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Artwork for The Signal

The Signal (formerly the EdTech Connect Podcast)

Jeff Dillon
Higher Education
Artificial Intelligence
Student Engagement
Generative AI
Education Technology
Digital Transformation
AI In Education
Digital Marketing
User Experience
Higher Education Marketing
SEO
Student Success
Marketing
Education
Student Experience
Digital Strategy
Learning Management Systems
Digital Governance
CRM
AI In Higher Education

Reaching #4 on the Apple Podcast Education charts, The Signal is the definitive podcast for higher education’s transformation leaders. Hosted by Jeff Dillon, The Signal cuts through the noise of the "status quo" to bring you the strategic intelligence needed to reshape how institutions recruit, support, and retain students. Every Friday, we sit down with the practitioners and technology builders w... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes90Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EducationTechnology

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Artwork for The Signal

Latest Episodes

What happens when a recent college graduate who grew up with smartphones, social media, and the chaos of modern college applications becomes a chief marketing officer? You get a perspective that most higher ed leaders desperately need but rarely hear... more

Every month, nearly half a million people type questions into your university's search bar. They're telling you exactly what they want to know—about deadlines, transfer credits, program fit. And yet, 31% of higher ed digital teams have no access to t... more

What happens when a prestigious art and design school has over a hundred siloed websites, each with its own content management system, hosting arrangement, and visual identity—many of them orphaned and unmaintained? You get a digital governance night... more

What happens when a sitting vice president of enrollment management—who evaluates and buys ed tech every day—decides to build his own solution to a problem he's lived for 15 years? You get a conversation that cuts through the hype and gets real about... more

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Recent Guests

Haley Platt
Chief Marketing Officer at Siembra Mobile
Siembra Mobile
Episode: Ep. 90 - Haley Platt: Breaking the Information Barrier: How First-Gen Students Navigate College
Leslie Weller
Director of Product Marketing at SearchStax
SearchStax
Episode: Ep. 89 - Leslie Weller: How AI Site Search Turns Student Discovery Into a Competitive Advantage
Brian Clark
Senior Director of Digital Experience at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
Episode: Ep. 88 - Brian Clark: Building RISD's Digital Future at Scale
Grant Greenwood
Vice President for Enrollment Management and Chief Operations Officer at McMurray University; co-founder of CardCapture
McMurray University; CardCapture
Episode: Ep. 87 - Grant Greenwood: How to Automate What Actually Matters in Enrollment
Arjun Arora
Founder and CEO of Advisor AI
Advisor AI
Episode: Ep. 86 - Arjun Arora: From Enterprise AI to Education—Why the Best Tech Solves Human Problems
Jay Gonzalez
President of Curry College, former Massachusetts Secretary of Administration and Finance
Curry College
Episode: Ep. 85 - Jay Gonzalez: Guaranteeing ROI — How Curry College Is Reinventing the College Business Model
Betheny Gross
Research Director at WGU Labs; expert in education systems, policy, and reform; focuses on equity by design and the use of AI to expand access and improve outcomes
WGU Labs
Episode: Ep. 84 - Betheny Gross: The Real Opportunity for AI in Higher Education
Mitchell Borges
Director of Marketing for ASUCD at UC Davis
UC Davis
Episode: Ep. 83 - Mitchell Borges: Why Students Trust Strangers More Than Your University
Jaime Hunt
Founder of Solve Higher Ed Boutique Consultancy; former CMO and author
Solve Higher Ed; author of Heart Over Hype
Episode: Ep. 82 - Jaime Hunt: AI Is Not the Wild West, Higher Ed Needs a Strategy

Host

Jeff Dillon
Host of The Signal

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 10 ratings
  • 🎧

    Jeff asks great questions!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ashley_budd
    United Statesa year ago
  • Review

    Well researched, top-notch guests, and relevant! 5 stars!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lynsouthern
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are top-tier and topics stay highly relevant to higher education leadership.
The show delivers thoughtful, data-driven conversations that cut through hype.
Jeff asks insightful, well-researched questions that surface practical takeaways.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#127
United States/Education

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ep. 86 - Arjun Arora: From Enterprise AI to Education—Why the Best Tech Solves Human Problems
Q: What is the one common mistake institutions make when adopting AI for student success, and how can they avoid it?
Don't get lost evaluating integrations and algorithms; instead define clear goals, identify involved teams, and align the technology with those outcomes to maximize impact.
Ep. 86 - Arjun Arora: From Enterprise AI to Education—Why the Best Tech Solves Human Problems
Q: What does ethical AI look like in practice in higher education, and what guardrails does Advisor AI implement?
Ethical AI means governance, accountability, avoiding bias, and ensuring AI enhances human interaction by providing support rather than replacing it; Advisor AI enforces rules to escalate to human counselors when necessary.
Ep. 86 - Arjun Arora: From Enterprise AI to Education—Why the Best Tech Solves Human Problems
Q: If you had to describe your career journey as a movie title, what would it be and why?
Arjun says Obstacle is the Way captures his path from India to the US, through layoff and transitions, with each obstacle shaping his focus on measurable impact and social good.
Ep. 82 - Jaime Hunt: AI Is Not the Wild West, Higher Ed Needs a Strategy
Q: Where should institutions start with AI to create meaningful impact?
He advises an AI-centric approach that starts with solving real problems, assesses use cases before selecting tools, involves cross-functional governance, and builds universal AI literacy across the campus.
Ep. 82 - Jaime Hunt: AI Is Not the Wild West, Higher Ed Needs a Strategy
Q: What are the biggest misconceptions about marketing leadership in higher education?
He notes that marketing is not a magic fix for all problems, and that success requires governance and alignment with institutional goals rather than siloed efforts, with an emphasis on strategic outcomes over tactical checkbox KPIs.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Signal

What is The Signal about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical, practitioner-facing show focused on how higher education leaders transform campuses through human-centered innovation. Episodes routinely explore AI adoption with governance, data-driven enrollment and student-success strategies, and institutional transformation—from consolidating disparate digital ecosystems to building new revenue and partnerships. Guests come from universities, edtech providers, and education-focused organizations, sharing real-world challenges, measurable outcomes, and actionable playbooks for marketing, student support, and digital strategy. The format tends to surface thoughtful leadership, governance considerations, and scalable approaches that can be applied across institutions of varying size, making i... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Signal?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Signal:

1. The Daily

How many episodes of The Signal are there?

The Signal launched 2 years ago and published 90 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Signal?

Recent guests on The Signal include:

1. Haley Platt
2. Leslie Weller
3. Brian Clark
4. Grant Greenwood
5. Arjun Arora
6. Jay Gonzalez
7. Betheny Gross
8. Mitchell Borges

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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