What economic trends today will set the stage for the future? How will legislative actions impact student financial aid? What accounting policy or reporting changes are on the horizon? Navigating the business of higher education institutions requires knowledge about a variety of issues—from finance to campus security. In this podcast series, hear colleagues, experts, and industry leaders explore issues, provide best practices, offer solutions to new questions that may not have been asked before,…
What challenges are higher education business officers facing right now—and where are institutions seeking help? NACUBO's Liz Clark is joined by Ruth Johnston, vice president for consulting, to discuss the growing operational, financial, and strategic pressures campuses are navigating. From budget model changes and procurement reviews to process improvement, athletics, and deferred maintenance,…
Holistic advising brings together academic, financial, and personal support to improve student outcomes and retention. NACUBO's Bryan Dickson is joined by Kelli Rainey, senior director for student success initiatives, and Suzanne Lyons, senior consultant at Phase Two Advisory, to explore the critical role business officers play in supporting these efforts strategically. They discuss the…
Some institutions are reducing the all-too-familiar "runaround" by bringing together traditionally separate services like financial aid, student accounts, and the registrar into a single point of contact. Myles Lawhorn (Community College of Philadelphia), Wendy Pursell (Kutztown University), and Jay Stefanelli (Rutgers University–New Brunswick) join NACUBO's Bryan Dickson to discuss these…
"We like to say we're not boring people, but we get excited about boring things," reflects NACUBO's Sue Menditto, senior director for accounting policy. In this episode, she joins Liz Clark, vice president for policy and research, to discuss higher education accounting, Sue's decades-long career contributing to accounting policy standards, and the evolution of the Higher Education Accounting…
What's happening in Washington, DC, and what does it mean for higher education? Join NACUBO's Liz Clark, vice president for policy and research, and Bryan Dickson, director, education policy, as they unpack what's moving in Washington—and what's still pending. They discuss federal funding updates, the outlook for student aid and research, and what to watch from the White House, including the FY27…
NACUBO's Bryan Dickson, director, education policy, and Kat Masterson, assistant director for research and policy analysis, join Liz Clark, vice president for policy and research, to discuss the Student Financial Services Benchmarking Report—one of the most practical tools offered by NACUBO's research team. From operational performance and financial risk to staffing trends, the study collects and…
How are college and university endowments performing? NACUBO's Ken Redd, senior director for research and policy analysis, and Liz Clark, vice president for policy and research, explore findings from the 2025 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments, including investment returns, spending trends, charitable gifts, and student-managed funds. Beyond the numbers, they also discuss the study's core…
What role does professional development play in helping higher education leaders navigate increasingly challenging environments? NACUBO's Randy Roberson, vice president for leadership development, joins Liz Clark and Bryan Dickson in a conversation about NACUBO's education programs for 2026. They discuss how member-driven content, policy expertise, business partner insights, and peer learning come…
How are higher education business officers integrating artificial intelligence into their work? Join NACUBO's Liz Clark, vice president, policy and research, and Lindsay Wayt, senior director of business intelligence, as they discuss how AI is moving from experimentation to everyday practice across campus operations. They explore new survey insights, emerging use cases, and the opportunities and…
How can colleges and universities remain agile, student-centered, and future-focused in a rapidly changing work landscape? Join Manish Kumar, vice president for administration and finance at Bowie State University, and NACUBO's Bryan Dickson as they discuss how hybrid work, shifting campus culture, and new technology continue to reshape higher education operations. Manish shares lessons from Bowie…