With little fanfare and in the face of strong educator opposition, the New Mexico Public Education Department has repealed a rule designed to foster leadership opportunities for teachers while keeping them in the classroom, a program widely praised for its impact on professional development and teacher retention.
The written repeal of Rule 6.65.4, dated Sept. 9, came during a brief period when the state had no secretary of education. Arsenio Romero resigned on Aug. 28, and Mariana Padilla was named as his successor on Sept. 10.
The repeal order was signed by Candice Castillo, deputy cabinet secretary.
“The department notes that the program is still supported by PED guidance, and PED remains committed to maintaining the Teacher Leader Network and Advisory Committee and the Teacher Liaison programs,” a PED document announcing the decision says.
The rule was introduced by PED in 2018.
A public hearing on the proposed repeal held on August 20 at the Jerry Apodaca Education Building in Santa Fe, attracted significant attention, with more than 200 educators voicing their opposition to the repeal.
Rachael Sewards, Founder and Head of School at Solare Collegiate Charter School, described the potential repeal as a “strong negative message” to the education sector. “Removing teacher leadership from rule communicates that PED doesn’t believe there’s a seat for teacher leaders at decision-making tables, nor does it see value in building up our field with young and aspiring leaders.” Sewards wrote.
Sewards, along with many other educators, credited the Teacher Leader Development Framework with having a profound impact on her career. Her journey from participating in the inaugural Teacher Leader Network to founding her own school is a testament to the program’s influence, she said.
During the public comment period leading up to the hearing, the NMPED received a flood of responses, totaling 80 pages of complaints, from educators who said they have benefited from the program.
Joe Lovato, a teacher involved in PED’s past leadership initiatives, expressed his concerns: “The repeal of these programs will be viewed by us as educators as the devaluing of our input and leadership potential,” Lovato stated in his written comments.
Kelly Pearce, a former teacher ambassador, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the personal and professional growth she experienced thanks to the program. Now working in a national education role, Pearce said she is concerned about the message the repeal sends to future educators.
Some educators went beyond opposing the repeal, offering suggestions to modernize the framework to better align with current educational goals. These suggestions include focusing on literacy, supporting students impacted by the Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit, and ensuring consistent and relevant data collection.
As of now, the PED has not provided detailed reasons for the repeal. However, officials have hinted that certain elements of the Teacher Leader Development Framework may continue in some form on the department’s website, though they will no longer be codified in state rules.
With the hearing concluded, the decision now lies with the Public Education Department, which is now without a Secretary. Educators across New Mexico are left in suspense, hoping their voices have been heard and that the state will reconsider the repeal.
Mariana Padilla, a long-time New Mexico educator and close confidant of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, has been named the state’s new Public Education Secretary.
Padilla has served as the Director of the New Mexico Children’s Cabinet since the start of the Lujan Grisham administration. Before that, she served as the congresswoman Lujan Grisham’s state director for six years.
She replaces Arsenio Romero, who served as secretary for 18 months before resigning in August when he was named a finalist for the presidency of New Mexico State University.
A native of Albuqueruque’s South Valley, Padilla began her career as an elementary school teacher in Albuquerque Public Schools. She later earned dual master’s degrees in community and regional planning and water resources from the University of New Mexico.
“I am incredibly honored to be appointed by Gov. Lujan Grisham to lead the New Mexico Public Education Department,” Padilla said in a press release. “My career has been focused on serving the communities and families of our state. I am committed to working collaboratively with students, families, educators, and community partners to achieve the outcomes we all want to see. As a parent of grade school students, I share the sense of urgency to deliver for our kids.”
On September 11, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in Mayfield v. U.S. Department of Labor that upholds DOL’s authority to implement a minimum salary threshold to determine exempt status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime pay requirements. While the ruling does not answer how other lawsuits challenging the Biden administration’s rule will be decided, the ruling is significant and could help other federal judges determine whether or not to strike down the Biden administration’s increased minimum salary thresholds.
Background
The case’s plaintiff, Robert Mayfield, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s overtime rule in August 2022. In his lawsuit, he argued that the FLSA language on overtime exemptions only mentions a worker’s job-related duties and that implementing a salary threshold to determine exempt status exceeds DOL’s statutory authority. The Western District Court of Texas, a lower court where the lawsuit was originally filed, sided with DOL, stating that the agency has the statutory authority to implement the FLSA overtime minimum salary threshold. Mayfield appealed the decision to the 5th Circuit soon after.
The Decision
In its decision that sides with the Department of Labor, the 5th Circuit Court held that DOL may use a minimum salary requirement as part of its test for determining whether or not an employee qualifies as an executive, administrative and professional (EAP) employee exempt from the FLSA overtime pay requirements. Notably, the 5th Circuit Court argued that DOL does have statutory authority under the FLSA to use a salary threshold to “define and delimit the terms of exemption.”
Though the decision allows for DOL to use a minimum salary threshold, the 5th Circuit Court did state that there is a limit to the power granted to DOL to do so. Specifically, the decision states that DOL may only use the minimum salary requirement to the extent that the salary threshold established in the regulations is a reasonable proxy for who is and who is not an EAP employee. They argued that DOL’s power to rely on proxy is not “unbounded” and that the agency “cannot enact rules that replace or swallow the meaning” of the FLSA’s terms that they seek to define.
Looking Ahead
Outside of the Mayfield case, there are three pending lawsuits in the Eastern District Court of Texas to challenge the Biden administration’s overtime final rule. That rule implements a two-phase approach to increasing the minimum salary threshold under the FLSA. The first increase took effect on July 1, increasing the minimum salary threshold from the current level of $684 per week ($35,568 per year) to $844 per week ($43,888 per year), and the second increase is set to take effect on January 1, 2025, increasing the minimum salary threshold again to $1,128 per week ($58,656 per year).
The decision from the 5th Circuit does not have an immediate impact on the lawsuits challenging the Biden administration’s overtime rule, nor does it provide a definitive answer on how lower courts decide in those legal challenges. As such, the Biden administration’s July 1 salary threshold continues to be in effect,* and the second increase to the salary threshold is still set to take effect on January 1, 2025. CUPA-HR will keep members apprised of additional updates related to the FLSA overtime pay regulations.
*A preliminary injunction to block DOL from enforcing the overtime final rule was placed for public employees in the state of Texas. Private institutions in Texas and all other institutions outside of Texas need to be in compliance with the July 1 salary threshold.
The frequently used term “adult students” no longer captures the dynamic, diverse, and evolving population pursuing a degree today. Data from EducationDynamics’ Online College Students and Marketing & Enrollment Management Benchmarks reports show that the average age of learners is decreasing, and that their needs are growing more complex. Whether they are first-generation college students, single parents or veterans seeking to advance their career, these individuals represent what we now define as the Modern Learner. These learners are shaping the future of higher education by driving a demand for flexible, accessible, and affordable learning opportunities that meet their diverse needs. In a recent episode of the EdUp Experience Podcast, Dr. Joe Sallustio, the host of The EdUp Experience, Dr. Melik Khoury, President and Chief Executive Officer at Unity Environmental University and Greg Clayton, President of Enrollment Management Services of EducationDynamics, discuss the trends reshaping higher education and offer insights into how institutions can better serve Modern Learners amidst changing times.
Beyond Traditional Categories
The Modern Learner is not defined by age – it’s a mindset. Gone are the days when “traditional student” and “adult learner” were distinct categories. Today, a diverse range of individuals, from recent high school graduates to seasoned professionals, are seeking education on their own terms. This shift is driven by a fundamental change in how students approach education, influenced by technology, individual aspirations, and an evolving job market.
Modern Learners often juggle busy lives, whether they are working professionals, parents, or recent graduates. Therefore, an education that seamlessly integrates with their personal and career goals has become crucial. They seek learning experiences that fit their unique circumstances, allowing them to pursue their passions and advance their careers.
Regardless of what their circumstances are, Modern Learners are not limited by geographic location or traditional educational barriers. They expect affordable and accessible learning opportunities.
As a result, Modern Learners have redefined the typical adult student profile by prioritizing flexible, career-focused programs that fit into their busy schedules. Traditional models and assumptions about age are no longer relevant, and institutions must adapt to these needs, focusing on providing accessible education that aligns with the personal and professional goals of Modern Learners.
Building a Student-Centric Model
Responding to the needs of the Modern Learner requires higher education institutions to move away from an institution-centric model and embrace a student-centric one. This involves a deep commitment to understanding and addressing the diverse needs of Modern Learners, rather than adhering to outdated practices and structures. Embracing various learning modalities including online, hybrid, and residential programs, while acknowledging the value of each, is paramount. Additionally, by recognizing that online learning is a valuable and equal learning pathway, institutions can provide more flexible, accessible, and relevant educational opportunities that align with the goals and lifestyles of today’s Modern Learners.
We really started to look at each and every one of our subsidiaries for, it didn’t matter how old you were, it was more how did you want to learn?
To fully address these evolving needs, institutions must create personalized learning experiences and adapt program structures to accommodate varying schedules and preferences, which will more effectively engage Modern Learners.
Navigating the Challenges of Change
However, adapting to the needs of the Modern Learner is not without its challenges. Many institutions encounter resistance to change, ingrained practices, and varying levels of awareness about the evolving student landscape.
This resistance often stems from a reliance on traditional models, driven by a fear of disrupting established practices and structures. As a result, institutions may hesitate to adopt online learning, resist new marketing strategies, or cling to familiar, albeit outdated, approaches.
It’s amazing how many universities, if you ask them about the cost of acquisition, they would have no idea…Many institutions don’t even understand the concept of you can’t have a regional recruitment and marketing strategy and hope for a national draw.
Traditional marketing strategies are becoming less effective in reaching the Modern Learner, as this population responds better to online channels, targeted digital marketing campaigns, and social media engagement. Adapting marketing strategies to better connect with this demographic is crucial. Additionally, demonstrating a clear return on investment is equally important, as Modern Learners make quick decisions—often within one or two weeks—based on the immediate value and benefits of their program choices.
The thinking about marketing and how to market to students has to evolve…The amount of time they want to wait is one to two weeks before, so maybe a month. And that’s it.
Successfully meeting the needs of the Modern Learner is rooted in building a culture of innovation and experimentation. This involves a willingness to embrace new approaches, learn from mistakes, and continually refine programs and processes to better serve student needs.
A key aspect of serving the Modern Learner is pivoting to shorter, more skill-focused program offerings. By aligning curricula with industry demands and ensuring flexibility, institutions can better support students in acquiring relevant skills and advancing their careers.
We actually don’t care anymore about majors…my faculty doesn’t identify their value based on our majors, but by the disciplines.
Beyond adapting program design, Modern Learners also require a positive and supportive learning experience. Investing in technology, enhancing student support services, and cultivating a campus culture that fosters engagement and success are essential components of this experience.
Additionally, prioritizing data-driven decision-making is vital to guiding program development and implementation. By using data to assess program effectiveness, track student success, and inform resource allocation and program design, institutions can ensure their strategies are grounded in evidence rather than relying on traditional methods.
Are You Ready to Attract the Modern Learner?
The higher education landscape is changing, and adapting to the needs of the Modern Learner is essential for success. Embracing innovation, moving away from traditional practices, and prioritizing the student experience are critical components for success in today’s learning environment.
Don’t ask me to be innovative and be bound to tradition, be bound to what has come before me, be bound to pedagogy that is tried and true
Flexibility, adaptability, and continuous improvement serve as tenets for institutions successful in meeting the Modern Learner’s needs. Institutions that excel in these areas are more likely to distinguish themselves from the competition. By shifting their governance structures, decision-making processes, and faculty training to encourage innovation and flexibility, they can better meet the evolving expectations of Modern Learners and remain competitive in a rapidly changing higher education environment.
The future of higher education hinges on the ability to adapt. By prioritizing innovation, the student experience, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, institutions can not only survive, but thrive in this new era of learning. To enter this new era of higher education and elevate your institution’s programs to new heights, reach out to EducationDynamics. Together, we can drive meaningful change and achieve your goals.
Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira.
Fired Professor Who Praised Hitler Loses Free Speech Retaliation Lawsuit
The New Jersey Institute of Technology prevailed in a federal lawsuit brought by a former philosophy lecturer alleging retaliatory discharge. The professor’s employment agreement was not renewed after a New York Times article exposed his involvement in the “alt-right” (a far-right, white nationalist movement), including his praising Adolph Hitler as a “great European leader” and linking IQ to race. In dismissing the lawsuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey held that the professor’s speech disrupted, and would likely continue disrupting, the university’s administration and interfered with the university’s mission (Jorjani v. N.J. Inst. of Technology ((D.N.J. No. 2:18-cv-11693, Jud entered 7/31/24)).
The judge held that public employers can restrict the speech of employees without violating the First Amendment when necessary to maintain effective and efficient operations. The judge also emphasized that the university did not need to wait for protests and demonstrations in order to show disruptions in operations before acting.
NLRB: Private Colleges and Universities Must Bargain With Unions Representing Student Employees Over FERPA-Protected Information
On August 6, 2024, the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a memo acknowledging the potential conflict between the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regarding union requests for personal information about student employees. The NLRB general counsel concluded that colleges and universities in this situation must bargain with the applicable union over disclosure of such information and explain why the information request would violate FERPA.
Further, the NLRB concluded that the college or university can bargain with the union over the distribution of FERPA waivers to applicable student employees but that asking the union to hand out such waivers would be unreasonable and a violation of the employer’s duty to bargain in good faith because the union does not have the student contact information. The general counsel concluded that the college or university should hand out the waivers when the union does not have the student employees’ contact information.
Proposed $2.8 Billion NCAA Settlement on Hold as Some Student-Athletes Object
Some student-athletes claiming the NCAA artificially capped the size of college athlete scholarships too low, as well as those pursuing fair-pay claims, objected to the $2.8 billion proposed settlement of the NCAA and the Power Five conferences antitrust case. Plaintiffs in these two areas are asking the Northern District of California court to carve out their claims from the proposed settlement so that they can pursue individual claims in further litigation. The federal judge overseeing the matter questioned the proposed settlement and concluded that the settlement needed a better explanation of damages and a clearer understanding of how much each class member can expect to gain (In re College Athlete NIL Litigation (N.D. Cal. No. 4:20-cv-3919. Brief filed 8/9/24, Fontenot v. NCAA D. Colo. No. 1:23-cv-03076, and Cornelio v. NCAA D. Colo. No. 1:24-cv-02178)).
Two former Brown University student-athletes have dropped their objection, concluding it will not preclude them from proceeding separately in an antitrust claim against the Ivy League. The two former men’s and women’s basketball players have alleged separately that the Ivies have engaged in an illegal agreement which raised the price of an Ivy League education by illegally suppressing compensation for their services. They alleged that Brown only provided them with need-based assistance that did not cover the full cost of their education.
Boston University Graduate Workers Strike Is Longest in the Last Decade
Lasting over 150 days, the Boston University graduate workers strike is the longest student employee strike in the last decade, according to the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions, located at the City University of New York’s Hunter College. The BU strike, which began on March 25, eclipses a similar work stoppage of 147 days at the University of Michigan in 2023. An unauthorized “wildcat” strike at the University of California, Santa Cruz may have lasted longer but the National Center points out that strike was unauthorized by the applicable union. The center concludes that this is part of the significant increase in unionization of both undergraduate and graduate student workers that has occurred over the past few years.
The Boston University graduate workers formed their union in December 2022. The union is still engaged in efforts to secure their first collective bargaining agreement. September 3 will be the beginning of the second semester in which the grad student workers are striking. Teaching and regular higher education functions have continued at the university, though some interference with regular activities has been reported.
Attract and Retain the Right Students for Your Institution
Choosing a higher education program is often a defining moment in a person’s life. Whether it’s a teenager deciding on a traditional, on-ground undergraduate program, or someone in their late 30s selecting an online master’s program — it’s a big decision, and one that can be heavily influenced by the experiences they have with the institutions they’re considering.
Your students don’t just deserve a great experience, they expect it. Which is why identifying opportunities to enhance the student journey at your institution is essential.
In the competitive world of higher ed enrollment, the ability to attract and retain students goes beyond offering picturesque campus views or flexible online scheduling. It hinges on understanding and navigating the complexities of the process a student goes through, from their initial awareness of your program all the way through to their graduation, and identifying where students can get stuck, or worse, drop off.
When it comes to enhancing the student journey, I’m often asked, “Where is the best place to start?” To that end, this article dives into some of the most common areas for improvement. Focus on these areas and you’ll be on your way toward delivering a stand-out student experience.
This article explores:
Common bottlenecks institutions face at different stages of the student experience
Methods to identify the most important issues
Strategies for prioritizing improvements to maximize impact
Common Bottlenecks in the Student Journey
Institutions aiming to enhance the overall student experience need to understand where students tend to get stuck. By pinpointing these bottlenecks, your university can devise strategies that streamline the journey and boost student engagement and retention. Some common points of friction in the enrollment process include:
Top of the Funnel: Driving Awareness
Every student journey begins with awareness, but getting potential students to visit your institution’s website to gain awareness of its programs can be a stumbling block. Many universities face challenges due to poor audience targeting, ineffective creative strategies, or a lack of investment in organic channels like websites and content strategies.
If your awareness efforts are falling short, your potential students won’t land on your university’s digital doorstep. This means opportunities to engage and inform them go untapped, which sets the stage for a cascade of engagement issues downstream.
It’s called an enrollment funnel for a reason — if you don’t attract enough qualified traffic at the top, the bottom of your funnel will fall short of your goals.
Mid-Funnel: Generating Interest
Let’s say your awareness efforts are working, and your brand, story, and program marketing tactics are finding prospective students. Once these prospects are aware of your institution and have visited your site, the next challenge is to convert them into active inquirers. In other words, getting them interested enough to raise their hand by filling out a form, contacting an enrollment advisor, or even starting their application.
This stage often suffers from two main issues:
Attracting too broad of a range of individuals, including many who are unqualified or not aligned well with the institution’s programs or areas of specialization
A mismatch between what prospective students expect to find and what the website provides
If your paid ads told one story and your website tells a totally different one, it can be a turnoff for prospective students. If the content does not resonate with potential students’ academic aspirations, they are less likely to take the next step. If you’re not highlighting what makes an education at your institution truly unique or how it connects to your target audience, it’s likely that your content won’t resonate, even if you did identify the right audience.
Bottom of the Funnel: Growing Application Submissions
What’s every enrollment leader’s least favorite word? Melt. Even after marketing to the right audience and generating inquiries, there’s often a drop-off before the application stage — commonly known as the application melt.
This is a delicate phase, where bad strategy moves and overly clunky processes can cause big problems. This could include generic follow-up communications that fail to engage the interests of prospective students, a lack of personalized experiences that can make students feel valued, or insufficient time spent nurturing and managing these warm leads. Each of these factors can lead to a significant reduction in the number of completed applications.
Methods to Identify Student Experience Bottlenecks
Now that we’ve covered the most common bottlenecks, let’s talk about how to identify where these bottlenecks are showing up in your student experience. Once you identify them, you can target improvements effectively and efficiently. Methods to identify bottlenecks include:
Benchmarking
A powerful starting point for identifying pain points is benchmarking your institution’s performance against your peers or similar programs. Benchmarking involves a comprehensive comparison of your processes, outcomes, and student satisfaction levels to those of other institutions.
By evaluating where you stand in relation to your peers, you can identify specific areas where you lag behind. Benchmarking provides a clear, external perspective on your institution’s relative strengths and weaknesses, guiding you toward the most impactful areas for enhancement.
Leveraging Internal Data
Once you understand the external picture, you can dive in internally. Your internal data is an invaluable resource for tracking the effectiveness of changes in the student experience. By analyzing metrics such as enrollment rates, drop-off points, and student feedback before and after implementing changes, you can gauge their impact.
This approach helps you identify which efforts are helping the student experience and which aren’t, allowing you to make data-driven decisions. It also enables you to adapt your strategies dynamically, continuously improving the student journey as students’ needs continue to evolve.
Intuition and User Testing
As we all know, data alone isn’t enough. Intuition and direct feedback play a crucial role in creating the full picture of your student experience. Conducting user testing sessions in which potential or current students navigate your enrollment process can reveal obstacles that data might not capture. This can be as simple as a conversation or as intricate as a survey.
Additionally, personally walking through each stage of the student journey yourself can provide you with insights into the emotional and practical challenges prospective students face. Think of it as acting like a secret shopper — fill out an inquiry form and see what happens. This method helps you uncover hidden roadblocks that might not be evident from quantitative data alone, adding a human element to your analysis.
Fixing Bottlenecks With ICE Scoring
Now that you’ve got a list of bottlenecks to fix, you need a system to prioritize them. This next critical step ensures that you properly allocate your time and resources. The ICE scoring framework, which stands for impact, confidence, and effort, is a structured approach to evaluating potential fixes and deciding which ones to tackle first.
Impact
The first step, impact, involves evaluating how much a potential fix could enhance the student experience.
Fixes that address issues at the top of the funnel, such as increasing awareness and initial engagement, often get a high score because they can influence the largest number of prospective students. The more qualified prospective students you can get into your enrollment funnel, the more you’re likely to enroll.
By prioritizing high-impact fixes, you can see substantial improvements in overall student engagement and satisfaction.
Confidence
Confidence measures how certain your institution is about the effectiveness of a proposed fix. This assessment is based on evidence from user testing, adherence to best practices, personal experience, and insights from experts in the field.
For example, if you get a large volume of inquiries outside of business hours, you can give a high confidence score to an effort that would engage students at any hour, like Onward or a chatbot.
A high confidence score indicates a strong belief that the fix will achieve the desired outcome, reducing the risk associated with resource allocation. You are more likely to succeed when you base your decisions on robust, tested solutions.
Effort
The final component of the ICE framework is effort, which estimates the time, financial investment, and organizational energy required to implement a fix. This step also considers the level of internal buy-in necessary to move a project forward.
Effort scoring helps you understand the resource demands of each potential fix, allowing you to consider its feasibility against its expected benefits. Implementing a new learning management system (LMS) is a huge project that requires organization-wide input and execution. This equals a high effort score. Refreshing your creative assets? Much less effort.
Prioritizing fixes that require reasonable effort but offer significant impact can lead to more sustainable and effective improvements.
Implementation and Iteration in the Student Experience
Improving the student experience is not a one-time thing. It’s an ongoing process that demands continuous attention and optimization. As your institution implements changes, you’ll need to monitor the effects and iteratively refine your efforts based on the outcomes.
Monitoring Results
The first step after implementing any change is to closely monitor the results. Key performance indicators (KPIs), such as cost per lead, application melt, enrollment numbers, student retention rates, and satisfaction scores, are a gold mine. Continuous monitoring validates the effectiveness of new strategies and highlights areas that may require further attention.
Rinse and Repeat
Once the initial results are known, the next step is to apply the ICE framework again — this time to any new bottlenecks or existing issues that were deprioritized in earlier rounds. This iterative approach ensures that your resource allocation remains dynamic and responsive to the evolving needs of your students and your institution.
Ready to Improve Your Institution’s Student Experience?
At Archer Education, we understand the transformative power of full-funnel data visibility when you’re improving your student experience. Our commitment to transparency and knowledge sharing drives our partnerships with colleges and universities, helping higher ed leaders and marketers exceed their online learning growth and enrollment goals.
Our experienced team is adept at identifying and addressing the bottlenecks that can hinder student journeys, utilizing strategies like those outlined in this article to maximize impact. By applying the ICE framework, we help institutions prioritize and implement improvements that significantly enhance the student experience.
If you’re ready to transform your student journey and achieve remarkable outcomes, contact our team today, and explore how our offerings can bring your educational goals to fruition.
The 2023 NCES completion data points to some interesting – and impactful – student trends that continue to paint a picture of a fundamentally changing set of priorities for the Modern Learner. Specifically, more students are moving towards degrees that have firm career outcomes, either in furthering their current career or starting a new endeavor.
Institutions need to pay attention to these trends in order to prepare themselves for a radically different higher education market in the next 5-7 years. This includes prioritizing programs that align with the market’s appetite, as well as re-investing in the value proposition of programs that are currently declining in popularity.
Other Highlights
Associate degree completions saw marked decline, which is notable considering the growth of Undergraduate Certificate completions. Students seem to be preferring certificates that can lead to employment opportunities.
STEM programs continue to either grow or remain stable, depending on the level of the degree. This was most notable at the Graduate level. As more jobs continue to require advanced degrees, this trend is set to only grow in importance.
Liberal Arts programs across all levels experienced significant YoY reductions in completions. Schools that are defined by their Liberal Arts programs will need to assess ways in which they continue to project relevance as the market shifts.
Undergraduate Health Profession programs also saw a decline, which goes against the commonly held belief that the labor market and these programs are continuing to grow. This is something that should definitely be monitored and evaluated, to ensure that institutions do not over-invest in a sector that may be slowing.
2023 NCES Completions Data and the Changing Priorities of the Modern Learner
The 2023 National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) completions data offers a rich and complex tapestry of insights into the trajectory that the Modern Learner is taking their education. As enrollment managers and marketers, it is our imperative to move beyond surface-level observations and delve into the intricate patterns and implications woven within these numbers. This data serves not merely as a historical record but as a powerful compass, guiding us towards a deeper understanding of the Modern Learner’s market demands, and the strategic decisions that will chart the course for institutions in the years to come.
This year’s data unveils a series of significant shifts in student choices, reflecting both the evolving needs of the labor market and the lingering reverberations of the COVID-19 pandemic. We observe a notable decline in associate degree completions, particularly in general studies and humanities, while undergraduate certificates continue their upward trajectory. At the bachelor’s level, STEM fields remain stable, while other areas, especially those associated with traditional liberal arts programs, face headwinds. Graduate programs, particularly in STEM disciplines, are experiencing a surge in completions, and both undergraduate and graduate certificates continue to gain popularity.
In this analysis, we will dive deep into the data, exploring the specific programs experiencing growth or decline, examining the multifaceted factors driving these trends, and discussing the profound implications for higher ed. We will delve into the remarkable growth in graduate programs and certificates, highlighting the increasing demand for advanced credentials in the labor market. We will also confront the undergraduate decline, exploring the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the looming 2025 enrollment cliff, with a particular focus on the challenges facing private non-profit liberal arts schools. By understanding these multifaceted trends and their interconnectedness, we can proactively adapt our strategies, ensuring that our institutions not only remain relevant and competitive but also thrive amidst a landscape in flux.
Associate Degree: Trade Focused
The 5% decline in associate degree completions is notable both in what programs dropped and which programs are continuing to see growth. The most significant drop emanates from Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies, and Humanities, programs that have historically served as a bridge to further education or a broad foundation for diverse career paths. 61% of the YoY decline were in this category. The decline in these areas, coupled with the simultaneous rise in undergraduate certificates, suggests a growing preference among students for more focused, career-oriented pathways that offer a faster and more tangible return on investment.
This shift in student preferences is not surprising in the context of a rapidly changing labor market that increasingly values specialized skills and knowledge. Students are seeking educational pathways that provide them with a clear and direct route to employment and career advancement. In this environment, the perceived value of broad-based, general education programs may be diminishing.
However, amidst this overall decline, we observe encouraging signs of growth in fields directly aligned with high-demand skills. Programs such as Construction Trades, Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians, and Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services have all witnessed increases in completions. This trend underscores the enduring value of associate degrees that equip students with tangible, marketable skills, enabling them to seamlessly transition into the workforce and meet the demands of employers seeking skilled talent.
Bachelor’s Degree: Value Proposition Challenges
At the bachelor’s level, we encounter a mixed bag of stability and change. While STEM fields remain a stronghold, with only a negligible 0.07% dip, other areas, particularly those associated with traditional liberal arts programs, are facing challenges. The most pronounced decline occurs in Health Professions, a field traditionally associated with strong job prospects and stable growth. This decline, juxtaposed with the increase in master’s level completions in Health Professions, suggests a potential shift towards requiring advanced degrees for certain healthcare roles. This mirrors a broader trend of “graduate degree bloat” in the labor market, where employers increasingly demand advanced credentials for positions that previously required only a bachelor’s degree.
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly exacerbated the challenges facing undergraduate programs. The disruption to traditional learning models, coupled with economic uncertainty and concerns about the value of a college degree, has led many students to reconsider their educational plans. The looming 2025 enrollment cliff, which predicts a significant drop in the number of high school graduates, further compounds these challenges, creating a perfect storm for undergraduate enrollment.
Private non-profit liberal arts schools are particularly vulnerable in this environment. The growth areas in the undergraduate space are mainly concentrated in STEM programs, leaving liberal arts institutions grappling with declining enrollments and a need to reimagine their value proposition. Adapting to this changing landscape will require innovative approaches to curriculum design, student support, and career services. Tuition driven, liberal arts institutions must demonstrate the relevance and value of their programs in today’s world, not only highlighting the critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills that their graduates possess (which has always been their particular promise), but also their undergraduate’s career opportunities.
Graduate Studies: Career Growth and Specialization
Graduate programs, especially those in STEM disciplines, are experiencing a period of remarkable growth. The 51% and 25% surges in Computer and Information Science and Support Services and Engineering master’s completions, respectively, echo the trends at the bachelor’s level and underscore the premium placed on advanced technical expertise. The overall 30% rise in STEM master’s completions further solidifies this trend, reflecting the insatiable demand for skilled professionals in these fields.
This surge in graduate completions aligns with the broader trend of graduate degree bloat (others might more favorably describe it as “expansion”) in the labor market. As certain industries and professions increasingly require advanced degrees for career advancement, we can anticipate continued growth in graduate programs, particularly in fields that offer a clear pathway to high-demand, well-paying jobs. This presents a significant opportunity for institutions to expand their graduate offerings and cater to the growing population of working professionals seeking to upskill and advance their careers.
Graduate certificates are also experiencing growth, with a 2% increase in completions. The growth in fields like Computer and Information Technology, Psychology, and Engineering/Engineering-related Technologies/Technicians demonstrates the appeal of these focused credentials for professionals seeking to enhance their skill sets or transition into new careers. The flexibility and shorter duration of graduate certificates make them an attractive option for busy professionals who may not have the time or resources to pursue a full master’s degree – especially if the certificates are tied to a degree later.
The flourishing graduate landscape presents a wealth of opportunities for institutions. Expanding graduate program offerings, enhancing online and hybrid learning options, and strategically marketing to working professionals are all essential strategies for capitalizing on this growth. The increasing popularity of graduate certificates also underscores the need for institutions to develop a diverse portfolio of graduate programs that cater to the varied needs and preferences of learners.
Navigating the Data’s Implications for Engaging with the Modern Learner
The 2023 NCES completions data provides a roadmap for navigating the complexities of the higher education landscape. The trends we’ve observed highlight the growing preference for career-focused programs, specialized credentials, and flexible learning options. They also underscore the challenges facing undergraduate programs, particularly in the liberal arts, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the approaching enrollment cliff.
To thrive in this environment, institutions must be proactive, agile, and data-driven. The Modern Learner is looking for clear career outcomes – not just in program availability but in the flexibility that comes with balancing work with furthering education. They want to know exactly what they can expect from their investment of time and money to the program. Schools must also reimagine their programs, enhance student support services, and strategically market offerings to meet the evolving needs of learners and the demands of the labor market. They need to embrace innovation and explore new models of education that provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century.
For associate degree programs, this may involve a greater emphasis on career-focused pathways, stackable credentials, and partnerships with employers. Bachelor’s degree programs, especially in the liberal arts, may need to re-articulate their value proposition, highlighting the transferable skills and lifelong learning benefits that their graduates acquire. Graduate programs should continue to expand and innovate, offering a mix of traditional degrees and flexible certificates to meet the diverse needs of working professionals.
Above all else, if this data is speaking to troubling realities on campus, the most important takeaway should be: trying the same strategies that are producing tepid results in regards to enrollment growth will not be the solution going forward. If you are seeing challenging enrollment numbers for any level of program, think about how your institution can more readily adapt to these changing trends, whether that be introducing multiple starts per term, reworking tuition costs, or making better strategic use of marketing and enrollment processes for priority programs.
Is Your Institution Ready for the Modern Learner?
We help schools all the time who have been trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, and often the solution is for an outside perspective to create a vision for the future. The time to act is right now, there is a quickly closing time frame for ensuring a flourishing future for your institution. In fact for many schools, it is already too late. The Modern Learner is moving at a swift pace, and if universities do not keep up, they will quickly be left behind.
I’m delighted to announce that I have joined the great people at 1EdTech (formerly IMS Global) as their Chief Strategy Officer. The Empirical Educator Project (EEP) and ALDA are being merged into the organization. I will still write here at e-Literate. In fact, I will probably be writing more again. I will share my personal (though work-related) views here. I will also write in my official capacity on the 1EdTech Learning Impact blog, which I encourage you to follow.
In a completely unexpected way, this role promises to be the culmination of the work I’ve been doing about for 20 years on this blog and striving toward my entire professional life. In this post, I’d like to tell you more about that.
Putting the “ed” into “EdTech”
I’m a teacher from a family of teachers. If you just look at the educator part of Tim Walz’s biography and values, he looks a lot like my father. Dad grew up in Wisconsin, taught social studies, and eventually became an elementary school principal. He married an educator and raised three educators, all of whom married educators (though not all of us are immediately recognizable as such). As my role model, Dad taught me that supporting educators is an honorable calling. And difficult in its own way.
I first grew interested in EdTech (though we didn’t have a name for it back then) because it forced me to become more conscious of and thoughtful about my teaching instincts. Teaching online required me to recognize and translate some teaching moves, let go of others, and invent new ones. It helped me become more thoughtful about my practice. Later, I discovered that it helped me open up other educators to being more thoughtful about their practice in a context where they didn’t feel defensive.
Over the years, as I grew professionally and thought out loud with all of you in my public writing, my sense of both context and craft broadened and deepened. I learned about learning science. I became aware of the complex, continuously growing, and evolving ecosystem that creates and supports educational technology. My calling to serve educators evolved into a drive to facilitate systemic change.
What force is powerful enough to create systemic change? It’s people in the system working together toward a common cause.
Problem solving, together
Throughout the years that I’ve interacted with 1EdTech in various ways, I’ve always thought of it first and foremost as a community of people who work together on concrete projects that serve education. Importantly, most of the people who do that work are not employed by 1EdTech. Their work is supported by their EdTech company, university, or school. So really, 1EdTech is a community of collaborating organizations and a community of collaborating individuals. Both are important. 1EdTech’s major output (though not its only output) is interoperability specifications.
Once these specifications are completed, the collaboration continues. In fact, it broadens. The people who create the software go back to their teammates. Together, those teams incorporate the specifications into their various products. Many educators use those newly enhanced products to help them with teaching and learning. They inevitably find problems, dream up new ideas, and find new needs. Their feedback brings the 1EdTech collaborators back to the table, where they improve the specification. And so on.
Being a part of an organization where people across the sector come together to solve real problems is…intoxicating. It’s what I’ve always wanted. As an educator, I believe that the values and principles behind the process are very close to my ideals of teaching and learning. When we build together to solve real, meaningful, unsolved problems, we learn together. The things we learn often help us solve harder meaningful problems.
My career to date has weaved in and out of contact with 1EdTech, sometimes being pretty close to it and other times being fairly distant. But regardless of my own involvement at any given moment, some of the friends I most admire in 1EdTech have been directly involved. The organization is akin to what mathematicians call a “strange attractor.”
1EdTech’s standards, through their interactions with market forces, shape a chaotic system into underlying patterns. They create structures and behaviors that aren’t immediately apparent but have a lasting effect on the industry’s evolution.
These standards may not always dictate the immediate path of EdTech development, but they serve as an invisible guide, channeling innovation and collaboration within certain bounds. Market forces like vendor competition, regulatory pressures, or institutional demand interact with these standards, creating product development’s complex and sometimes chaotic appearance. Yet, if you observe over time, patterns emerge, and the influence of 1EdTech becomes more visible in the form of common practices, compliance incentives, interoperable solutions, and even cultural change.
Let’s take a closer look at how that happens.
The lore
I’ve come to know 1EdTech through the people who work there—both staff and volunteers—and the story they tell. I will name a few of the member participants throughout its history because, even more than most organizations, 1EdTech runs on them. They are important. My anecdotes will focus on collaborators who are not 1EdTech staff. I will have lots to say about my wonderful new 1EdTech colleagues in the future. But today, I want to focus on the dynamic that brings people together from the outside—even from competing companies—to collaborate for the common good.
The stories I will tell are not definitive and may not be entirely accurate. However, I either experienced them myself or heard them from other 1EdTech participants. In other words, they are stories that participants tell themselves and each other about the collaboration (as I remember them).
Let’s start at the beginning. In the 1990s, two guys from Cornell started making hay with a product called “Blackboard.” Across the continent, a product called “WebCT” sprung up in British Columbia. There were others. It became clear that a product category was forming. At the time, these virtual classrooms were being called Instructional Management Systems, or IMSs. One person following this change closely was a guy named Ray Henderson, who was working at Pearson at the time. Maybe you’ve heard of Ray if you’ve been around long enough. Maybe you knew him from his tour of duty at Blackboard. Or from his leadership at ANGEL, which Blackboard acquired. Or from eCollege. He has been one of the most quietly influential people in EdTech during the decades that I’ve been in it.
While at Pearson, Ray had the foresight to realize that the publishers would have to integrate with or import content into these new IMSs. They needed some kind of common import format. This would help the publishers and, importantly, it would also help the students. Curricular materials needed to be accessible inside the digital classroom. So Ray and some of his counterparts at competing companies banded together, threw some money in a pot, and formed an alliance to create the Common Cartridge standard.
That founding story illustrates the foundational spirit animating 1EdTech to this day. Interoperability is funded by enlightened self-interest. Students must navigate a digital world. We must work together to make digital education navigable for them and the people who help them learn.
In those early years, I was not yet a part of this world. In October of 2006, I wrote (as an outsider) that learning platforms, which by then were called LMSs here in the US, should not only import but also export Common Cartridge. Why? Because LMS lock-in was a harder problem back then. I was working at the State University of New York System, trying to move thirty-odd campuses off of a dying LMS, and wondering how it could be less painful next time. One part of the answer was to make a technical standard that allowed a course to be moved out of one LMS and into another. If I recall correctly, ANGEL, under the leadership of Ray Henderson at the time, became the first LMS to export in Common Cartridge format.
It may not seem like much now. Common Cartridge isn’t used as heavily for either of these purposes anymore (although you might be surprised by its continuing value in parts of the EdTech ecosystem that may be invisible to you). But at the time, it enabled educators and students to bring digital curricular materials into their digital classrooms. It made moving from one LMS to another less painful, helping to enable real competition in the LMS space.
Two months after I wrote the Common Cartridge export post, I found myself employed by Oracle. There, I worked with people like Curtiss Barnes—current CEO of 1EdTech—and Linda Feng—current Chief Architect at D2L and 1EdTech Board member, among other great colleagues. At the time, SISs and LMSs didn’t integrate. Student rosters had to be hand-imported from the SIS to the LMS, or else expensive consulting services would be required to build a custom integration. Every time. Just to get the students and instructors imported into the same digital classroom. At the end of the semester, instructors had to copy final grades from their LMS digital grade book into their SIS digital grade book.
It was madness. An outrageous waste of valuable staff and instructor time. Plus, the students often had to wait for days between when they registered for a class and when they actually could access it in the LMS. So my Oracle colleagues and I went to IMS. We worked with EdTech partners, competitors, and university folks who dealt with this integration problem. Together, the group created a new version of the LIS standard to solve these problems. Unless you deal directly with the guts of these systems, you have probably never heard of LIS. That’s good. The vast majority of you shouldn’t have to. Nobody focused on teaching and learning should ever have to spend a minute of their time wondering how grades travel from one electronic grade book to another. That’s the point. You should know that many colleagues from across the sector thought hard about this problem so that you don’t have to. That’s important too.
At about the same time that a group of us were working on LIS, 1EdTech unleashed a madman upon the world. Or maybe it was the other way around. A guy named Chuck Severance was hellbent on plugging the learning tools he wanted into the LMS he wanted. Up until then, if somebody wanted to build a special add-on for your discipline, like a molecule modeler for chemistry or a writing checker for English, they had to build their integration for the most widely adopted platform (in the US)—Blackboard—and might or might not be able to afford to integrate with the others. This, too, kept out potential LMS companies that could compete to provide better products. Chuck was ideal for this work because he owned both a problem and a “product.” His problem was that, as a University of Michigan computer science professor, he wanted to teach his way with his tools. He was also a major developer and, for a period of time, the Chief Architect of the Sakai open-source learning management system. He decided he would make sure that his preferred teaching tools would integrate with his preferred LMS. And he had an idea how to make it happen. (He was inspired by previous 1EdTech work led by Chris Vento, my former manager at Cengage and another EdTech legend that I have written about before and will almost certainly write about again.)
Chuck went on a mission. Literally. He drove to LMS companies and tool providers. He’d stay at nearby hotels. And he’d tell them, “Hey, since I was passing by, I thought I’d stop in, and we could knock out an LTI implementation for your product. It’ll only take a day or two.” And they did. In exchange, Chuck tattooed their logo on his arm. I tried, unsuccessfully, to convince him to tattoo the Cengage logo on his forehead. That’s a pretty high bar to measure the limit of someone’s commitment.
Chuck changed the world.1 I don’t have the data to prove this, but I bet if you graphed the growth of ASU-GSV attendance against the growth of LTI integrations during those early years, the curves would align closely. Suddenly, a wide range of tools became economically viable to create and sell. LMS usage grew as virtual classrooms became more fit for purpose. They could transform generic electronic classrooms into chemistry labs, software programming labs, writing classrooms, virtual field trips, and many other specialized learning environments. I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that Instructure rose to prominence at this time. One of their early major PR pushes was to create an LTI exchange. They saw it as important to their growth. And all you VCs reading this? I challenge you to find out which of your portfolio companies benefit from implementing LTI or some other 1EdTech standard.
I could tell more stories. I’ve met so many great people who have contributed to 1EdTech in one way or another. There is alchemy here. Somehow, commercial interests, personal passions, friendships, rivalries, and a lot of diplomacy produce magic. It’s easy to see where EdTech is broken. We quickly forget after something broken is fixed. After something good is made better. After people solve a problem together and they…move on to the next problem. This work is largely invisible to most. Yet its impact has been large and unpredictable at times.
I’ve given you a tiny taste of what the organization has done so far. Before I took this job, I consulted for 1EdTech for three months. I’ve looked under the hood. The potential to do more is enormous. I’m all in now.
1EdTech, EEP, and me
I’ll let you in on the magic behind 1EdTech. It’s not that complicated, although it is very hard. People want products that solve their problems. You’ll find opportunities if you bring the people with the problems together with those who make solutions. Facilitation and diplomacy are critical to turning those opportunities into real outcomes. That’s where the staff comes in. But it’s all made possible by getting the right people together in a room and starting the right conversation.
We live in a fascinating time. Technologists, educators—we’re all having trouble keeping up with big changes on so many fronts. It’s a particularly fertile moment to solve problems together. And these are big problems. We’re no longer focused solely on moving a roster or a course design from one system to another (although those are still important). We’re thinking about the value of the data in its own right to help students learn and succeed. We’ve barely scratched the surface of that potential, particularly at the scale that 1EdTech can influence.
For the last decade of my career, I’ve tried various ways to bridge the gaps between people who own educational problems, research educational improvements, and build educational solutions. Often, I’ve done this as a consultant, acting as a marriage counselor between product suppliers and educational institutions. Sometimes, it was through the Empirical Educator Project, which tried to bring researchers with provably effective methods for helping students into the conversation.
I love this work. The first EEP conference, hosted in 2018 at Stanford, succeeded beyond my wildest hope. I honestly had no idea what would happen if I simply brought together people who didn’t normally talk to each other and fostered conversations about collaborative problem-solving. Here are some of their unscripted reactions:
Magic.
We had a spectacular follow-up, twice the size, at Carnegie Mellon in 2019. The university announced its huge Open Simon learning engineering software contribution at the summit. And then…COVID.
I did what I could. I ran Blursday Socials to keep people engaged. I tried my hand at co-founding an EEP-fostered start-up (with none other than Curtiss Barnes). I ran a virtual conference on Engageli. I’m running the ALDA workshop series. And, of course, I consulted.
But at the end of the day, I’ve mostly been just a guy with a blog. As I recently told a friend, I’ve spent my career looking for a large enough lever to move the world. I found a big pole, but I lacked a fulcrum until now. EEP will be vastly more impactful as a part of a larger organization.
1EdTech is an amazing organization. I am privileged just to be on the team. As my tribe says, “Dayenu.” It would have been enough. Having the opportunity to bring my own contribution—honoring the legacy of the folks named in this post and many, many others—is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
How it will all work together is yet to be determined. In my new role, I’m no longer just that guy with that blog. I’m part of a team trying to accomplish many ambitious things simultaneously. We’ll figure it out together.
That means you, too. If you’re an e-Literate reader, then you’ve probably been benefiting from 1EdTech whether you knew it or not. Merging EEP into 1EdTech signals that the organization is working on new ways to include more people in the collaboration. As Abraham Lincoln put it, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
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If you’ve scrolled TikTok recently, you might have noticed that some of your favorite creators have started bringing up their other handles, encouraging you to follow them on different platforms. With the ban possibly becoming effective as early as January 2025, this trend is becoming increasingly popular. From micro-influencers to brand giants, creators are taking decisive action, urging their audiences to follow them on alternative platforms as a failsafe. These creators aren’t just reacting—they are leading the pack by ensuring that their followers stay connected, no matter what challenges lie ahead.
As the calendar inches closer to January, the time to rethink and implement your digital strategy is now.
For marketers who have leveraged TikTok’s platform to amplify their brands and connect with consumers in unprecedented ways, the looming possibility of bans or restrictions raises pressing questions about the sustainability of their marketing strategies. As we navigate this pivotal moment in digital marketing history, it’s crucial for marketers to assess the implications of potential TikTok bans and explore alternative strategies to adapt to an evolving landscape.
Understanding the Current Landscape
In April 2024, President Biden signed the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to find a buyer within nine months or face a nationwide ban in The United States. The legislation, if enacted, would result in TikTok losing all market share in the U.S., effectively removing the app from the country’s digital landscape and preventing millions of American users from accessing its content.
The ban stems from rising concerns over national security and data privacy, given ByteDance’s origins in China. American policymakers and critics of TikTok contend that the Chinese government could gain access to sensitive data and influence Americans on geopolitical issues, both posing significant concerns for American users’ privacy and national security. U.S. Lawmakers have cited these concerns by drawing attention to potential laws that could “allow the Chinese government to secretly demand data from Chinese companies and citizens for intelligence-gathering operations.” Additional concerns include the app’s ability to fuel misinformation through TikTok’s content recommendations. This isn’t the first time these fears have been highlighted, as President Trump attempted to ban the video-sharing app back in 2020.
In May 2024, TikTok responded to President Biden’s proposed ban with a lawsuit, arguing that the bill violates Americans’ First Amendment rights. If the bill succeeds, the ban will remove TikTok from all app stores, effectively hindering the ability for the platform to garner new downloads and provide updates to active users, which would render TikTok obsolete over time.
The ban on TikTok could significantly impact the way marketers manage their advertising. Currently, U.S. ad businesses on TikTok are anticipated to see $10.42 billion in ad revenues in 2024. Furthermore, forecasts anticipate that TikTok will “make up 12% of US social network ad spend and 3.4% of US digital ad spend in 2024.” TikTok’s potential ban underscores the critical need for marketers to stay informed and adaptable, given the platform’s sizeable relevance in the U.S. ad market.
Building a Multi-Platform Ecosystem
In an era of rapid digital evolution, building a multi-platform ecosystem is no longer just a strategy—it’s a necessity. The volatility of social media platforms is no secret. Given recent challenges with platforms like Twitter, now X, we’re well aware of the vast changes in the realm of social media. The potential TikTok ban further underscores the risk of relying too heavily on a single platform. For marketers, this means a single-threaded approach to video marketing is a vulnerability they cannot afford.
One of the most effective ways to mitigate such vulnerability is to diversify. At EducationDynamics, we have long recommended a diversified approach when it comes to marketing at any point in the funnel. This strategy involves distributing your marketing efforts across multiple stages to achieve optimal stability and reach.
Our target audience consumes media across multiple channels and mediums, and always has. New vendors will always appear in the mix to test and integrate into full funnel marketing plans, but it is never recommended to place all your eggs in one basket. We need to reach our audience multiple times across multiple platforms to have effective reach and frequency.
Building a robust brand presence beyond TikTok is crucial, and investing in owned media channels such as websites and email newsletters is essential for gaining the most long-term value. An optimized website serves as the hub for your institution’s brand, providing credibility and important information about your institution’s unique offerings.
Similarly, email newsletters play an instrumental role in the student journey by fostering engagement and creating lasting relationships with both prospective and current students. Through personalized and consistent email communications, you will be able to keep your student audiences connected, engaged, and informed on the latest updates and offerings your institution has.
Lastly, it is essential to monitor ongoing regulatory developments and adapt your strategies accordingly. The looming TikTok ban, and ever-changing social media landscape illustrate that shifts can occur at any time. Staying informed about these changes is crucial for being able to pivot your strategy and remain compliant with the latest regulations. By equipping yourself with the most current information, you can ensure that your marketing efforts stay relevant and that you can continue to effectively reach your audience.
Evaluating Alternative Platforms
As the social media environment continues to shift, understanding where your target audience is most engaged becomes increasingly important. In EducationDynamics’ 2024 Online College Student Report, we surveyed students to ascertain their media consumption habits and platform preferences.
According to the report, most online college students reported using Facebook (75%), TikTok (74%), and Instagram (72%) daily. However, a significant portion reported daily use of Snapchat (66%), Twitter (56%), Discord (48%) and LinkedIn (44%).
While Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram dominated daily usage, online college students reported LinkedIn (42%) as the most helpful and trustworthy platform when researching schools. Reddit (33%), Facebook (32%), Twitter (28%), and Instagram (25%) followed in terms of usefulness for this purpose. Only 19% found TikTok helpful for school research.
Given the potential ban on TikTok, the most viable options for delivering video content are LinkedIn for its trustworthiness and strong daily usage, Facebook and Instagram for broader reach and informal engagement, and Facebook and Instagram Reels for further boosting informal engagement and brand building opportunities.
Understanding which platforms are best suited for specific types of content and engagement can help you maximize their potential and mitigate potential losses from a TikTok ban. Prioritizing LinkedIn for research, strategically utilizing Facebook and Instagram, as well as exploring the latter platforms’ reels features for informal engagement opportunities offers a balanced approach to reaching and engaging online students in a changing social media landscape.
Expanding Reach through Multi-Platform Video Marketing
The 2024 Online College Student Report also found that nearly all online college students (98%) consume content from one or more streaming services. Seventy-five percent of online college students stream media daily on YouTube, making it the platform with the largest usage and largest opportunity for schools to build brand awareness and consideration. This highlights the importance of a diverse marketing strategy with a full funnel approach comprised of multiple platforms that deliver personalized messaging tailored to prospective students’ place withing their enrollment journeys.
At EducationDynamics, we encourage video production that can be used across platforms, in a variety of dimensions, and highlights what makes the university unique, such as student testimonials and graduation. By capturing this ‘evergreen’ video, we can quickly shift focus in social media platforms when challenges (or exciting changes like new apps) like this arise
The rise in alternative platforms for video marketing offers marketers a flexible approach by enabling the use of the same video content across multiple channels. This adaptability ensures that marketers can maximize their reach across multiple audiences by tailoring their content to the unique preferences of each platform. Additionally, marketers can now repurpose video files across platforms without worrying about intrusive cropping or coverage by platform-specific icons, titles, or captions. This ‘safe zone’ within a video guarantees visibility on all platforms, reducing the stress of potentially losing valuable messaging.
Consider These TikTok Alternatives for Your Video Marketing Needs:
Instagram Reels
Facebook Reels
YouTube Shorts
Reddit
LinkedIn
If the TikTok ban goes completely undownloadable, schools need to take away how TikTok changed the social media playing field. It changed how brands entertain while delivering information. Schools can see what content was successful for the platform and how they can develop other content for different platforms. TikTok also showed how quickly audiences can adapt to social media platforms, meaning it is essential to stay up to date with all social media adaptations and changes.
The landscape of higher education marketing, like all sectors in the digital realm, is marked by constant evolution. As both consumers and marketers, we understand the importance of safeguarding our data and audiences across platforms. The potential fate of TikTok serves as a reminder that new platforms will inevitably emerge, challenging the status quo and reshaping how we engage with audiences. Just as marketers have navigated through shifts in platforms in recent years, adaptability and proactivity remain paramount. The resilience of marketers throughout history underscores the industry’s ability to weather such storms. While legal challenges to platforms like TikTok may present hurdles, they are just one of many bumps in the road, and with each challenge comes an opportunity for innovation and growth.
With the uncertainty around platforms like TikTok, now is the perfect time to adopt a multi-platform approach designed for the entire student journey. Our experts can help you build a resilient, full-funnel marketing strategy that drives enrollment, regardless of future shifts. Reach out today to start the conversation.
FAQs About the TikTok Ban
This FAQ section will be regularly updated to reflect the latest developments regarding the TikTok Ban. Check back for new insights and answers to frequently asked questions.
How did we get here?
TikTok’s undeniable popularity surged during the pandemic, with lockdowns driving a significant increase in users. During this time, the app saw a staggering 45% increase in monthly active users from July 2020 to July 2022. According to data from the 2024 Online College Students Report, 74% of online college students who use social media visit TikTok daily. With over 1 billion monthly active users, TikTok quickly became a major player in social media, known for its ability to spark viral trends and innovative marketing opportunities. However, its future is now uncertain due to growing regulatory and geopolitical challenges. As these issues continue to unfold, TikTok’s position in social media has become increasingly uncertain.
What is the current status of the TikTok ban?
While a complete US TikTok ban isn’t in effect yet, the situation is evolving rapidly. Several states have banned TikTok on government devices, and there’s ongoing discussion at the federal level about potential security risks and data privacy concerns.
How might a TikTok ban affect my marketing efforts?
TikTok ban could significantly disrupt your marketing efforts if you rely heavily on the platform to reach prospective students. Losing access to your TikTok audience and content could mean losing valuable brand awareness, engagement, and lead generation opportunities.
Are there any contingency plans I should have in place?
Absolutely. Don’t wait for a ban to happen before you act. Here’s what you should be doing:
Diversify your social media presence: Focus on building a strong presence on other platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and even emerging platforms relevant to your target audience.
Download and save your existing TikTok content: This way, you’ll have a library of assets you can potentially repurpose on other platforms if needed.
Focus on building your owned channels: Prioritize growing your email list, website traffic, and content marketing efforts to reduce reliance on any single platform.
Engage with your TikTok followers on other platforms: Encourage them to connect with you elsewhere to maintain that connection.
What are the potential alternatives to TikTok for marketing purposes?
LinkedIn: Enables targeted outreach to prospective students during their decision-making process, capitalizing on the platform’s reputation for credible professional networking and industry insights.
Facebook and Instagram: Offer powerful tools for amplifying brand awareness, cultivating vibrant online communities, and driving early-stage engagement through diverse content formats and a vast, active user base.
YouTube Shorts: Provide access to YouTube’s massive audience, allowing institutions to connect with prospective students through engaging short-form video content while also leveraging the platform’s strength in longer-form video.
How can I stay updated on the latest developments regarding TikTok bans?
To stay updated, don’t hesitate to leverage your EDDY resources, as we are always here to help you with your marketing and enrollment journeys! In addition, we recommend following Social Media Today and HubSpot’s Blog as resources for staying aware of the latest industry updates.
Links to additional resources about the latest news about TikTok:
