About this episode

Mike Palmer interviews Ruth Bauer about student success in higher education and the role of coaching and technology in supporting students.

Mike Palmer catches up with Ruth Bauer, President of InsideTrack, amidst the sun and high-stakes energy of San Diego for the ASU+GSV conference. Ruth shares her transition from a first-generation college student and mall-employed English major to an e-learning "OG" (like Mike) to leading a powerhouse in student success at InsideTrack. The conversation dives into the "secret sauce" of Inside Track: a potent mix of technology and deep human connection. Ruth explains how coaching supports the entire student journey, from first-time enrollment to the critical "some college, no degree" population. With more than 40 million Americans in that category, the stakes for economic mobility never felt higher. They tackle the AI elephant in the room with a grounded perspective. While AI handles midnight brainstorming and routine "nudges," humans remain the essential partners for navigating the mountains of the student experience. Ruth argues that coaching doesn't just get a student through a semester—it teaches them to coach themselves through a shifting, tumultuous job market 🌊. The episode wraps with a look at student parents and the generational impact of quality childcare and flexible…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Palmer

Guest: Ruth Bauer

Topics covered

• student success
• higher education
• coaching
• technology
• economic mobility
• AI in education
• childcare

Keywords

• student success
• coaching
• higher education
• economic mobility
• AI
• childcare
• critical thinking

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: InsideTrack

Places: San Diego, America

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