Brain Waves Blog

Recently, I spoke to student success professionals about the student experience data available through social intelligence. As always, I spent some time talking about Reddit, and the role it plays—particularly for younger people—in experience sharing, information gathering, and ultimately decision making. After the session I learned that some attendees were uncomfortable with real-life examples shared that mentioned their college.

You need more stories, storytellers, and awareness of the stories other people tell that shape consumer opinion. That’s how you’ll stand out to prospective students, donors, opinion leaders, and rebuild the public’s trust in higher education.

I love regional public universities—I’m the product of one (Go Pointers!) and an incoming alumni board member. During my 20+ years in higher education I’ve worked with many regional publics and understand the outsized role they play in the industry.

Social intelligence is a growing global industry. Insights gleaned from publicly available online conversations inform billion-dollar entertainment productions, real estate and technology decisions for new restaurant chains, and product formulary for food and beverage companies amidst emerging consumer health concerns.

Leadership transition is a time when your campus needs to balance continuity and change management. If you’re supporting a leader or are an incoming leader, social intelligence allows you to quickly communicate historical perceptions and stakeholder engagement, as well as gather and share real-time internal and external feedback during the transition. Leaders at every level of an organization make strategic decisions and social intelligence supports your understanding and informs priorities.

What movements are gaining momentum within higher education, and why?