NACUBO In Brief

Sharon Butler is deeply familiar with the “uneasiness and concerns” that international students face when it comes to paying tuition and other expenses. As Executive Vice President of Global Education at Flywire, a global payments enablement company that partners with institutions across the world, she is looking for solutions to these problems. In a conversation with NACUBO’s Bryan Dickson, director, student financial services and educational programs, Sharon shares findings from a recent a survey of more than 1,800 students across the world and talks about the importance of reducing friction to help students find the right solution. Links & Notes View Flywire’s study Unlocking the Door to Higher EducationConnect with Sharon on LinkedInConnect with Bryan on LinkedIn

On the heels of a recent fly-in advocacy day on Capitol Hill, NACUBO’s director, government affairs, Ashley Jackson speaks with policy and advocacy manager Neil Gavigan about the state of play in Congress. The conversation touches on highlights from that fly-in and examines how fallout from the protracted FY24 appropriations process, along with upcoming elections, may affect the legislative calendar for months to come. Links & Notes Visit NACUBO’s Advocacy Issues PageWatch NACUBO's Advocacy 101 WebinarConnect with Ashley on LinkedInConnect with Neil on LinkedIn

Every year, students and families rely on federal student aid to make decisions about higher education. As the Department of Education has struggled to implement a streamlined version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), pressure has steadily increased on students, families, and the institutions that serve them. In this episode, Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) joins NACUBO’s Bryan Dickson, director of student financial services and educational programs, to discuss the far-reaching challenges brought about by this rough rollout. Links & Notes Visit NASFAA’s FAFSA Simplification Center Watch NACUBO’s Update on “Better FAFSA” ImplementationConnect with Justin Draeger on LinkedInConnect with Bryan Dickson on LinkedIn

In this special episode, Kara Freeman, NACUBO’s president and CEO, interviews two familiar higher education colleagues about their recent book, The Resilient University: How Purpose and Inclusion Drive Student Success. Throughout the conversation, Freeman Hrabowski III, president emeritus, and Lynne Schaefer, vice president emerita for finance and administration at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), share insights earned through careers in together in higher education leadership at UMBC. Their discussion touches on the role leaders must play in meeting campus challenges, building an inclusive community, the purpose and value of higher education, and much more. Links & Notes The Resilient University: How Purpose and Inclusion Drive Student Success NACUBO’s State of Higher Education Series: More Is Possible With Higher EducationConnect with Kara on LinkedInConnect with Lynne on LinkedInWatch this episode on YouTube

NACUBO’s Liz Clark, vice president, policy and research, speaks with Emily Brock from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) about what’s expected from Washington policymakers this year. Emily is director of GFOA’s Federal Liaison Center and shares her thoughts on what legislative and regulatory actions may impact financings (bonds) and talks about the patience needed as we await additional guidance from the federal government on several fronts. Links & Notes About GFOAGFOA Best PracticesGFOA ESG Disclosure Resource Page on the Financial Data Transparency ActBackground on the FDTA NACUBO News: IRS Opens Direct Pay Election Tool for Clean Energy CreditsConnect with Emily on LinkedInConnect with Liz on LinkedIn

In a conversation based around their NACUBO 2023 Annual Meeting session, Lou Mayer, chief finance officer, vice president of finance and treasurer and Tej Patel, vice president for information technology and chief information officer at Stevens Institute of Technology talk with Neil Gavigan, policy and advocacy manager at NACUBO about cyberattacks and higher education. Throughout the conversation, Lou and Tej illustrate why higher education is a prime target for cybercrime and share lessons learned from a 2019 ransomware attack on Stevens. Links & Notes Connect with Lou on LinkedInConnect with Tej on LinkedInConnect with Neil on LinkedIn

On this all-NACUBO episode of the podcast, Liz Clark, vice president, policy and research speaks with Kelli Rainey, senior director, grant programs about Kelli’s ongoing work to help institutions strategically finance equitable student outcomes. Supported by a series of multi-year grants, this effort has partnered NACUBO with a diverse group of 26 institutions across the country to build understanding around how to improve student outcomes and provide higher education leaders with the tools and information they need to best serve their students. Links & Notes Connect with Kelli on LinkedInConnect with Liz on LinkedIn NACUBO Grant and Foundation Partners

Chris Harder, senior fiscal operations manager for student affairs at Metropolitan State University of Denver joins NACUBO’s Bryan Dickson, director, student financial services and educational programs, for a conversation about MSU Denver’s decision to pay its lowest earners more than legally required. Referring to the move as an “investment in the institution and its students,” Chris shares background on the decision as well as challenges, anticipated and otherwise, implementing the plan. Links & Notes Connect with Chris on LinkedInConnect with Bryan on LinkedInMIT Living Wage Calculator

NACUBO’s Liz Clark, vice president, policy and research speaks with Ann Ellis, CEO and co-founder of Mauve Group. Together, they discuss Ann’s early work as an educator and how Mauve Group has grown to offer a variety of global operations services in more than 100 countries “from Japan to Chile.” After realizing there were opportunities to offer new solutions to the higher education sector in 2012, Mauve Group now offers support to institutions that employ people outside the United States in research, instruction, data analysis, and much more. Links & Notes Connect with Anne on LinkedInConnect with Liz on LinkedInMauve Group

Building on their institution’s legacy of serving disadvantaged students, Penny Evans-Plants, chief information officer and Zach Sherwin, director of enterprise analytics at Berry College join NACUBO’s Bryan Dickson, director of student financial services and educational programs to discuss their ongoing efforts to leverage existing data to better serve students. By focusing on “identifying students with excessive debt and intervening as soon as possible,” Penny and Zach are helping to produce positive outcomes for their most at-risk students. Links & Notes Connect with Penny on LinkedInConnect with Zach on LinkedInConnect with Bryan on LinkedIn

With input from business officers at public and private colleges and universities across the country, NACUBO recently identified the most-pressing higher education business issues in 2023. NACUBO’s 2023 Rising Star Award recipient, Katie Walker, assistant vice president for finance at the University of Virginia, joins Liz Clark, vice president for policy and research at NACUBO, to discuss the challenges—and how colleges are strategizing to respond. Links & Notes NACUBO’s Top 5 Higher Education Business Issues of 2023Connect with Katie on LinkedInConnect with Liz on LinkedIn Career Conversations CBO Speaks

As we enter a new academic year and colleges and universities welcome new and returning students, NACUBO In Brief speaks with enrollment experts. In a conversation addressing different challenges facing enrollment officers, lessons learned from the pandemic, and more, Neil Gavigan, NACUBO’s policy and advocacy manager, sits down with Fabrizio D’Aloisio, associate vice provost for enrollment management and executive director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Kevin O’Sullivan, vice president of enrollment management at Iona University. At a time when perceptions of higher education are increasingly complex, Fabrizio and Kevin provide insights into national and local approaches for attracting and retaining students. Links & Notes Connect with Fabrizio on LinkedInConnect with Kevin on LinkedInConnect with Neil on LinkedIn

NACUBO's new podcast Career Conversations, featuring insights and advice for business professionals new to higher education, starts airing biweekly on September 8th. Make sure to subscribe!

Discussing the latest release in NACUBO’s state of higher education series: More is Possible with Higher Education, NACUBO’s director, student financial services and educational programs, Bryan Dickson, speaks with senior director, analytics, Lindsay Wayt. Together, they examine some of the ways that higher education benefits students, communities, and society as well as areas where institutions may be able to do even more. Links & Notes More is Possible with Higher EducationNACUBO's State of Higher Education SeriesConnect with Lindsay on LinkedInConnect with Bryan on LinkedIn

Where do things stand for higher education as the Biden Administration attempts to govern with a now divided congress? What would a U.S. debt default – or a political deal – entail for institutions? Will the U.S. Supreme Court's judgments on student debt relief and the use of affirmative action practices in the admissions process have a significant impact on the sector? This week on NACUBO In Brief, members of the NACUBO federal affairs team – Bryan Dickson, Ashley Jackson, and Liz Clark – discuss what's going on in the nation's capital, including recent regulatory initiatives at the Department of Education.

Nobody wants a college to close, but enrollment and demographic trends, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, are requiring some colleges to consider what steps they may need to take to survive and thrive. For some, the only option may be a merger or affiliation with another institution. Join Michael B. Alexander, President, Lasell University; Kasia Lundy, EY-Parthenon Principal, US Higher Education, Ernst & Young LLP; and Haven Ladd, EY-Parthenon US Education Partner, Ernst & Young LLP, as they discuss models for mergers, mitigating risks, and governance and execution considerations.

In the final episode of a five-part series based on NACUBO’s Top Five Higher Education Business Issues of 2022 project, five members of the higher education community weigh in on the most pressing challenges facing students and what their organizations are doing to help create positive change. Responding to a two-part question from Neil Gavigan, NACUBO’s policy and advocacy manager, we hear from Chris Foster, The University of North Texas; Dr. Jhenai Chandler, The Institute for College Access and Success; Emmanual Guillory, The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities; Jeremy DiGorio, Stetson University; and David Arnold, NASPA Links & Notes NACUBO’s Top 5 Higher Education Business Issues of 2022Connect with Chris on LinkedIn Connect with Jhenai on LinkedIn Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn Connect with Emmanual on LinkedIn Connect with David on LinkedIn Connect with Neil on LinkedIn

In the fourth episode of a five-part series based on NACUBO’s Top Five Higher Education Business Issues of 2022 project, Liz Clark, NACUBO’s vice president, policy and research, speaks with Andy Brantley, president and CEO of CUPA-HR and Choi Halladay, deputy executive director of business operations at the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Building on findings from the 2022 CUPA-HR Employee Retention Survey, they discuss “a recruitment and retention crisis” in higher education and the need for flexibility and innovation, as leaders seek to invest in their employees. Links & Notes NACUBO’s Top 5 Higher Education Business Issues of 2022CUPA-HR Employee Retention SurveyConnect with Liz on LinkedInConnect with Andy on LinkedInConnect with Choi on LinkedIn

In the third episode of a five-part series based on NACUBO’s Top Five Higher Education Business Issues of 2022 project, Bryan Dickson, NACUBO’s director, student financial services and educational programs, speaks with José Rodriguez, vice president and chief information officer at Pomona College. Together, they discuss José’s “holistic approach” to cybersecurity, opportunities and threats of new AI platforms, and the importance of the human element in information technology. Links & Notes NACUBO’s Top 5 Higher Education Business Issues of 2022 EDUCAUSE’s 2023 Top 10 IT IssuesConnect with Bryan on LinkedInConnect with José on LinkedIn

In the second episode of a five-part series based on NACUBO’s Top Five Higher Education Business Issues of 2022 project, NACUBO’s vice president for policy and research, Liz Clark, speaks with Jim Hundrieser, NACUBO’s vice president for consulting services, and Laurie Bernotsky, executive vice president and provost at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. During their conversation, Liz, Jim, and Laurie discuss changing perceptions of higher education as well as strategies to support students, meet institutional goals, and adapt to new expectations in resource constrained environments. Links & Notes · NACUBO’s Top 5 Higher Education Business Issues of 2022 · NACUBO Consulting · Connect with Liz on LinkedIn · Connect with Jim on LinkedIn · Connect with Laurie on LinkedIn