Rachel Romer

Now live: The 2025 Benchmark Report on Payment Visibility in Higher Education​ Every transaction tells a story. But most higher ed institutions aren’t hearing it.​ We surveyed hundreds of higher education finance and operations leaders and found:​ - 73% don’t track where students abandon payments​ - 88% juggle multiple disconnected systems​ - 98% can’t connect payment behaviors to student outcomes​ When systems don’t talk, the signals get lost—and so do the insights that could prevent student attrition or budget shortfalls.​ 👀 It’s time to see what’s been hiding in plain sight. ​ Read the Report→ https://hubs.li/Q03V7dnK0

7

Thanks so much to E. Whitney Soule for leading this panel with Carolyn Blair and me at #SXSWEDU! In the spirit of the panel’s theme of “calming the storm,” while a lot has changed in college admissions, one really important thing has stayed the same: Most colleges admit most applicants. In fact 75% of Common App’s 1,100+ member institutions admit more than half of their applicants. If you are interested in pursuing postsecondary education, there are institutions that want you and will welcome you!

57

1 Comment

The demand is high! Our new analysis, "Raising Demand for Top Development Officers in Nonprofit," offers crucial insights into executive compensation, revenue correlations, and talent strategies. Understand how to attract and retain these vital leaders. #nonprofit #developmentofficer #executivecompensation #fundraising https://lnkd.in/e2ZWNNQP

12

1 Comment

Oregon’s public universities are facing a hard M&A-style reality: declining enrollment, flat state funding, and high tuition dependence are driving a push for institutional integration—shared services, program rationalization, and even potential mergers. This is less about cost-cutting and more about value creation, meaning that universities must operate like strategic portfolios. Each program and campus should demonstrate measurable outcomes, career impact, and alignment with regional workforce needs. Redundant or underperforming offerings can’t persist if institutions want to remain sustainable. From a broader lens, higher ed is entering a phase of “market discipline.” Integration and consolidation are now both financial and governance imperatives. Institutions that fail to act risk both financial insolvency and the loss of credibility with students, families, and policymakers.

4

Last week, the JobPath, Inc. team visited the ASU Helios Decision Center for Educational Excellence, a dynamic space created by the Helios Foundation and ASU to showcase labor market and workforce development data through interactive visualizations. For data nerds like me, it was a dream come true—wall-to-wall monitors displayed data in charts and graphs to explore all things labor, job market, and workforce development. We dove deep into labor data to better understand high-wage job opportunities and the educational or training pathways leading to them. The Decision Center pulls from Lightcast, local education institutions, and census data to provide insights for employers, schools, and workforce programs like ours. At JobPath, we’ve spent 26 years helping under-resourced adults train for in-demand, high-paying careers. Yet we know that many in our community—despite being underemployed or unemployed—don’t see these jobs as accessible. Often, it’s a matter of not having the right information or believing those jobs are out of reach. This visit reinforced our commitment to bridging that gap. With the insights we gained, we’re excited to launch a community campaign to share low-barrier pathways to careers that offer financial stability and a future. I’ll share more about Career Compass in future posts.

24

2 Comments

Eric Tucker and Edward Metz explain how public seed funding, exemplified by SBIR, can effectively scale innovative edtech delivering immense value at minimal cost per user https://lnkd.in/g4Ndzgen

11

The gap between annual fund and major gifts is where revenue opportunities often get lost. Mid-level donors have capacity and connection, but advancement teams often can't provide the consistent cultivation they need. Virtual Engagement Officers fill this gap by autonomously managing portfolios of 1,000 donors with personalized engagement that drives revenue growth. Through year-round cultivation, VEOs upgrade giving amounts, reactivate lapsed donors, and develop major gift prospects, turning missed opportunities into realized revenue and an expanded pipeline. See what's possible for your organization: https://lnkd.in/eaS95RVw

22

Big time announcement! We are excited to launch our FREE AI Literacy Courses for grades K-12! Through a grant with Utah Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity and in partnership with Davis Catalyst Center, Skill Struck created: 🔥 Semester & year-long AI Literacy courses for grades K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12 🔥 Lesson plans, plugged and unplugged student activities, and digital textbooks We are excited to be at the forefront of helping K-12 student gain the durable skills they need to make an impact in a changing world. We are just getting started!

160

29 Comments

This is an incredible opportunity. The only public chance to hear Sangeet Paul Choudary speak, author of "Reshuffle-Who wins when AI restacks the knowledge economy".

6

When it comes to AI, schools and districts need a thoughtful plan that balances innovation with personal and professional responsibility. Our latest ebook, "AI Readiness for School Districts: A Superintendent's Complete Guide" helps K-12 leaders implement sustainable implementation through clear, phased milestones. Download the AI Integration Readiness Roadmap and learn how your educators and students can benefit from AI in a safe and purposeful way! https://lnkd.in/gtVC-mxi. #AIinEducation #K12Coalition #EdLeadership #AIReadiness

15