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We're still not talking enough about adult learners.A close-up of a young woman with curly red hair writing in a notebook with a pen. She is wearing a beige long-sleeve shirt. The background, intentionally blurred, shows a university campus with a large historic building, trees, and a small group of people walking.

We’re still not talking enough about adult learners.

With traditional enrollment declining, adult learners represent a crucial opportunity for colleges—it’s time to rethink recruitment and embrace this growing demographic.

Marketing /
By: Shane Baglini
The secret to eating an elephant article image. A realistic, intricately decorated elephant-shaped cake sits on a white table, with multiple hands cutting and serving slices. The cake is covered in caramel-colored frosting with ornate piping details, resembling traditional decorative patterns. The scene is set in a formal event, with individuals dressed in suits and elegant attire. Eating the cake symbolizes breaking down the growing challenges of higher ed.

The secret to eating an elephant.

Higher education faces mounting challenges, but the key to overcoming them lies in a simple yet powerful approach—breaking down big problems into manageable steps.

Institutional Strategy /
By: Kellen Manning
An image of a person's hand rising above a lake as they are submerged in water. Around them float broken heart icons and thumbs down dislike emojis to symbolize social media burnout.

Your social media team is not okay.

The social media industry is in chaos and so are its workers, who are struggling with burnout.

Social Media /
By: Katelyn Mills-Erickson

Popular on Volt

Can’t-Miss Higher Ed Conferences for 2024-25

Can’t-Miss Higher Ed Conferences for 2025

Our tracker of virtual, in-person and hybrid higher education leadership conferences for the upcoming academic year.

Professional Development /
By: Volt
Higher ed must close the AI skills gap article image. A graduate wearing a black cap and gown with a yellow stole stands at the entrance of a wooden bridge, looking forward. The bridge appears to lead into darkness, symbolizing the uncertainty and challenges graduates face.

Higher ed must close the AI skills gap.

Higher ed stands at a critical crossroads, preparing students to navigate an uncertain job market and bridge the divide between learning and work.

Institutional Strategy /
By: Adi Gaskell
Aligning higher ed marketing and alumni relations teams to build stronger partnerships article image. A marble chessboard with black and white pieces set up for a game. The board is labeled diagonally with "DEVELOPMENT TEAMS" on one side and "CENTRAL TEAMS" on the other.

How can marketing and alumni teams collaborate?

Aligning goals and sharing resources between marketing and alumni teams can elevate engagement, enhance donor relations, and maximize institutional impact.

Marketing /
By: Katherine Primus
A split graphic with a social media influencer on the left side in front of a college building, and on the right side, a robotic android reminiscent of AI.

Are we ready for the social media influencer takeover?

Influencer marketing and AI are shaping social media in 2025—and higher ed must navigate these trends carefully to stay authentic and effective.

Social Media /
By: Kellen Manning
The night TikTok went dark article image. A dark, moody digital composition featuring a silhouetted person sitting in front of multiple glowing screens. The TikTok logo with the words 'No Signal' appears on the left side, while curved signal waves extend from the screens, symbolizing digital disruption or connectivity issues. A window in the background lets in natural light, contrasting the artificial glow of the screens.

The night TikTok went dark.

The recent 12-hour TikTok outage was a stark reminder of how dependent content creators are on social platforms.

Social Media /
By: Kellen Manning
Using the Psychology of Persuasion to Boost Higher Ed Marketing article image. A black-and-white profile portrait of a bearded man overlaid with digital data visualizations, including graphs, session metrics, and percentages. Swirling blue and pink smoke surrounds the left side, creating a contrast between analytics and creativity, symbolizing data-driven decision-making and human intuition.

Using the Psychology of Persuasion to Boost Higher Ed Marketing

Higher ed marketers can leverage System 1 and System 2 thinking to create emotionally resonant and effective campaigns.

Marketing /
By: Chris Huebner
On the left, a woman with short brown hair and a grey shirt writing on a whiteboard, which is essentially the fourth wall of the image. To the right is a woman addressing a group of people, she is wearing a black dress and has long dark hair in a ponytail. In the middle is a faint orange overlay of a Venn diagram with a lightbulb in the overlap.

Why blended leadership works best.

Great leaders know when to listen, when to lead, and when to adapt—blending servant and adaptive leadership makes all the difference.

Professional Development /
By: Jamie Ceman
A stack of pink envelops with a postage stamp in the corner with Jaime Hunt's picture. The top envelope has a course catalog list with all but one course blurred out.

My university is pushing program-specific campaigns. Should I resist?

Are awareness campaigns a smart investment or a waste of resources? Jaime Hunt breaks it down.

Dear Jaime /
By: Jaime Hunt
Can higher ed re-engage stop-out students and help them graduate? article image. Split image: On the left, a stressed woman at a desk holds a receipt and covers her face in frustration, with cash and a laptop in front of her. On the right, a smiling graduate in a cap and gown holds a diploma. Blue arrows connect the two images, representing transformation and progress.

Can higher ed re-engage stop-out students and help them graduate?

Collaborations between financial services and education leaders aim to address financial challenges and support stop-out students in completing their degrees.

Institutional Strategy /
By: Allison Minutillo

Impactful storytelling elevates marketing, but where do you start?

Actionable strategies for uncovering transformative higher ed stories to create powerful marketing campaigns that resonate and drive results.

Marketing /
By: John Azoni
Breaking Down Silos: Secrets to Collaboration in Higher Ed Teams article image. A diverse group of professionals collaborating around a wooden table, surrounded by laptops, tablets, and documents with charts and graphs. Speech bubbles are overlaid on the image, symbolizing communication and teamwork.

Want to know the secret to collaboration in higher ed teams? Breaking down silos.

Here are three strategies for fostering collaboration through clear goals, open communication, and strong leadership.

Marketing /
By: Joshua Charles
The Ethics and Economics of AI: Lessons for Universities article image. A composite image featuring a calculator, a spreadsheet with financial data, and a bronze statue of Lady Justice holding scales, overlaid with colorful lines of computer code. The visual elements represent a blend of technology, finance, and ethics.

Universities can learn from AI’s ethical and economic challenges.

African leaders navigate AI’s complexities, shedding light on its implications for higher education.

Web Development and Technology /
By: Adi Gaskell
You’re cute when you care. How emotional storytelling transforms donor appeals article image. A joyful embrace between two graduates in academic robes outdoors, symbolizing achievement. The scene transitions into a historical university building overlaid with a filmstrip.

You’re cute when you care. Emotional storytelling transforms donor appeals.

Emotional storytelling bridges the gap between donors and institutions, creating meaningful connections that drive impactful giving.

Marketing /
By: Kim Hallman
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