federal work college model, freshman onboarding, corporate partnerships, curriculum design, faculty development, and student debt reduction. This episode reveals a model that simultaneously addresses four problems higher education leaders are trying to solve: Workforce readiness Student engagement and retention Institutional cost structure Student debt Paul Quinn’s solution is not theoretical. It is structural. And it starts before the first class begins. The Federal Work College Model as an Institutional Cost Strategy Paul Quinn is one of only eight

January 27, 2026 July 20, 2026

Changing Higher Ed Podcast 295 Reduce Student Debt Risk and Improve Employability with Distributed Practicum -Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Jarred McNeely.jpg

Reduce Student Debt Risk and Improve Employability with Distributed Practicum:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 295 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Jarred McNeely

Higher education is no longer being evaluated on aspiration, tradition, or brand alone. It is being evaluated on outcomes. Students, families, employers, and policymakers are making decisions based on whether institutions produce graduates who can perform in real-world environments, adapt as conditions change, and build sustainable careers without accumulating unnecessary debt. This shift is already visible in enrollment behavior, credential choices, and post-graduation pathways. Institutions that continue to frame this moment as a debate about online versus in-person delivery are misreading the problem. The core issue is not modality. It is whether education systems are designed around demonstrable competence, flexibility, and long-term relevance. Some institutions are responding by rethinking where learning happens, how applied skills are developed, and how credentials align with actual career movement. When done well, these changes

January 20, 2026 June 27, 2026

Aligning Higher Education Strategy and Programs with Workforce Needs by Measuring Value Through Outcomes and Earnings:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 282 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Dr. Harrison Keller

This episode of the Changing Higher Ed podcast helps higher education presidents, boards, and senior leaders rethink how to connect institutional mission with workforce readiness. It explores how institutions can better align employer partnerships, faculty innovation, and experiential learning to ensure graduates gain both economic and civic value from their degrees. Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Harrison Keller, president of the University of North Texas and former Texas commissioner of higher education, whose experience turning statewide workforce policy into institutional strategy offers a practical model for today’s campus leaders. As commissioner, Keller helped launch Building a Talent Strong Texas, the first statewide plan to link educational attainment goals directly to the economic value of degrees. Now, as president of one of the state’s largest universities, he’s applying those ideas to

October 21, 2025 June 27, 2026

High Structure Course Design for Student Engagement, Retention, and Success | Changing Higher Ed podcast episode 264 featuring Drumm McNaughton and Justin Shaffer

High Structure Course Design for Student Engagement, Retention, and Success:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 264 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Dr. Justin Shaffer

Many institutions lose students not because learners are incapable, but because the courses in which they’re placed weren’t designed to help them succeed. Gateway courses, especially in the first year, continue to be a bottleneck in higher education, resulting in high failure rates, lower retention rates, and widening equity gaps. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Our guest on the Changing Higher Ed® podcast is Dr. Justin Shaffer, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Teaching Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. He’s the author of the book High Structure Course Design, which gives faculty practical, evidence-based strategies for designing and delivering courses that increase student engagement, close performance gaps, and improve learning across disciplines. While the model was developed with large

June 17, 2025 June 27, 2026

Changing Higher Ed podcast episode 260 featuring Drumm McNaughton and Kathleen deLaski discussing how to align academic programs with workforce needs and serve nontraditional students

How to Align Academic Programs with Workforce Needs and Serve Nontraditional Students:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 260 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Kathleen deLaski

How Can Higher Education Evolve to Serve Diverse Learners? Aligning academic programs with workforce needs is a growing priority for colleges facing pressure to serve nontraditional students and improve employment outcomes. Most institutions still operate on a degree-centric model designed for a narrow student profile. Yet today’s reality is different: the majority of learners are working adults, first-generation students, caregivers, veterans, and individuals balancing education with life’s other demands. These new majority learners are not adequately served by traditional higher education pathways—and they know it. This episode explores how colleges and universities can realign academic programming to offer greater flexibility, stronger workforce alignment, and more relevant student outcomes. As host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Kathleen deLaski discuss, the path forward involves rethinking not just curriculum, but also institutional

May 20, 2025 June 27, 2026

Higher Education Innovation That Builds Workforce-Ready Graduates- Changing Higher Ed Podcast 250 with Alex Hernandez

Higher Education Innovation That Builds Workforce-Ready Graduates:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 250 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Alex Hernandez

In this 250th episode of the Changing Higher Ed Podcast, host Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Alex Hernandez, President of Champlain College, about how colleges and universities can build institutional innovation capacity and align their programs with workforce realities. Champlain College’s success is no accident—it’s the result of intentional planning, deep employer engagement, and a campus-wide commitment to helping students graduate ready for work, life, and impact. With 80% of Champlain’s graduates landing jobs related to their field of study and 90% achieving successful career outcomes within six months, the college offers a replicable model for how institutions can adapt to shifting student expectations, regional workforce needs, and the economic pressures facing higher education today. Strategic Planning That Builds Institutional Agility Champlain doesn’t treat strategic planning as a compliance

March 11, 2025 June 27, 2026

The Hidden Enrollment Market in Workforce Education:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 249 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Alana Rose

41.5 million Americans left college without earning a degree—but many would return if given the right opportunity. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed Podcast, host Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Alana Rose, Vice President of Academic Networks at InStride, about the transformative potential of workforce education, employer-funded education, and workforce development programs. With over a decade of experience in higher education partnerships, Alana shares insights into how corporate partnerships can help institutions reach millions of stopped-out students and build sustainable enrollment pipelines. With enrollment numbers dropping and student demographics evolving, corporate partnerships offer an opportunity to align academic programs with workforce needs, creating a win-win-win scenario for students, employers, and universities. By leveraging tuition assistance programs and focusing on skills-based training, workforce education, and corporate partnerships, institutions

March 4, 2025 June 27, 2026

Changing Higher Ed podcast 212 - Improve Student Employability - Discussing The Great Misalignment: Addressing the Mismatch Between the Supply of Certificates and Associates Degrees and the Future Demand for Workers in the U.S. Labor Markets with Kathryn Campbell and Zack Mabel

Improve Student Employability: The Great Misalignment Report:

Changing Higher Ed podcast 212 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guests Kathryn Campbell and Zack Mabel

Only about 50 percent of colleges use labor market data to guide program development or share information with prospective students. This stunning statistic, based on a recent report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW), highlights the severe misalignment between the credentials higher education institutions are producing and the skills employers need in the workforce. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton welcomes back Zack Mabel, Research Professor and Director of Research, and Kathryn Campbell, Associate Director of Editorial Policy and Senior Editor/Writer, from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) to discuss their report titled “The Great Misalignment: Addressing the Mismatch Between the Supply of Certificates and Associates Degrees and the Future Demand for Workers

June 18, 2024 December 11, 2025

Changing Higher Ed podcast 208-Living on the Edge-Design Thinking for a New Era in Higher Ed with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Cesar Santalo

Living on the Edge: Design Thinking for a New Era in Higher Ed:

Changing Higher Ed Podcast 208 with host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and guest Cesar Santalo

How can your university keep pace in an era where higher ed institutions are racing to understand and cater to the needs of digitally savvy Gen Z students and the shifting demands of enterprise? The answer for Lynn University, a small private college in Boca Raton, Florida, lies in a bold embrace of design thinking across the organization. By appointing an accomplished creative professional as the dean of its College of Communication and Design, Lynn has signaled its commitment to infusing fresh perspectives and innovative problem-solving approaches into the heart of its academic model. Bringing Fresh Perspectives to Higher Ed Strategic Planning The university found its innovative leader in Cesar Santalo, an accomplished creative professional with over two decades of experience as an award-winning designer and creative

May 21, 2024 December 11, 2025

Changing Higher Ed podcast 202-Beyond Career and Job-Ready Graduates-Beating the Underemployment Odds

Beyond Career and Job-Ready Graduates: Beating the Underemployment Odds:

Changing Higher Ed Podcast 202 with Host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Guest Kevin Grubb

According to a new report, a startling 43% of college graduates are underemployed in their first job. It’s no surprise career readiness has become a critical priority for universities across the country. With the cost of education rising and underemployment rates soaring, institutions have a responsibility to ensure students are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and experiences they need to succeed in their careers and lives beyond graduation. Under the leadership of Associate Vice Provost for Career and Professional Development Kevin Grubb, Villanova has developed a holistic approach to career readiness that integrates career development throughout the student’s academic and career journey, from orientation to graduation and beyond. Villanova University is transforming the student experience by integrating career and professional development throughout students’ academic journeys. By embedding these essential

April 9, 2024 December 11, 2025

Strategic Adaptation of Higher Education - Navigating 2024 and Beyond - The Transformation of Higher Education by Tamara Taylor

Strategic Adaptation in Higher Education: Navigating 2024 and Beyond:

Embracing Transformation and Resilience in Higher Education Business Models

A Fundamental Rethink of the Higher Education Business Model In the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, institutions must embrace educational innovation and strategic adaptation to change. This involves recognizing new realities in the academic world to stay relevant and effective. The landscape of higher education is being reshaped by several formidable challenges that necessitate a fundamental rethink of the higher education business model. To understand why change is not just necessary but imperative, it is essential to dissect the issues that are causing institutions to falter and compelling them to seek new paths to sustainability. With evolving financial models, colleges and universities–beyond the Ivy League–need to explore sustainable solutions that balance educational quality with fiscal responsibility. Shrinking Tuition Income from Declining Enrollments and Shifting Demographics One of

December 14, 2023 June 10, 2026

Changing Higher Ed Podcast 179 with Host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Dr. Philomena "Philly" Mantella - Beyond Ideas- Implementing Innovative Structures in Higher Education

Beyond Ideas: Implementing Innovative Structures in Higher Education:

Changing Higher Ed Podcast 179 with Host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Dr. Philomena "Philly" Mantella

Implementing Innovative Structures Innovation in higher education is not just about generating ideas; it’s about putting those ideas into action and breaking down structural barriers that no longer serve today’s diverse demographic. In this conversation with Dr. Philly Mantella, President of Grand Valley State University, Dr. Drumm McNaughton explored how she’s spearheading innovative initiatives to create a more student-centric and business-ready higher education landscape and provide an update on her latest collaboration, REP4, which stands for Rapid Education Prototyping for Change. The REP4 Alliance is a collaboration among seven higher education institutions designed to accelerate innovation and, at the same time, provide thousands of learners with a transformative experience where they can embrace their own power to set their course and control their own learning journeys. Innovation Beyond Ideas

October 31, 2023 June 10, 2026

3 Enrollment Boosting Strategies for Accredited Institutions Changing Higher Ed Podcast 178 with Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Dr. David Decker

3 Enrollment Boosting Strategies for Accredited Institutions:

Changing Higher Ed Podcast 178 with Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Dr. David R. Decker

In this podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Dr. David Decker, the President of Franklin University, discuss three strategic moves that helped his institution experience positive growth in the double-digit territory during and after the pandemic. Franklin University, which primarily serves non-traditional, part-time adult learners, offers a unique perspective on higher education growth. Discover how these three interconnected strategies boost higher education enrollment and contain costs with a comprehensive approach that involves the 4 Ps of marketing, aligning pricing strategies with fixed educational benchmarks, and fostering strategic partnerships with community colleges and employers. Podcast Highlights Applying the 4 Ps of Marketing to Higher Education Learn how applying the traditional marketing framework of the 4 Ps (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) to higher education programs can lead to success. Decker highlights that

October 24, 2023 September 1, 2026

Changing Higher Podcast 175- Building a Sustainable Higher Education Model- CSCUs Partnership for Workforce Readiness – with Host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Guest Terrence Cheng

Building a Sustainable Higher Education Model: CSCU’s Partnership for Workforce Readiness:

Changing Higher Ed Podcast 175 with Host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Guest Terrence Cheng

Learn how CSCU’s unification of its once-siloed community college is building a sustainable higher education model and helping improve retention and enrollment. The first half of this two-part series with Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU)’s Chancellor Terence Cheng explores how CSCU partners with local businesses to ensure equity and workforce preparation for its majority-minority student population. Forming Effective Partnerships with Local Businesses At UConn Stamford before coming to CSCU, Dr. Terrence pinpointed local businesses in the Stamford, Connecticut, area like NBC Sports and then identified the type of skills NBC Sports wanted to connect them with the programs UConn Stamford offered that could best meet their needs. 98% of CSCU’s students come from Connecticut and will remain there, so CSCU strives to create a strong relationship with local

October 3, 2023 December 11, 2025

Unlocking Potential in Higher Ed Enrollment and Student Success:

Navigating Financial Barriers, Support Systems, and Diversity

Higher ed faces numerous crises, with enrollment plummeting to pre-recession levels and student success in decline. Although community colleges are recovering, 40 million people in the U.S. who enrolled in a two—or four-year institution stopped out along the way. However, an annual survey that was conducted over the course of three years finally provides higher ed with a way to address these challenges. It just requires colleges and universities to meet current or prospective students where they are. Conducted by the Lumina Foundation in partnership with Gallup, “The State of Higher Ed 2023” surveyed 6,000 current students, 3,000 people who stopped out without a degree, and 3,000 more who have never applied to a college or university. As higher ed nears the looming enrollment cliff, the report sheds light on

August 17, 2023 December 11, 2024

High-Outcome Internships in Higher Ed: Bridge the Workforce Gap and Enhance Student Success:

Changing Higher Education Podcast 161 with Host Dr. Drumm McNaughton and Guest Daniel Nivern

Higher ed needs to provide more accessible, high-outcome internships to meet the current workforce demands and enhance student success. A recent McKinsey report finds that more than 85% of companies feel there is a skills gap between education and industry, and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has identified several career readiness skills students must have upon graduation but can only obtain through internships. Meanwhile, more than a third of entry-level jobs require three years of work experience, and students who aren’t getting employed after graduating are already questioning the ROI of their degree. In this podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton discusses the characteristics of a well-set-up intern program and how they can benefit students and higher ed with Daniel Nivern of Virtual Internships. This ed-tech company runs

June 27, 2023 July 26, 2023

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