Eric Kelderman
Co-host, Campus Docket Podcast; Senior Writer, The Chronicle of Higher Education
The fast-evolving world of college athletics is going to be interesting and important for college leaders to pay attention to. Vast amounts of money are flowing into the highest-tier programs, raising big questions about the motivations of donors, how it can be spent, and who will really benefit. At the same time, conferences and universities are pushing Congress to pass legislation to provide some greater oversight of the system by granting the NCAA an antitrust exemption.
Louis Miller
Volt General Manager & Editor
I’m excited for colleges and universities to evolve how they approach their brand identities, taking real steps toward differentiation and creative risk-taking. This has been my wish list for several years, but this feels like the year, for real!
Changes in technology and what students expect are pushing this issue to the front, but it’s also needed. When an institution’s marketing leans into what it does best, it attracts better-fit students and faculty, and it becomes clear which creative levers to flex while still being on brand.
That’s the move I’m looking forward to: where brand identity goes beyond marketing materials and embodies a school’s strategic plan.
Kevin Renton
Volt Publisher; Principal, Electric Kite
What I’m most excited about is seeing how AI agents will reshape the admissions experience. We’re building CampusPixel around a simple idea: prospective students shouldn’t have to hunt through hundreds of webpages to find the information they need or wait for someone to answer a question. AI agents can create a more conversational experience, helping students explore programs, understand requirements, compare options, and figure out what to do next. For admissions teams, the opportunity is equally exciting. AI can handle thousands of routine interactions while allowing people to focus their time on the conversations where human connection really matters. We’re still at an early stage, but this could fundamentally change how students discover, evaluate, and ultimately choose a college.
Scott Schneider
Co-host, Campus Docket Podcast; Owner and Founder, Schneider Education & Employment Law
In 2027, I hope university public relations becomes a little more thoughtful — and a little more becoming of institutions of higher education.
Too often, universities now communicate like risk-averse corporations in the middle of a product recall: a quick statement, a familiar set of values, and as little actual information as possible. That instinct is understandable. But it is rarely persuasive, and it is especially ill-suited to institutions whose central purpose is the pursuit of knowledge, argument, and judgment.
Universities should be able to say what happened, explain which principles are in tension, acknowledge uncertainty, and tell people why they reached a difficult decision. They should not have to pretend every controversy is simple, every disagreement is a crisis, or every unhappy constituency can be satisfied by a statement drafted to say nothing.
Better communication will not eliminate conflict. But institutions that speak with candor, intellectual seriousness, and a little courage will be better equipped to earn trust when the next difficult issue arises.
Kevin Tyler
Host, Higher Voltage Podcast; Founder & CEO, Bay & Bicknell
Innovation or just another discount? Like everything else, a college degree is getting more expensive, too. Right now, 15 institutions have a sticker price exceeding $100,000, and another nine are close to crossing that threshold. With affordability on the minds of families across the country, one trend that intrigues me is the growth of the three-year degree (and how it’s marketed). Now available in about 25 states and at roughly 60 institutions, the offer aims to reduce credit requirements for certain degrees from 120 hours to 90 hours. While the move will surely save students and their families time and money, critics argue the compressed degree might raise questions among employers and graduate schools. From a marketing perspective, however, I’m curious how institutions will craft messaging for these programs that defines their value against traditional four-year programs and who they target with those messages.
Maryna Yankovska
Editorial Producer, Volt
I am curious to see how AI and new technologies continue to evolve. I recently attended an event for freshmen students at my alma mater, Minerva University, and the overwhelming majority of the 2030 class wanted to connect their careers to AI or computer science in one way or another. Maybe this trend is so prevalent because I’m located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, but LLMs are reshaping the economy as a whole. Are our institutions equipped to ride the wave of AI? And where does it leave human creativity? I’m excited to see how human creative work can coexist with emerging technology without losing its value — and potentially even gaining more spark.
