Category: This and that

Back and Forth

It’s been ages since I updated my blog. I guess having two kids has prioritized my time just a bit.

The last post on this blog was back in 2019 when I wrote about our move from the United Kingdom to the United States.

And then the pandemic struck a year after we had moved.

One of these days I’ll get around to writing something about my move from being a freelance consultant (9 years!) to being a vice president for two different edtech companies and then leaving my last role in order to be a full-time parent to my two kids.

But this post is really more about our news from 2022…when we moved to the Netherlands.

3 countries in 3 years. Just a quick update. Nothing fancy or in-depth. Back to part-time freelancing for me whilst Gillian is full-time freelancing with her writing business.

We’re learning Dutch and making friends from around the world who have settled in the Randstad. With more than 1,500 miles (2400+ km) on the bakfiets (Dutch cargo bike), we are cycling daily and enjoying life.

Enrollment Growth Hero

If you’re interested in all things related to university enrollment, admissions, and recruitment, I would recommend reading the Enrollment Growth Playbook from Helix Education.

Here’s my take on the playbook from earlier this year:

The Enrollment Growth Playbook represents next generation thinking about how universities and colleges think about their enterprise-level goals, growth, marketing, enrollment, retention, and data intelligence.

Recently, the team at Helix Education contacted me about a new interactive game-based version of the Enrollment Growth Playbook.

Continue reading Enrollment Growth Hero

The Enrollment Growth Playbook

To those who believe deeply in the power of higher education, all while tenaciously pushing for its betterment.

Enrollment management has long been one of my professional areas of interest. As a core function within higher education, enrollment growth matters. Recently I had the chance to read a new book on this particular subject from Helix Education.

The Enrollment Growth Playbook represents next generation thinking about how universities and colleges think about their enterprise-level goals, growth, marketing, enrollment, retention, and data intelligence.

Continue reading The Enrollment Growth Playbook

Reflections on the ANZSSA Conference in Auckland, New Zealand

The Australian New Zealand Student Services Association (ANZSSA) Annual Conference in Auckland, New Zealand was one of my favorite events of 2016. It took almost a year’s worth of planning and prep for me to make it to the Southern Hemisphere, but in the end, it was an epic conference in a wonderful city.

Special thanks to Alison Dow, Andrew Tui, and Jordi Austin for the opportunity to give multiple talks including a keynote at the event, a pre-conference workshop, and a special presentation for staff at the Unitec Institute of Technology.

I’ve included my slide decks for all three presentations at the end of this post.

Continue reading Reflections on the ANZSSA Conference in Auckland, New Zealand

Traversing Engagement, Experience, Teaching, and Learning

Slides and description from my keynote talk last month at the University of Greenwich Academic Practice and Technology (APT) Conference:

Are we really “post digital?” when we are still having to teach the “why” and “how” of digital engagement?

It seems like the gap that we’re trying to bridge is more about organizational culture than technological challenge. Our new normal is all about engagement. Assuming we have the capability, we just need a shift in our motivations and expectations.

In 2016 (and beyond), Universities and Colleges are shifting towards a market in education in which teaching, learning, employability, student experience, and digital engagement is the epicentre. Providing a balance of views, hope, digital best practice, and “across the pond” comparison, this keynote will set the tone for a day designed to both enhance and challenge our digital capabilities.

Tweets from attendees:

Continue reading Traversing Engagement, Experience, Teaching, and Learning

Crafting a consultancy

What I’ve been up to…

Blogging, tweeting, learning, running, writing, reading, listening, cooking, speaking, volunteering, traveling, consulting, and sleeping.

It’s been 8’ish months since I last gave an update on the blog. Once again, I’ve been quite busy (in a good way). In fact, being busy as a consultant is always a good thing. I’ve spoken at events all over the UK, gave a keynote to an international audience in Mallorca, Spain, and traveled back to the United States to consult with two of my favorite higher education clients.

By the way, as I am constantly crafting my consultancy, here’s my latest description on what I do for a living:

I teach individuals and organizations (usually universities and colleges, but sometimes businesses too) how to communicate more effectively using digital channels. Effective communication via social media includes all things related to marketing, recruitment, student engagement/experience, career development, alumni relations, identity development, “customer” service, teaching/learning, and organizational change.

[Complete list of consulting/speaking engagements thus far for 2016]

Lastly, I have to give a huge shout-out to Jisc for inviting me to speak at their annual DigiFest conference in Birmingham. Definitely one of the neatest events that I’ve ever been to…so much technology!

7 Months is a Good Thing

It’s been 7 months since my last post on this blog. Of course, this is a good thing. Why? Well, it means that life has been quite busy with all sorts of things. Working in the US and the UK has kept me quite busy. When all is said and done for the year, I will have taken 3 epic consulting trips to the US and managed to establish/grow a consulting/speaking presence in the UK. And, I’ve been writing a lot for Inside Higher Ed.

Thankfully, virtual content delivery has been an effective way for me to “present” at US-based events as well as take on work with US clients in a way that doesn’t have me taking too many flights.

The past 7 months has been filled with learning as much as possible about UK higher education via in-person conversations, social media engagement, and reading everything in sight. Of course, I’m also still continuously plugged-in to everything that’s happening in US higher education.

Eric and Gillian

Additionally, Gillian and I have had several opportunities to travel in Europe (Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and France) and we even ran our first half-marathon in October…In case you’re wondering, the Cardiff Half Marathon is a wonderful event. So, apologies for being a bit less active on this blog.

My bio page as well as my speaking/consulting page are always up-to-date.

Make Time For Learning

Eric Stoller and my watch

Lifelong learning is exciting. The constant ebb and flow of learning new things makes each day an adventure. If you don’t have time to learn, are you really living? What message are you sending out to your kids, your spouse, your co-workers, your friends, or anyone else that matters to you when you say that you “don’t have time to learn how to do ______?” Remember, learning is lifelong. Learning never stops.