Podcasts

Volt podcasts cover all angles of higher ed marketing & leadership. Higher Voltage is our periodic show that covers the defining topics of the moment in higher ed, while Volt@ is our live event series that brings to you conversations from conferences and other industry gatherings.

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Image of close gates with a 'Danger: Keep Out' sign in front of it; behind the gate is what looks like a college campus.

The Problem with Prestige

Matt Reed explains why community colleges and other non-exclusive institutions are the key to increasing college access and enabling social mobility.

Graphic design showing three students with backpacks waiting to walk through an opening gate door to what looks like a college building behind it.

The Power of Prestige

Ryan Craig explains why expanding access to highly selective institutions like Yale is the key to saving higher ed.

Graphic design showing a man in a shirt and tie holding his hand over his mouth as he stands behind a podium with the stars of the American flag behind him.

The Myth of Political Neutrality

As higher ed becomes increasingly politicized, can college and university presidents afford to remain silent?

Graphic design of a man and woman speaking to each other; the background is split with a jagged line separating two halves - one mostly gold, the other mostly blue. The overall effect is a man and a woman on opposing sides of those colors, facing each other.

A Marcom Conundrum: CCOs vs. CMOs

Debating how and why to untangle the often-blended roles of chief communications officers and chief marketing officers in higher ed.

Graphic design showing a person wearing a backpack at the fork between two red roads, one leading to a college building, one to an office building, and they are starting down the path toward the office building. The path is read, the buildings are red and white, the background is blue.

‘It Isn’t a Storytelling Problem’

“At no point do I think we’ve gotten closer to understanding that the story we’re telling isn’t working anymore. It isn’t a storytelling problem, it is an innovation problem and a programming problem and a flexibility problem.”

Graphic design with an image of a man with light skin and light hair making a pained espression, with his eyes closed and rubbing his temples. Flames are shooting up around him and in the background is an office overlaid in blue and green hues.

What is the Future of Work in Higher Ed?

Graphic design of a woman with dark skin and short dark hair wearing glasses, standing with her arms crossed in front of stacks of books. This image is set against a pink background.

The ‘Woke Campus’ and the Politicization of Teaching in Higher Ed

Dyanis Conrad discusses her personal experience and the impact of the ongoing political fight against ‘woke politics’ on college campuses.

‘A Dirty Open Secret’: The Legacy of Racial Inequality in Higher Education

Adam Harris joins the Higher Voltage podcast to share the long history of imbalanced support for institutions with high minority numbers.

A graphic design showing college students in caps and gowns celebrating their graduations by throwing bills in the air, and the bills are stamped 'PAID.' This image is set against a yellow-gold background.

‘You Actually Want Me to Be a Successful Student’

Denise Runge of the University of Alaska Anchorage joins the Higher Voltage podcast to share real ways colleges can improve access and outcomes for students.

Graphic design showing a woman's hands and three card-sized pictures that all look pretty similar of college campuses and buildings. These cards are laid side by side on a craps table.

Why Is it So Hard for Colleges to Differentiate Themselves?

Lynchburg University’s Aaron Basko discusses why colleges struggle to distinguish themselves, and the role rankings play in that problem.

Graphic design showing a religious building with statues of saints and a cross, and above it is another image of a classic college building with a green tint over it.

‘What Are You Called to Do?’: Marketing Religiously Affiliated Institutions

Discussing the confluence of marketing, politics, culture, and purpose at religiously affiliated higher ed institutions.

Making Higher Ed Marketing More Inclusive

Bridging the gap between what we want our campuses to be, what they really are, and what we’re doing to live into stated values.

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All About NIL

The ramifications of name, image & likeness regulations for higher ed institutions large and small.

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Volt@CUPRAP: Campus Leadership on Social Media, Behind the Scenes

Volt’s live event series continues with a discussion about what it takes to make higher ed leaders successful ambassadors of their institutions on social media.

A graphic design of people in blue silhouettes walking toward a vague red light.

The Great Resignation Hits Higher Ed

Three industry veterans discuss the wave of departures in higher ed, and share why they each left institutions for agencies in the last year.