In this episode of EDU Unlocked, Ashish Fernando sits down with Michael Brody, Director of University College at Illinois State University, to discuss student exploration, academic advising, the role of AI in higher education, and the leadership philosophy that guides his work.

Michael begins by sharing his unconventional path into higher education. He never envisioned himself becoming a university administrator, in fact, he originally dreamed of being a goalkeeper. His career direction changed after working as a research assistant and later serving in academic advising and residence life roles, where mentors helped shape his professional journey. Through those experiences, he discovered a passion for helping students navigate their college experience and achieve success.

The conversation then turns to one of higher education's most persistent challenges: supporting undecided students. Michael challenges the notion that undecided students are a problem to be solved. Instead, he argues that exploration is an essential part of the college experience. He discusses the increasing pressure students face to choose majors quickly, often driven by concerns about return on investment, and explains why institutions must create opportunities for meaningful exploration and self-discovery.

Ashish and Michael also explore the growing role of AI in academic advising. Michael outlines three core competencies of advising: conceptual, relational, and informational and explains how AI can enhance the informational side of advising by helping students access answers, review degree plans, and prepare for advising conversations. However, he emphasises that technology should create more space for meaningful human interactions, not replace them.

Throughout the discussion, Michael returns to a central theme: students want to know that someone genuinely cares about their success. While AI can improve efficiency, the relationships between students and advisors remain at the heart of effective advising.

The episode concludes with Michael's leadership mantra: "Actions over Outcomes." He explains why focusing on the quality of our actions, our effort, sincerity, and commitment to serving students ultimately matters more than chasing outcomes that may be beyond our control.

In this episode of EDU Unlocked, Ashish Fernando sits down with Kevin Thomas, Vice President of Enrollment Services & Student Success at the University of Central Arkansas, to discuss the growing questions around the value of higher education, student trust, and how institutions can better connect with students and families.

The conversation begins with a striking contrast in public perception: while many Americans believe higher education is heading in the wrong direction, a majority of students still trust their own institutions. Kevin explains that transparency and accountability are critical, and that students are right to expect strong career outcomes and a clear return on investment from higher education.

He also argues that institutions often struggle to tell their story effectively. Universities tend to focus heavily on curriculum and academics, while overlooking the broader student experience, the relationships, support systems, personal growth, and sense of belonging that define college life beyond the classroom.

Kevin reflects on his own journey into higher education, sharing how his passion for helping people and supporting student success shaped his career across residence life, advising, retention, and enrollment leadership. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes that care, purpose, and human connection remain central to the work.

The discussion also explores UCA’s efforts to improve affordability and access through scholarship programs for Arkansas families earning under $100,000 annually. Kevin shares how proactive outreach, personalized communication, and financial support helped drive enrollment growth by reaching students who previously believed college was out of reach.

On the role of AI and automation, Kevin sees technology as an opportunity to reduce operational burden across admissions and student support teams, while still preserving the relationships and individualized guidance students value most.

The episode closes with an important insight for enrollment leaders: processes matter, but relationships matter more. Building trust, connection, and individuality is what ultimately shapes the student journey and strengthens institutional impact.

In this episode of EDU Unlocked, Ashish Fernando sits down with Jonathan Koppell, President of Montclair State University, to explore what it really means to expand access to higher education while delivering meaningful outcomes.

Jonathan shares a clear perspective: access alone is not enough. Without an equal commitment to excellence and student success, the mission of higher education remains incomplete. He highlights that access must be paired with outcomes; it falls short of its purpose.

The conversation dives into the broader challenge of opportunity. Jonathan explains that when access to higher education is limited, talent, ambition, and potential across society are left underdeveloped. Creating systems where opportunity is widely available is not just an institutional priority, but a societal one.

He also reflects on the most meaningful part of his role, engaging directly with students. Through experiential learning, internships, and real-world exposure, he highlights the importance of helping students recognize and realize their own potential.

On the relevance of formal education, Jonathan offers a balanced view. While demand remains strong, as seen through record FAFSA completions, he raises important concerns around low completion rates and uneven post-graduation outcomes. He said that institutions should take greater responsibility for student careers and earnings, especially as students increasingly seek purpose and fulfillment in their work.

The conversation also touches on the role of AI, which Jonathan frames as an ongoing period of evolution, signaling both change and opportunity for institutions willing to adapt.

This episode offers a thoughtful perspective on access, accountability, and the evolving role of higher education in shaping student success.

In this episode of EDU Unlocked, Ashish Fernando sits down with Ajita Talwalker Menon, President & CEO of Calbright College, to explore what it really takes to build a community college designed for today’s learners.

Ajita shares that Calbright’s transition to a fully online model was not just about moving courses online. Instead, it was intentionally designed to better serve adult learners, those balancing work, childcare, and other life responsibilities through a flexible, fully online approach.

The conversation dives into the shift from seat-time education to competency-based learning, where the focus is on building real-world skills aligned with workforce needs. Ajita explains how Calbright prioritizes asynchronous, self-paced learning and emphasizes career navigation alongside education, ensuring students are prepared not just to learn, but to succeed economically.

She also highlights that the value of online education goes beyond program offerings. True impact lies in combining accessibility with strong learner support systems that help students persist and complete their goals.

The discussion then turns to the rapid rise of AI and its implications for higher education. Ajita takes a clear stance that there is no room for a “wait and see” approach. Institutions must actively build AI readiness while ensuring that learners develop not only technical capabilities but also durable skills like critical thinking, resilience, and adaptability.

At the heart of it all, she underscores a powerful idea: even in a technology-driven world, human connection remains essential to meaningful learning.

Ajita also reflects on her journey into higher education, shaped by her experience in federal policy, the nonprofit sector, and the influence of her mother.

This episode offers a thoughtful look at how institutions can rethink access, outcomes, and the future of learning.

In this episode of EDU Unlocked, Ashish Fernando sits down with Brian Sondey, Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success at Dutchess Community College, to discover how enrollment leadership is evolving in today’s higher education landscape.

Brian’s journey into higher ed is anything but traditional. From being a Division III NCAA basketball athlete to working in sales and coaching, his path eventually led him into admissions, where he’s spent over 15 years shaping how institutions connect with students. That background still influences how he approaches enrollment today, with a strong focus on relationships, persistence, and understanding student needs.

The conversation dives into how student expectations are changing, especially with the rise of first-generation students, adult learners, and digital-first behaviors shaped by social media. For Brian, the focus has shifted from simply enrolling students to ensuring they are choosing the right programs, whether that’s microcredentials or degrees that directly impact career outcomes.

He also emphasizes that recruitment alone isn’t enough. Institutions need to focus just as much on retention and student success, ensuring that students not only enroll but actually thrive. At Dutchess, that means combining human effort with technology, from CRM systems to multiple software tools that streamline recruitment, enrollment, and retention processes.

Brian also addresses the evolving perception of community colleges, noting that while they may have historically struggled to communicate their value, that narrative is beginning to change. With more intentional engagement and clearer outcomes, community colleges are repositioning themselves as powerful pathways to career success.

The discussion also explores the impact of AI and automation, particularly on adult learners and the workforce. Brian takes a direct stance: education remains one of the strongest predictors of economic mobility and personal fulfillment. At the same time, he sees AI as a transformative tool, one that institutions must adopt thoughtfully, with a clear roadmap for the future.

This episode is a grounded and practical look at enrollment, technology, and what it really takes to support today’s students in a rapidly changing world.

In this episode of EDU Unlocked, Ashish Fernando sits down with T. Ramon Stuart, President at WVU Tech, for a deeply personal and thoughtful conversation on what student success really looks like in higher education today.

T. Ramon shares how his journey into leadership has been shaped by his upbringing, especially his mother’s path from GED to PhD while navigating financial challenges. It’s where one of his core beliefs comes from. Students don’t really drop out. They stop out, and with the right support, they can always come back.

Coming from an engineering background, he brings a different lens to leadership. For him, failure isn’t really failure. It’s a matter of preparation. That mindset shows up in how he approaches challenges, focusing on designing solutions early rather than reacting when things go wrong. He extends this idea into what he calls “people engineering,” creating environments where individuals are supported to overcome challenges and succeed.

The conversation also gets into what actually drives growth for institutions. It’s not just about bringing more students in. As he puts it, you can’t recruit your way to success. Retention is where the real work happens, and it takes alignment across the entire institution.

A big part of that comes down to culture and connection. Knowing students by name, building real relationships, and creating a sense of belonging can change how students show up and how they succeed. That same thinking extends beyond campus through his idea of a “communiversity,” where the university and the surrounding community grow together and support each other.

They also touch on AI, where T. Ramon takes a balanced view. It has a clear role to play in improving how institutions operate, but it needs to be approached thoughtfully, with the right guardrails in place.

Overall, this is a conversation about people, culture, and the kind of leadership it takes to build systems that actually work for students

In this episode of EDU Unlocked, Ashish Fernando sits down with Gary Stocker, Founder of College Viability, to unpack the financial realities reshaping higher education.

Gary brings a candid perspective on the growing instability within the sector, highlighting why the era of blind trust in colleges is coming to an end. With increasing instances of sudden college closures, students and families are being forced to look more critically at institutional health before making decisions.

He explains how, for decades, strong student demand allowed colleges to operate without deeply prioritizing financial sustainability. However, with the demographic cliff and declining enrollment, that reality has shifted dramatically. Today, even a single bad enrollment year can take up to five years for an institution to recover from.

The conversation also explores the unintended consequences of tuition discounts and merit scholarships. While they benefit students, they often create long-term financial trauma for colleges, masking deeper structural challenges. Gary points to a growing imbalance between the number of institutions and the pool of students willing to pay, even at discounted rates.

He also discusses the evolving perception of a college degree, acknowledging both the significant value it can offer and the increasing number of students questioning whether it is necessary.

In this episode of EDU Unlocked, Ashish Fernando sits down with Heather Herrera, Vice President of Strategy & Innovation at San Francisco Bay University, to explore what it truly takes to drive meaningful change in higher education.

With over 25 years of experience across teaching, accreditation, institutional research, and program development, Heather brings a deeply grounded perspective on how transformation actually happens inside universities.

She challenges the idea that change can be driven through top-down mandates, emphasizing that real progress happens through people, not policies, memos, or systems alone. The conversation explores how institutions must identify the right enablers and remove structural obstacles to truly support student success.

Heather also shares a nuanced perspective on AI adoption in higher education. She explains why many leaders approach AI as a procurement decision, rather than as a tool to enhance teaching and learning. Instead, she advocates for a more intentional approach- one that involves building, training, and governing AI systems with strong attention to data access, privacy, and closed-loop accountability.

The discussion also highlights the importance of human-centered AI, where technology amplifies human effort rather than replacing it. Heather underscores the need to equip students with the skills to use AI responsibly and ethically in an evolving academic landscape.

This episode offers a thoughtful, practical perspective on leadership, innovation, and the future of higher education in an AI-driven world.