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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 what actually works in higher ed technology.
In this episode, host Jeff Dillon welcomes Grant Greenwood, VP for Enrollment Management and COO at McMurry University, and co-founder of CardCapture, an ed tech startup reimagining how universities capture student leads at college fairs. Grant brings a rare dual perspective: he's both a buyer and a builder, a practitioner who feels the pain of clunky workflows and a founder who understands what it takes to build something better.
Grant gets honest about the AI hype cycle, warning that the coming wave of AI agents could overwhelm students with automated outreach, creating a "postcard problem" for the digital age. He shares why he's skeptical of AI avatars making millions of calls, but optimistic about AI's ability to handle repetitive tasks like transcript processing and data organization.
From the enrollment cliff to the unique challenges of small private institutions, and from his research on social media to the aha moment that sparked CardCapture, this episode is packed with practical insights for enrollment leaders, ed tech founders, and anyone trying to figure out where AI fits into the future of student recruitment.
Key Takeaways
- The AI Hype Cycle Is Real—And Enrollment Leaders Need to Be Skeptical: Grant warns that the coming wave of cheap, accessible AI agents will tempt every institution to scale outreach dramatically. The risk is replicating the "postcard problem"—overwhelming students with so much automated messaging that even valuable communications get tuned out.
- AI's Best Use Right Now Is Efficiency, Not Replacement: The most valuable AI applications in enrollment today are handling repetitive, monotonous tasks: processing thousands of transcripts in different formats, organizing data, and streamlining application workflows. These productivity tools deliver clear ROI without damaging student relationships.
- The Student Experience Must Come First: While it's tempting to multiply outreach with AI avatars, Grant is skeptical about how students will perceive automated calls and texts. The industry needs to be critical about what students should be subjected to in the name of engagement.
- CardCapture Solves a 15‑Year Pain Point: For 15 years, Grant experienced the frustration of collecting student leads at college fairs—especially on device‑free campuses where QR codes don't work. CardCapture works with or without QR codes, scanning physical inquiry cards and translating handwriting, solving the problem for fair coordinators, students, and university reps alike.
- Small Institutions Need Tailored Solutions, Not Enterprise Castoffs: Many software companies build for enterprise clients and then try to sell a tweaked version to higher ed. The result is clunky tools that don't integrate well and create more work. Grant is far more inclined to work with founders who understand his specific challenges from the ground up.
- The Enrollment Cliff Requires Diversification, Not Panic: McMurray is hedging against demographic declines by expanding dual credit programs (serving 3,000 students per semester across 150 schools) and launching new graduate and undergraduate programs in health sciences and business AI—finding new student populations to strengthen the institution's foundation.
- Social Media Done Badly Degrades Brand Affinity: Giving every student club permission to run a social account often backfires. When prospective students see a club that hasn't posted in three years with low‑quality content, they proje...
Chapters
- (00:00:00) - What is the role of AI in higher ed?
- (00:00:51) - Interview: Grant Greenwood on EdTech Connect
- (00:02:18) - What Made You Want to Be an Enrollment Manager?
- (00:04:00) - What Does Enrollment Management Actually Involve at McMurray University
- (00:05:50) - Senior Admissions Manager's View of the Student Recruitment Process
- (00:08:03) - How Are We Using AI in Higher Ed?
- (00:16:04) - Are We Ready for AI Agents in Our Admissions?
- (00:17:36) - Card Capture: The Business of Recruitment
- (00:20:35) - Building Card Capture: The EdTech Startup's Perspective
- (00:23:48) - Have You Found the Right Solution for Higher Ed?
- (00:25:30) - Enrollment Management: The Enrollment Cliff
- (00:28:47) - Enrollment Marketing's Social Media Strategy
- (00:32:26) - Card Capture: The Need for Talent in Higher Ed
- (00:35:06) - The Signal: Higher Ed Tech Insights, Monthly
