Dr. Linette Dawson

In higher education, enrollment is both a mirror of today and a map for tomorrow. This point in the enrollment cycle is about sharpening focus and ensuring stability as we move closer to census. The work now is not only about reaching a number but about positioning our institutions to respond with agility to student needs and shifting trends. Enrollment management is both operational and aspirational. It requires us to manage the details while also keeping sight of the larger goal of expanding access, strengthening opportunity, and shaping the future of higher education. #HigherEducation #EnrollmentManagement #StudentSuccess #Leadership

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Why We Like Them: FLCC offers a highly competitive tuition rate of $7,560, placing it in the top 15% for affordability among its peers. This economic advantage makes FLCC even more accessible, as evidenced by the fact that 100% of students receive financial aid. The online enrollment at FLCC is also impressive, with 1,413 students studying remotely. This puts the college in the top 29% for online student populations, indicating a well-established digital learning environment. FLCC offers a wide range of online associate degrees and certificate programs, some of which are in unique fields such as viticulture, graphic design, hospitality, and nutrition.

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Dr. Suzanne Ehrlich, EdD, Associate Professor of Instructional Technology, Training and Development at UNF, joined Jasmine Monroe, Morning News Anchor with First Coast News, to discuss how University of North Florida students are preparing for AI in the workplace. As AI continues to evolve, preparing students to engage with it confidently and responsibly has never been more important. 🎥 Watch the full interview: https://bit.ly/3ZKNMzD

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Sometimes, success and well-being for students comes down to a single question—Where do I go for help? At the Center for Higher Education Innovation, we know those moments matter. That’s why we built, manage, and operate Knightbot, University of Central Florida’s institutional chatbot, designed to meet students right where they are day or night, on any device, with answers that help them move forward. Whether it’s figuring out financial aid, finding an Academic Success Coach or Advocate, or navigating a deadline, Knightbot makes getting help simpler and less stressful. True to our operating philosophy, Knightbot is the result of collaboration between University of Central Florida , The Division of Student Success and Well-Being (SSWB), and Mainstay—a truly collaborative project resulting in a one-stop shop students can access from their phone or laptop 24/7. What makes Knightbot truly innovative isn’t just what it can do, but how it was built. Rather than relying on generative AI, UCF designed it around a curated knowledge base, a deliberate choice to ensure accuracy, accessibility, and the ethical use of AI and data. As one UCF leader shared: “We’ve deliberately chosen to build our chatbot around a curated knowledge base rather than generative AI—not because we’re behind the curve, but because we’re ahead of it ethically.” That intentionality exemplifies UCF’s approach to innovation: student-centered, values-driven, and focused on creating systems that support learning and thriving at scale. Every interaction with Knightbot is more than just an answer or a reminding nudge or an interactive experience for students, it’s one of many small steps toward a smarter, more connected student experience. Read more about how UCF is reimagining digital student support through Knightbot in the comments below. Special thanks to Margot Winick , M.L.I.S., M.A.L.S. Winick for spotlighting this work and the teams that make it possible.

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Grateful for the CCCU's Leadership Development Institute (LDI) This past year, one of the most transformative experiences in my professional journey was participating in the CCCU's LDI. If you work in Christian higher education and are looking for truly formative, mission-centered, and high-impact leadership development, I can't recommend the LDI strongly enough. My experience in the program helped clarify my leadership identity, strengthened my vision for serving students, and connected me with extraordinary colleagues who share a commitment to Christ-centered education. It made a significant impact on my life and leadership this year, and I'm deeply grateful. If you - or leaders you're investing in - are discerning next steps in your development, take a look at the CCCU's LDI. It's an investment that blesses not only you, but your entire campus community.

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The next chapter of higher education IT will not be written in code. It will be written in the trust our institutions place in technology. Students should move through their academic journey without friction. Faculty should spend their energy teaching and mentoring, not troubleshooting systems. Staff should see technology as a partner, not an obstacle. Our role in IT is to build that kind of environment. Reliability creates trust. Trust opens the door to innovation. And innovation, when aligned with student success, transforms the entire institution. This is the vision I believe in: - Systems that are so seamless they disappear into the background. - Processes that empower rather than burden. - A culture where every improvement points back to students. Higher education is at its best when technology is not the star of the story, but the stage that lets teaching, learning, and discovery shine. #Leadership #HigherEd #DigitalTransformation #StudentSuccess

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Fantastic reports highlighting the economic value and impact of universities through entrepreneurship by faculty and former students. - The 2012 report from Stanford University provides insights into the entrepreneurial contributions of alumni. https://lnkd.in/gaj-WcwG - The 2015 report from MIT further explores the significance of entrepreneurship in driving economic growth. https://lnkd.in/g8dAsDp9

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In higher education we often talk about big-picture metrics, statistics, and measurements. And for good reason. We measure what matters and those numbers give us valuable insights on how we are doing as an organization and as an institution. But at the end of the day, it’s the personal stories of a challenge met, a goal achieved, a future changed that serve as the most important reminder of why we are here, and how we are making an impact. Two of those stories were highlighted yesterday in a story that aired on WCCO | CBS News Minnesota. Derek James, the Weekend Anchor for WCCO, came out to Dunwoody College of Technology to report on our #Pathways to Careers signature scholarship program. The program was started five years ago and has seen tremendous growth and success during that time. He shared some of those statistics in the story, but he also took the time to speak with two of our scholarship recipients. The students talked about how their lives have been impacted by the Pathways to Careers program. How the program, led by Bayza Sumpter Weeks, M.A. and her team at Dunwoody, goes beyond financial support and provides a holistic approach of meeting students where they are and helping them achieve things they hadn’t thought possible. That type of impact doesn’t always come across in a report, a chart, or a number. But we see it in our students every day, and it’s important that we keep telling those stories and we keep shining a light on the real impact of giving students access and opportunities to a future in the technical #skilled trades, #engineering, and #design fields. #BorntoDo #DunwoodyDifference #Scholarships https://lnkd.in/gkAqdcMT

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I am so excited to share that I will be speaking at #ChangeOrlando26 this May! On Monday, May 18, I will be taking the stage as part of the ACMP Global Professional Growth & Leadership Track with my session: Building Certainty in an Uncertain World: Human-Centered Tools for Sustainable Change. This one is personal for me. So much of what change professionals carry right now is the weight of leading others through uncertainty while quietly managing their own. We are expected to steady the room, hold the vision, and keep things moving, often without a clear map of what comes next. This session is about giving you real, practical tools built at the intersection of change management, neuroscience, and human-centred design. Not theory for the sake of it. Tangible approaches you can bring back to your teams, your organizations, and, honestly, yourself, your family and those that matter most. If you will be in Orlando, I would genuinely love to connect. Come find me after the session or just say hello in the hallway, meeting co-creators and change leaders is always my favourite part! Registration link is in the comments. I hope to see you there. 🌟 @ACMP Global #ChangeManagement #Leadership #ACMP #ChangeOrlando26 #HumanCenteredLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #WomenInLeadership

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APUS President Nuno Fernandes joined Dr. Jason Altmire on the CECU's Career Education Report to discuss why higher ed must reinvent itself in the next few years — and how innovation will shape tomorrow’s learners and workforce. 🎧Hear the vision. 🔗 https://ow.ly/j10430sOXQY

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Back to school means learning walks! Learning walks are powerful tools for cultivating thriving school communities. These purposeful, classroom-based walkthroughs give school leaders a holistic view of teaching and learning in action. They’re not about evaluation—they’re about alignment, growth, and support. By walking classrooms together, leaders can: 🍎 Norm on what strong instruction looks like across classrooms and grade levels 🏫 Set the tone for the year by modeling that educators will receive Kind, Specific, and Helpful feedback ✏️ Strengthen teacher development by ensuring support is consistent, actionable, and grounded in shared expectations 👩‍🎓 Keep students at the center by connecting instructional moves to meaningful student outcomes Here's some of our team on the ground at Guilford County Schools, helping them to launch a sure-to-be successful school year with EL Education–powered learning walks! Kudos to this incredible team for leading with clarity, compassion, and purpose.

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Change Student Behavior Through Better Digital Communication | Wednesday, February 25, 12:00 PM CDT Are your emails, texts, and digital outreach actually motivating students to act—or simply adding to the noise? This session explores how message framing can meaningfully influence student engagement with career development opportunities. Drawing on a multi-campus study of undergraduate participants, the webinar examines which communication strategies most effectively prompt students to take action on career-related tasks. Attendees will: - Understand which message framings are most strongly linked to student action. - Learn how to craft communications that reinforce students’ identity and agency. - Discover practical tactics for email and SMS outreach, including timing, formatting, and language choices. - Explore how small communication shifts can lead to measurable gains in career engagement. Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/gsnuK7n

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Student Success Outlook 2026: Affordability, AI and the Changing Campus Climate Student success leaders are heading into 2026 with a mix of both confidence and concern, finds Inside Higher Ed’s recently published, second annual Survey of College and University Student Success Administrators with Hanover Research. Case in point: Most leaders say their institutions prioritize student success, deliver high-quality undergraduate education and graduate students ready for today’s job market, but many see gaps between aspiration and evidence-based practice. Few rate their institutions as highly effective at using student success data to guide decisions, widely adopting high-impact teaching practices, or more readily helping students access internships and experiential learning opportunities. Recent federal policy shifts are also weighing on leaders: Some 29 percent report significant impacts on international student enrollment, and many more are worried about both the climate for all students amid federal restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Join Inside Higher Ed Senior Editor for Special Content Colleen Flaherty, Amelia Parnell, Ph.D., President of Student Affairs Administrations in Higher Ed (NASPA) and Jennifer I. DeBurro, Ed.D., Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the University of New England, as they shed light on the survey findings and discuss what student success may look like in 2026. https://lnkd.in/eWdhxjEi #highered #college #university #highereducationleaders #studentsuccess #gaps #ai #school #administrators #undergrad #graduate #internationaladmissions #admissions

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Strategy in Spades. That is what one of my old managers told me was one of my superpowers. Joining Ruffalo Noel Levitz and now Encoura 3.5 years ago, I got to see superpowered strategy at a national scale. For higher Ed leaders, SEP is a superpower. Strategic enrollment planning is no longer just an annual task; it is a real-time strategic leadership discipline that faces daily challenges. Across campuses, there exists a compelling tension: - Delivering on the daily responsibilities of recruiting, awarding, teaching, and supporting students - Carving out the necessary space to develop cross-functional, data-informed plans for the next 3–5 years From my experience working with both private and public institutions—ranging from on-campus leadership roles to consulting on multi-year SEM transformations—those institutions making significant strides are the ones that keep their plans as living documents. They ensure these plans are integral to every strategic decision, revisiting them regularly with presidents, provosts, VPEMs, finance, marketing, faculty, and student success leaders all involved. These institutions are transparent about trade-offs and do not pursue every idea or quick fix. They initiate every SEM discussion with the crucial question: “What does this mean for students’ experience, access, and affordability?” By placing students at the center of our strategies, SEM transcends mere enrollment tactics and embodies the institutional mission. I look forward to continuing this dialogue and sharing insights from campuses nationwide at the upcoming Encoura+Ruffalo Noel Levitz SEP Executive Forum in April-https://lnkd.in/gJeufasB. If you plan to attend, let's connect! #HigherEd #EnrollmentManagement #SEM #StrategicPlanning #StudentSuccess #OnlineLearning #FinancialAid #RNLEncoura #HigherEducationLeadership #SEP #StrategicEnrollmentPlanning

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Excited to share that NEOMED Executive Education has launched our Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt for Service & Education Operations program. If you’re in higher education, K–12, nonprofit, government, or other service-based organizations, this program is designed to build practical, structured problem-solving skills that lead to measurable operational improvement. Early bird pricing is currently available. Great opportunity for individuals or teams ready to move from good ideas to sustained impact. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to discuss.

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Glad to welcome Sarah O'Melia to the Industry Advisory Council. Sarah has built her career on a simple truth: development must create momentum, not theory. She’s reshaped how organizations grow their people—replacing rigid models with practical pathways that accelerate careers and strengthen performance. Her perspective reinforces our mission: education should operate with the same urgency and relevance as the workplaces it claims to serve. #IndustryAdvisoryCouncil #WorkforceAlignment #KennedyUniversity #OnlineMBA #FutureReady

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“Demographics are not destiny.” That line from the Knocking at the College Door analysis, highlighted by Higher Ed Dive in its 2025 trends lookback, stayed with me. Many enrollment conversations still center on declining projections for high school graduates. But another variable still gets less attention: the college-going rate. The data suggest that even modest changes in participation can have a material impact on long-term enrollment outcomes. One of the clearest examples of how institutions can meaningfully influence the college-going rate is the Rutgers University Future Scholars Program, a long-term access and success initiative that begins working with students as early as middle school and supports them through college completion. Students in the program consistently graduate from high school and enroll in college at rates well above national averages, with strong persistence and completion outcomes as well. The program has been championed by Courtney McAnuff, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment at Rutgers University, and stands as a tangible demonstration that earlier, sustained investment can change who ultimately shows up at the college door. What stands out is not just outcomes, but perspective. Future Scholars reflects a long view of enrollment and access, grounded in the idea that who arrives at the college door years from now is shaped by sustained investment much earlier. Courtney McAnuff brings this same long-term lens to his role on The Institute for Higher Education Advisory Board, where these questions continue to surface in thoughtful ways. A perspective worth keeping in view as leaders think about pipeline, access, and long-term enrollment health. #HigherEd #StrategicPlanning #EnrollmentStrategy #CollegeGoingRate #AccessAndSuccess

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Why do leaders starve the capabilities they need most? In next week's USI EMBA Talks (April 14, 12:30 CET), I will be discussing ways in which companies (but also individuals) struggle to build the capabilities they need most. They recognize the need to develop the capability, make costly initial investments, and then... fall into cycles of short-term fixes, underinvesting in the capabilities required for long-term success. The work has significant relevance for any organization trying to build long-term capacity. 📩 Email emba@usi.ch to receive the Zoom link.

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Today, I presented the findings from the 2025 Women in the Workplace Report produced by the LeanIn Organization and McKinsey & Company as a kickoff to Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business Mount St. Mary's University’s Women in Business Club’s recognition of Women’s History Month. This is the 11th year of Women in the Workplace study. Although corporate America showed progress in women’s advancement in 2024 (albeit fragile), we now see that women face less career support and fewer opportunities to advance as companies show declining commitment to women’s progress. Furthermore, one of the key findings from 2025 is a notable gap in women’s desire to advance. Women and men are equally dedicated to their careers and motivated to do their best work, yet women overall have lower aspirations for promotion than men. This may seem at odds with women’s high commitment levels, but the data suggest that even highly motivated women may be discouraged from pursuing a promotion when faced with limited support or competing demands on their time. Without adequate support and balance, even the most motivated women can begin to question whether advancement is possible or worth the cost. We have a lot of work to do. ▪️I offer training in various areas of management but specialize in helping leaders foster inclusive cultures in which all members can thrive. ▪️Likewise, I offer coaching to all (men and women) on goal-setting, action planning, and personal/professional development but specialize in: • supporting women in navigating career advancement, gender discrimination, and harassment • supporting men who wish to be more effective leader of and advocates for women in their organizations. #womenintheworkplace #womeninbusiness #womeninleadership

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