The Quest for a Better Business Model
In today’s disrupted higher education environment, colleges and universities need to build a long-term and transformational revenue stream. Now is time to lean into growing your graduate and online populations, but with a better business model.
RNL’s Graduate and Online Innovation Summit will:
- Address the new realities of enrollment management.
- Tap into new and next digital marketing.
- Share the latest strategies to achieve long-term institutional sustainability.
Join us for this one-day virtual online and graduate enrollment summit. You’ll learn directly from experienced college and university leaders who are leveraging data-informed strategies to drive higher enrollment through omnichannel engagement.
Graduate and Online Summit Fee
Only $99 per person
Bring a team to spark discussion and create momentum for implementing new strategies.
Who should attend?
- President or Chancellor
- Chief Enrollment Officer/Vice President for Enrollment
- Provost or Chief Academic Officer
- Chief Fiscal Officer
- Chief Marketing Officer
Opening Keynote Speakers: Eddie Maloney and Joshua Kim
Eddie Maloney and Dr. Joshua Kim are authors of the new book The Low-Density University: 15 Scenarios for Higher Education, a book based on their widely read article “15 Fall Scenarios” that ran in Inside Higher Ed in 2020. During their thought-provoking keynote, they will discuss the changes institutions need to make in the current environment, including:
- How could changing the academic calendar impact student success?
- How could moving to a hybrid model impact teaching and learning?
- What opportunities are available to institutions that migrate some coursework permanently to online modality?
- How can institutions be better prepared for future flair ups or the next “big thing”?
- How should institutions make good decisions in an ever-shifting environment?
Eddie Maloney is the executive director of The Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship (CNDLS), a professor of the practice of narrative literature and theory in the Department of English, and the founding director of the Program in Learning, Design, and Technology.
Dr. Joshua Kim is the director of online programs and strategy at Dartmouth College, and a Senior Fellow for Academic Transformation, Learning, and Design at the Center for New Designs in Learning & Scholarship (CNDLS) at Georgetown University.
Summit agenda
All sessions will first be available at the times listed below, and then available on-demand after the Summit concludes. More details about the Summit sessions will be posted in the coming weeks. Please note that this schedule is subject to change.
All times below are Central Time (CT). If you have any questions, or suggestions for topics, please contact us.
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. CT
Welcome and Opening Panel Discussion
- Dr. Sumit Nijhawan, President and CEO, RNL
Breaking Down Silos: Increasing Revenue Streams by Expanding Graduate and Online
As institutions confronted multiple challenges this past year, there were two notable areas of growth: both online and graduate enrollment increased. This panel discussion will ask an array of leaders – academic, marketing, enrollment – how they are making their decisions, what has worked (and has not), and how they are planning for a successful future.
- Brian Gawor, Vice President, Research, RNL
- David Cotter, Assistant Provost for Graduate Enrollment, Boston University
- Gary McDaniel, Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing, Concordia University, Nebraska
- Susan Aldridge, President Emerita, Drexel University Online
- Wanda Blanchett, Dean, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University
- Cheri DeClerq, Assistant Dean for MBA Programs, Broad School of Business, Michigan State University
11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. CT
Break
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT
Keynote Fireside Chat
The Low Density University: 15 Scenarios for Higher Education
Eddie Maloney and Dr. Joshua Kim are authors of the new book The Low-Density University: 15 Scenarios for Higher Education, a book based on their widely read article “15 Fall Scenarios” that ran in there Inside Higher Ed blog in 2020. During their thought-provoking keynote, they will discuss the changes institutions need to make in the current environment, including:
- How could changing the academic calendar impact student success?
- How could moving to a hybrid model impact teaching and learning?
- What opportunities are available to institutions that migrate some coursework permanently to online modality?
- How can institutions be better prepared for future flair-ups or the next “big thing”?
- How should institutions make good decisions in an ever-shifting environment?
12:00 – 12:30 p.m. CT
Lunch Break
Grab a bite and visit the Innovation lounge to learn, connect, and to be inspired by the following sessions:
- How to Elevate Your Online Courses
- What’s Trending in Online Learning?
- The Benefits of High Quality Online Courses
- The Need for Speed: The Importance of Immediate Engagement
- Beyond Ad Spend – How to Generate Adult Leads
- Keeping up with the Jones – How Does Your Conversion Strategy Stack Up?
- Breaking Up is Hard To Do – Why I Broke Up With My OPM
- Investing in Yourself: A Better Business Model with RNL
- The Impact of Apple iOS 14 Privacy Updates to Digital Marketing
- LinkedIn & and the New Wave of Students
- Scaling Video Technology for One to One Marketing
- How to Amplify your Social Media Presence and Track It
12:30 – 1:15 p.m. CT
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
CMO/EMVP Track: Leveraging an Omnichannel Approach to Lead Generation
Lead Generation is becoming more complex every day as institutions struggle to meet prospective students ‘where they are’. A one channel approach no longer keeps schools competitive. Colleges need to diversify their lead generation strategies to include multiple channels/sources in order to maximize potential.
We will discuss the impact of deploying an omnichannel-based approach to lead gen, and then target more specifically the significant effect of balancing a digital lead generation strategy with search engine optimization to meet your funnel needs. The session will include subject matter experts from RNL, as well as campus partners, who will share their experiences and provide how they have achieved success in their lead generation campaigns.
- Charles Ramos, Vice President, Graduate and Online Enrollment Management, RNL
- Vaughn Shinkus, Assistant Vice President, Digital Marketing Services, RNL
- Hayley Warack, Vice President, Digital Strategy & Innovation RNL
- John Grundig, Vice President of Enrollment Management, Florida Southern College
- Mary Kay LeMay, Assistant Dean for Marketing and Communications, Johns Hopkins University
Provost/Academic Track: The Evolution of Instructional Design
In the spring of 2020, college administrators and leaders were forced to move residential and in-seat courses online with very little warning. University leaders and faculty responded and adapted, preserving the semester and in some cases maintaining those same online and distance course options over the next two semesters. Early feedback from students revealed key shortcomings with the abrupt change to online education.
Institutions and their leadership must now evaluate the effectiveness of their courses in achieving learning objectives as well as student satisfaction. How can institutions learn from this experience and embrace the challenge presented during this time of a global pandemic? How can you ensure student are learning in an optimal environment?
- Rob Green, Vice President of Digital Learning, RNL
- Holly Tapper, Vice President, Graduate and Online Solutions, RNL
- Dr. Philip Acree Cavalier, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Tennessee at Martin
1:15 – 1:30 p.m. CT
Break
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. CT
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
CMO/EMVP Track: Technology Driven Conversion Strategies: New and Next strategies…
Data clearly indicates that graduate and online students demonstrate behavior patterns that can require significant time and financial resources to convert a lead to an enrolled student. In this session, we will explore behavioral nuances as well as solutions leveraging advances in technology to exceed student expectations and drive enrolment through personalized, immediate, and engaging outreach.
- Andrea Gilbert, Vice President, RNL
- Matt Krov, Associate Vice President, Product Management, RNL
Provost/Academic Track: Key Components of Aligning Your Academic Portfolio with Market Demand
The graduate and online marketplace continually shifts—no more so than in 2020 when all programs had to pivot to online modalities. Programs that once had a competitive advantage through their online offerings were now confronted with more competitors. In addition to increased competition, the environment continues to shift making the messaging and marketing of current programs as important as ever.
Institutions must be precise in their understanding of their programs, the environment, and the competition. Throughout this session, our presenters will discuss the latest trends in graduate and online education and share how one RNL campus partner utilized new and next market research to more effectively market and promote their programs.
- Dr. Aaron Mahl, Vice President, Graduate and Online Partnerships, RNL
- Scott Jeffe, Vice President, Research, RNL
- Selma Šabanović, PhD, Associate Dean for Graduate Education, Indiana University
- Cheryl Ann Engel, Director of Recruitment and Systems Development, Indiana University
2:15 – 2:45 p.m. CT
Break
Take a break and head to the Innovation lounge to learn, connect, and to be inspired by the following sessions:
- How to Elevate Your Online Courses
- What’s Trending in Online Learning?
- The Benefits of High Quality Online Courses
- The Need for Speed: The Importance of Immediate Engagement
- Beyond Ad Spend – How to Generate Adult Leads
- Keeping up with the Jones – How Does Your Conversion Strategy Stack Up?
- Breaking Up is Hard To Do – Why I Broke Up With My OPM
- Investing in Yourself: A Better Business Model with RNL
- The Impact of Apple iOS 14 Privacy Updates to Digital Marketing
- LinkedIn & and the New Wave of Students
- Scaling Video Technology for One to One Marketing
- How to Amplify your Social Media Presence and Track It
2:45 – 3:15 p.m. CT
Closing General Session
The Emerging Model of Higher Education for the 21st Century
Across business, education, technology, and healthcare, COVID is accelerating digital transformation at rapid velocity. For higher education, a new university model once sitting on the distant horizon has now quickly come into full view. In many ways, it has already arrived. This model is not a contingency plan for the next global pandemic or crisis. This is the emerging evolution of higher education for the 21st century.
Our closing session of the Summit will encourage you to imagine the possibilities for your institution. This is a momentous time for higher education. How will your campus respond? Leaders in online, adult education, and digital learning must be at the forefront of innovation on their campus. We’ll discuss the critical questions to consider and how to initiate these conversations on your campus to help your institution embrace the opportunities.
- Robert Heil, Chief Business Development Officer, RNL
3:15 p.m. CT
Adjournment
Graduate and Online Summit Fee
Only $99 per person
Bring a team to spark discussion and create momentum for implementing new strategies.