Expert sense-making, storytelling and facilitation on student success.

Elliot is an expert on student success, and the role that people, academic programs, places, technology platforms, and career paths play. He brings together stories and stats about how these are all changing and what this means for the future of education and the future of work. 

 
 

From his consulting work with more than a 100 colleges and universities and books on student success, Elliot understands the issues, and he engages audiences not only with stories and stats but with activities, exercises, and questions that make for interactive experiences that help audiences learn.

These include workshops and retreats with leaders in higher education who want to know what’s next and how to work better together to adapt, talks with companies and community groups who want partner with colleges and universities, or sessions with counselors, parents, or students who want to get the most out of college.

 

How to Get the Most Out of College

How can students get the most out of college? Not by seeing it as a maze to “get through” but rather as something they design and create for themselves, using evidence on how students succeed to guide them. Design is about understanding people, thinking holistically to make connections, trying things out, and learning along the way. When they take ownership and follow the research, students can feel connected and supported, find their program and career path, and take full advantage of what college has to offer.

You’ll learn evidenced-based tips and student stories from his book to help students and parents make better decisions about not just where but how to go to college –  decisions about where to live, what courses to take, what to do a class project on, how to seek support, how to find belonging, what to major in, and how to explore career paths. This talk can also include an activity to create a college experience roadmap so that students can get the most out of it.

 
 
 

The Connected College

Instead of silos and separations, how can colleges and universities help all students feel a sense of belonging, create courses that lead to rewarding careers, provide students the support they need to succeed, and help everyone work better together to make this happen? In this talk based on The Connected College drawing from Elliot’s work more than 100 leading colleges and universities, will challenge leaders with its breakthrough ideas, success stories, and practical tactics

You’ll learn how to enable student success across key function areas in higher education: senior administration, academic affairs, student affairs, athletics, assessment, advancement, career development, libraries, facilities, technology and governing boards. You’ll understand the key demographic, technological, and cultural trends, learn inspiring case studies of connected colleges and universities, and apply tactics to enable student success. This talk can also include an activity to assess the connectedness of your institution or department and/or create the roadmap to improve it.

 
 
 

Space and Student Success

What role do spaces like classrooms, libraries, and residence halls play in student success? How do the support services offered in these spaces enable student success? How can staff best be structured to collaborate on providing these services? How can technology systems best be configured to help students find and use spaces as well as access services? How can these come together to help students find their places, people, and path?

In this talk based on my books and work with 100+ colleges and universities, you’ll learn what the evidence shows about the role that spaces play in supporting the key activities that help students succeed, activities like interactive learning in the classroom, finding a mentor, experiential learning projects, getting involved and belonging to a community and more. You’ll also learn the organizational and operational best-practices to make these spaces work. This talk can also include an activity to analyze your campus experience for the future and/or create the roadmap to improve it.

 
 
 

Next Gen Workforce/Workplace Roundtable. Watch example

Future Workforce, Future Workplace

Who are today’s students, how are they learning, and what does this mean for the future of work and the future workplace? How will students’ expectations for technology and support services shape their views on the workplace? What will today’s classroom/career connections through speakers, projects, and internships mean for their future employee experience? How will the spaces they learn and live in today inform where, how, and why they work in the future?

Based on Elliot’s work with 100+ colleges, national surveys he’s led, and conversations with 2,000+ students, you’ll learn about today’s college experience and how you can design tomorrow’s employee experience – and the workplace, technology, and services that will shape it. You’ll hear the trends changing how we learn, live, and work and see bleeding edge examples that provide a window into the future, a future that anticipates AI and focuses people on the creativity, collaboration, and community that complements it. This talk can also include an activity to assess your employee experience and/or create the roadmap to improve it in the short- and long-term.

 
 
 

  • "Elliot is at the top of our list when we are looking for a thought-leader on the future of learning, libraries, and student experience. He’s spoken at many of our conferences, led webinars, and participated in panel discussions. One of his many strengths is the level of engagement that he creates with an audience through his insights, questions, and advice. He’s a tremendous collaborator!"   

    – Kathleen Benton, Associate Director, Strategic Alliances, Society for College and University Planning

  • "Elliot participated in many of our workplace workshops and collaboration sessions. He informed and inspired these discussions in multiple ways, but in particular with a talk on the future of learning. It was full of great analysis and examples that got us thinking and almost immediately sparked ideas on how to collaborate with education and community partners."

    – Mary Davidge, Former Global Design Director, Real Estate and Workplace Services, Google

  • “Elliot has spoken at several of our conferences, and he has also taught several online courses for EDUCAUSE members on topics like student experience and learning technology. His sessions are always engaging, grounded in deep expertise, and give audiences examples, tools, and practical advice that help them make progress.”

    – Kathe Pelletier, Director, EDUCAUSE Teaching and Learning Program

  • “I’ve participated in several roundtables that Elliot facilitated to bring together Student Affairs professionals across institutions to think about the future. All these sessions really got us thinking together about our students’ needs, how they are changing, and how we need to change. Each was well-researched and prepared and was expertly facilitated.”

    – David Clark, Associate Vice-President for Campus Life, Emory University

  • "Elliot has given keynotes, led workshops, and participated in town halls at more than a dozen of our conferences. These sessions are consistently among the top-rated sessions by our audiences – and the most lively and engaging. He combines bold insights about the future of work and learning with practical advice, tools, and metrics."

    – Derek Westfall, President, Tradeline, Inc.

  • “We seek speakers who will get students to think expansively about their opportunities and resources, and honor their voices and experiences. Elliot achieved this and more… If you are looking for a speaker or facilitator that is really going to get people engaged, motivated, and inspired, then look no farther than Elliot Felix. One of our students said it best: ‘I liked how Elliot Felix framed the college and work experience as something you need to design. I never thought of it that way.’ ”

    – Alice Ginsberg, Director of Programs, Partnerships and Strategy at The Collective Success Network

  • "We are offering a new high-impact course called Communities of Practice. Elliot Felix joined one of our classes and led students through some reflective exercises that spurred conversations about their challenges and successes bringing to life the concepts of his book, which the students also got a copy of… This book has surely been a valuable resource for the students!"

    – Patience Lueth, Director of Foundation Studies, Minneapolis College of Art and Design

 

Book Elliot for your next event.