There Are PLENTY of Students - Debunking Higher Ed's Biggest Myth - with Dr. John Comerford, President, Otterbein University

11/12/2025

The EdUp Experience

0:00

37:35

It's YOUR time to #EdUp

In this episode, President Series #421, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠, & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,

YOUR guest is Dr. John Comerford, President, Otterbein University

YOUR host is Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

How does a university with 2,400 traditional undergraduates partner with Antioch University instead of trying to chase adult learners themselves & why recognizing what you're NOT good at is strategic genius?
What happens when you're the ONLY college in Ohio offering free tuition for Pell Grant eligible students & how do you compete with big publics by focusing on "do vs. watch"?
How does a president build corporate partnerships with 22 employers offering $20,000 automatic scholarships & why is ditching the rankings rat race to focus on mission centric work the future of higher ed?

Extended Conversation for EdUp Premium Members:

Why are most college presidents silent on social media while higher ed's reputation crumbles & what does active presidential leadership actually do for enrollment?
How did higher ed become a "pacifist" industry sitting on the bench while attacks rolled in & why does the average consumer only think of Ivy League when 3,990 other institutions exist?
What makes testimony from Ivy League presidents "unrelatable" to the heart of the curve & why does higher ed need voices from schools that actually represent most students?

Listen in to #EdUp

Thank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!

Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠

● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp Experience

We make education YOUR business!

P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠subscribe today⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025!

More episodes from "The EdUp Experience"

More Episodes

Get the whole world of podcasts with the free GetPodcast app.

Subscribe to your favorite podcasts, listen to episodes offline and get thrilling recommendations.

A company from

There Are PLENTY of Students - Debunking Higher Ed's Biggest Myth - with Dr. John Comerford, President, Otterbein University

The EdUp Experience

More episodes from "The EdUp Experience"

Maybe Philosophy Professors Are More Important to AI Than Engineers - with Donald E. Hall, Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Binghamton University

How Did a College President Become #1 on TikTok (& Why It Actually Matters)? - with Dr. Dan Myers, President, Misericordia University

If Something Trending Today Is Obsolete Tomorrow, How Fast Must We Move? - with Dr. Yianni (John) Vassiliou, Chancellor, Miami Campus, Albizu University

What If We Could Finally See Inside the Black Box of College Admissions? - with Braden Weissman⁠ & ⁠Cooper Weissman⁠, Co-founders, ⁠Nerd Apply⁠

Catholic Universities Are Back & This Is Why Students Are Choosing Faith Over Everything - with Dr. Walter Iwanenko, President, Gannon University

When Did Shared Services Become the Secret Weapon of Higher Ed? - with Bill Grau, Executive Director, SUNY SICAS Center

If We're Not Here for Popularity, Why Are We Afraid to Make Decisions? - with Dr. Brian O. Hemphill, President, Old Dominion University

40% Underrepresented. 1/3 First Gen. $1.1 Billion Impact. This is SUNY Albany - with Havidán Rodríguez, President, University at Albany

LIVE from the InsightsEDU 2025 Conference - with Charlie Parker, CMO / Vice Chancellor of Enrollment, Keiser University

They Called It High School With Cigarettes. Now It's Training America's Workforce - with Dr. Bonny Ball Copenhaver, President, New River Community & Technical College

There Are PLENTY of Students - Debunking Higher Ed's Biggest Myth - with Dr. John Comerford, President, Otterbein University

The EdUp Experience

More episodes from "The EdUp Experience"

Maybe Philosophy Professors Are More Important to AI Than Engineers - with Donald E. Hall, Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Binghamton University

How Did a College President Become #1 on TikTok (& Why It Actually Matters)? - with Dr. Dan Myers, President, Misericordia University

If Something Trending Today Is Obsolete Tomorrow, How Fast Must We Move? - with Dr. Yianni (John) Vassiliou, Chancellor, Miami Campus, Albizu University

What If We Could Finally See Inside the Black Box of College Admissions? - with Braden Weissman⁠ & ⁠Cooper Weissman⁠, Co-founders, ⁠Nerd Apply⁠

Catholic Universities Are Back & This Is Why Students Are Choosing Faith Over Everything - with Dr. Walter Iwanenko, President, Gannon University

When Did Shared Services Become the Secret Weapon of Higher Ed? - with Bill Grau, Executive Director, SUNY SICAS Center

If We're Not Here for Popularity, Why Are We Afraid to Make Decisions? - with Dr. Brian O. Hemphill, President, Old Dominion University

40% Underrepresented. 1/3 First Gen. $1.1 Billion Impact. This is SUNY Albany - with Havidán Rodríguez​, President, ​University at Albany

LIVE from the InsightsEDU 2025 Conference - with Charlie Parker, CMO / Vice Chancellor of Enrollment, Keiser University

They Called It High School With Cigarettes. Now It's Training America's Workforce - with Dr. Bonny Ball Copenhaver, President, New River Community & Technical College

40% Underrepresented. 1/3 First Gen. $1.1 Billion Impact. This is SUNY Albany - with Havidán Rodríguez, President, University at Albany