RNLNC 2024 was a whirlwind occasion, with greater than 1,200 attendees becoming a member of us in sunny Dallas, TX, for 120 periods from RNL and business specialists. We heard from three unimaginable keynote audio system, who lined every part from overcoming enormous obstacles to AI improvements to taking motion. With so many specialists within the room, from attendees to presenters, crew RNL saved our ears open and are happy to current the 2024 RNLNC “What’s the phrase?” recap, a abstract of what leaders and doers within the larger schooling and nonprofit sectors are buzzing about.
Engagement Facilities: Telephone Is Not Lifeless!
Kathleen Howley, Vice President
“Rowan College unplugged their cellphone program in 2020. Since then, 2,975 haven’t renewed and stay “cellphone solely.” Greater than 1,000 of these folks had been LYBUNT/SYBUNT donors ready for renewal through the yr of the closure. Telephone just isn’t lifeless! Moreover, the College of Tennessee shared how digital engagement facilities can accomplish quite a few objectives making them a hub for engagement/partnership throughout campus i.e. stewardship calling, contact replace calling, and supporting applications on campus with restricted bandwidth. Lastly, Brandeis College elevated fundraising outcomes by 50% through cellphone because of strategic hiring and staffing methods – they centered on incentives and hiring college students with a very relevant background (gross sales, enterprise administration).”
Achieve Perception from… RNL Insights
Robin Bowlus, Vice President
“RNL’s (AI-powered) Perception Hub is a transformative software for all ranges of Development and Enrollment groups. If in case you have a knowledge analyst in your crew, Insights will enable you and your crew to handle fast queries so your information analyst can keep centered on bigger tasks that solely they will do. If you happen to should not have a knowledge individual, Insights turns into that for you and your crew, offering you with actual time information factors that can assist you handle change and innovation in methods you by no means thought attainable.”
Compelling Keynote: Put. College students. First.
Friederike Maag, AI Options Guide
“The RNL Nationwide Convention kicked off with keynote speaker, Michael Sorell, who delivered an distinctive tackle that set a compelling tone for the upcoming three days of discussions and collaboration. His emphasis on placing college students first resonated deeply, highlighting the significance of student-centric approaches in shaping the way forward for schooling. His message additionally set the stage for discussions about revolutionary AI options, empowering establishments to function guiding beacons for his or her college students on this quickly evolving subject.”
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Real Connections + Significant Content material: A Balm for Enrollment Groups Throughout the Chaos
Andrew Watson, Senior Guide
“Regardless of a chaotic and difficult yr, particularly across the uncertainty with the FAFSA, it was wonderful to see colleagues from numerous establishments come collectively at RNLNC to be taught, community, and relaxation. I cherished observing the interactions amongst colleagues and the overall shared function of serving to college students. The Undergraduate Enrollment session matters had been complicated, distinct, and related for enrollment administration groups from all varieties of establishments (public/personal, 2-year/4-year). Some widespread themes that resonated with me from the undergraduate periods centered on the significance of innovation, data-driven decision-making, and the way campuses must proceed to search out significant and genuine methods to create private connections with college students and their households.”
Retention and Scholar Success – Now Extra Than Ever!
Michael Cronin, Vice President
“Attendees famous in a number of conversations they want methods and ways to mitigate the adverse penalties of the FASFA delays final yr. Many I spoke to didn’t make their class, as potential college students and their households didn’t know their true price of attendance till very late within the cycle. Visits had been down as a result of that uncertainty, which made catching up subsequent to unimaginable for many. Preserving the scholars we’ve turns into that rather more essential for Internet Income consideration, and the conversations across the newest retention administration finest practices, the required components for scholar success planning, nationwide benchmarks and good follow within the space of scholar retention and success made the convention critically helpful for them.”
Intentional Engagement: Girls, Wealth, and Philanthropy
Sarah Kleeberger, Senior Vice President- Fundraising Consulting
“I cherished the vitality and fervour that Cannie Graham Campbell (James Madison College), Siara Abdulla (College of Georgia), and our very personal Autumn Horton (RNL) dropped at this session. The world of philanthropy is altering, and ladies are taking part in an important position. Nice dialog about how intentional engagement of girls can result in daring funding and actual influence. Check out this powerful video that captures a bit about The Amethyst Circle at JMU.
RNL 360: Information is the Greatest Basis for a Sturdy Pipeline
Janice Ridolfi, ScaleFunder Shopper Options Guide
“RNL 360 Unpacked was a fantastic session on pipeline improvement and searching forward together with your information. Deciphering the arduous numbers that all of us take a look at on a regular basis however don’t actually know what to do with them. (Sarah Kleeberger) actually broke it down into actionable areas it is advisable take a look at together with your groups to reinforce and construct your donor pipeline.”
Engagement Facilities: Springboards for Nonprofit Careers
Angel Canada, Shopper Success Director
“As a Shopper Success Director working instantly with Engagement Facilities, the Engagement Heart Panel Dialogue was significantly enlightening. It sparked new concepts on find out how to improve participation and retention amongst our scholar callers, create significant experiences in Annual Giving, and promote careers on this subject. One factor that stood out was what number of Engagement Facilities provide alternatives past simply calling. Whereas calling is the inspiration, many Facilities present internships and create management positions that assist college students develop helpful expertise for his or her future careers. This aligns with the objectives of a lot of our companions, who hope to see former Engagement Heart staff transition into roles inside their Annual Giving groups and Alumni offices- gaining new concepts on find out how to make this occur is extremely useful as we proceed to reinforce the position of our Engagement Facilities.”
Fostering a Sense of Belonging: Scholar Success
Julie Bryant, Vice President- Scholar Success
“Within the Scholar Success observe periods, I observed a theme on the significance of supporting college students’ sense of belonging. This statement was constant throughout displays by each four-year and two-year establishments. College students wanting to attach with their friends and eager to be made to really feel welcome is actually backed up by the nationwide information from RNL’s motivational and satisfaction survey devices. This yr’s periods strengthened the belonging ingredient as a key think about holding college students enrolled to the completion of their objective and helped attendees concentrate on methods to attach college students to one another and to the establishment, throughout orientation, as a part of advising, and within the classroom. This was my thirtieth RNL Nationwide Convention, and the message of the worth in retaining college students to commencement nonetheless resonates for attendees as a lot because it did within the early days.”
AI Buzz: The place Do We Even Begin?
Jeff Hagedorn, Vice President
“Purchasers had been speaking about AI and asking “the place can we begin?” So AI Governance was a key matter… There was a necessity expressed for educating school, employees and different stakeholders. For making a framework for implementing AI at their establishments. For understanding find out how to ethically make the most of AI within the classroom. For gaining a greater understanding of the place they’re at present as an establishment by way of AI maturity.”
Open Dialogue: Girls in Greater Schooling
April Bush, Vice President
“The Girls in Greater Schooling panel dialogue was referred to as probably the greatest periods of this yr’s convention. I had the chance to be a panelist together with my colleagues Julie Bryant, Wendy Beckemeyer and Jerrica Davis. The over 100 ladies in attendance posed considerate questions on pathways for development, work-life steadiness, mentoring, and offering assist for each other. Our panel’s responses had been trustworthy, insightful and offered assurance together with steering. It was apparent from this gathering that there’s a need for a way of group for ladies in larger schooling and there are alternatives for us to develop collectively. I’m actually happy with the truth that the RNL Nationwide Convention continues to supply a discussion board for these conversations to happen.”
AI 101: Ideas + Tips for Utilizing Massive Language Fashions
Kathleen Howley, Vice President
“I attended SoHye Park’s session on immediate engineering which mentioned how RNL shoppers may use RNL Solutions to the perfect of their capacity. She walked attendees by CSI – find out how to be clear, particular, and interactive as you develop prompts and responses for LLMs and actually demonstrated find out how to assume by leveraging this software. Her presentation was REALLY clear and so useful. I’ve actively used a lot of her strategies when utilizing LLMs myself.”
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Closing Ideas: A Convention Abstract from a New RNL Chief + Keynote Speaker
Subreina DeSouza, Senior Vice President
“I had the privilege of attending my first nationwide convention and what an expertise it was! Standing on that stage, searching at a sea of engaged and keen faces, I felt a surge of pleasure that was personally exhilarating. It was clear that many within the room acknowledged that we’re on the cusp of one thing really transformative for larger schooling.
As I spoke in regards to the potential of those instruments to drive effectivity, improve studying outcomes, and personalize the academic expertise for college kids, the vitality within the room each throughout and after the keynote was palpable. It wasn’t simply my very own pleasure; it was the collective enthusiasm of educators, directors, and tech innovators who see the longer term in the identical method I do. As I replicate on this expertise, I’m extra satisfied than ever that we’re initially of a brand new period in schooling. The instruments we’ve developed are simply the place to begin, and I’m excited to see how they are going to be used to create extra inclusive, efficient, productive and dynamic studying environments. Thanks to everybody who attended the convention and shared on this unimaginable second with me. Your ardour and dedication are what make these developments attainable. Collectively, we aren’t simply imagining the way forward for schooling—we’re constructing it.”
