In this episode, host Meredith Metsker is joined by Jonathan Wehner, AVP of Enrollment Strategy at Carnegie and a seasoned higher ed leader with more than 20 years of experience leading enrollment at institutions like Cleveland State University, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and Case Western Reserve University. Jonathan brings a rare insider’s perspective on what enrollment leaders are juggling today, from declining demographics and shrinking budgets to waning public trust in higher education. He explains what keeps chief enrollment officers up at night (like meeting headcount goals with fewer students, balancing institutional finances with student success, and protecting staff under immense pressure) and why career outcomes are increasingly the core value proposition of higher ed. Together, Jonathan and Meredith dig into how career services leaders can seize this moment to become mission-critical partners in enrollment and student success. Key takeaways: Career services must reframe their role. Jonathan emphasizes the need for career leaders to pivot from thinking of themselves as a “student services function” to becoming an institutional mission function that drives enrollment, retention, and institutional reputation. Career is higher ed’s core value proposition. With skepticism about the ROI of a degree at an all-time high, prospective students and families want to see clear, specific outcomes—especially program-level data on internships, employment, and salaries. Institutions that don’t differentiate on outcomes are “missing the boat.” Enrollment leaders face immense pressure. Chief enrollment officers are responsible for both revenue (tuition dollars) and large expenditures (financial aid), often with sprawling portfolios that include admissions, financial aid, advising, research, and sometimes even career services. Their daily decisions affect institutional finances and the livelihoods of staff and faculty, creating enormous stress and sleepless nights. Partnership requires proactive outreach. Career leaders should initiate regular meetings with their chief enrollment officer and come prepared with something of value—such as early access to outcomes data, stories from students, or trends from employer engagement—to earn trust and build collaboration. Joint metrics strengthen collaboration. Beyond the First Destination Survey, Jonathan recommends tracking metrics like internship participation, employment outcomes tied to academic programs, and the impact of experiential learning. These insights can power admissions conversations and marketing. Visibility in recruitment is key. Career services should be highlighted on campus tours, open houses, and admissions events—not tucked away. Families and students want to know about outcomes upfront, making career offices central to recruitment. Pair data with stories. Numbers alone aren’t enough. Admissions teams need both hard evidence (employment rates, salary ranges, top employers) and human stories (how an internship shaped a student’s path) to persuade both data-driven and emotion-driven decision makers.Resources from the episode: Jonathan’s LinkedIn profileCarnegieuConnectOutcomes Data Visualization module (by uConnect)Illinois Institute of Technology example of filtering outcomes by internship vs. no internship Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community
