What Campus Leaders Should Ask Before Renewal Season

About this episode

Mallory Willsea discusses with Sam Waterson the importance of evaluating the companies behind ed tech products before signing contracts.

Mallory Willsea sits down with higher education strategist and former RHB president Sam Waterson to unpack a critical—but often overlooked—dimension of enrollment marketing and ed tech partnerships: evaluating the company behind the product. Rather than focusing solely on demos and deliverables, the conversation challenges higher ed leaders to examine corporate strategy, ownership structure, and business incentives before signing contracts. As budget season intensifies, this episode offers a timely lens into how institutional leaders can make smarter, more strategic vendor decisions. From private equity pressures to product roadmap promises, this discussion reframes how campuses should approach partnerships in an evolving ed tech landscape.

People in this episode

Host: Mallory Willsea

Guest: Sam Waterson

Topics covered

• enrollment marketing
• ed tech partnerships
• vendor decisions
• corporate strategy
• budget season

Keywords

• enrollment marketing
• ed tech
• vendor decisions
• corporate strategy
• budget season
• higher education

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: RHB

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