Hi there Reader,

Here are few updates on the insides, and periphery, of the Academy....

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7 Campuses. One System. A Cautionary Tale.

Penn State just approved plans to close 7 of its 24 campuses.

While framed as “restructuring,” the real signal here is existential: Low enrollment, mounting deficits, and diminishing local pipelines have pushed even a land-grant flagship into retreat mode.

📉 Translation?
​This isn’t just a rural problem or a small-school story. The ground is shifting under everyone.

🔗 Read the full article​

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FAFSA Breakdown, Student Trust, and a Smarter Borrowing Model

A Conversation with Chris Abkarians, Co-CEO of Juno

I caught up with Chris Abkarians to talk FAFSA failures, student finance reform, and the quiet collapse of trust in how we price college.

Here’s what stuck:

This Isn’t a Tech Glitch: FAFSA’s meltdown revealed something deeper—how brittle our trust pipelines really are. Institutions relying on historical yield models are flying blind in 2025.

A Collective Student Advantage: Juno flips the script by pooling student borrowers to negotiate better loan rates. But the bigger story? It’s a signal that the next wave of financial aid products will reward transparency, not tuition gamesmanship.

Empathy as Strategy: Juno’s real innovation? Treating trust as the business model. Chris’ approach to scale blends EQ, data, and relentless iteration—a playbook many institutions should steal.

🎧 Watch the Clip → 📺 Full Conversation →​
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EdTech Capital Freeze Continues

Q1 2025 saw another slide in venture funding for higher ed startups, with early-stage rounds drying up fast.

Why it matters:

• Fewer startups = fewer pilots = less innovation on your campus.
• Surviving vendors will double down on proven ROI, procurement fluency, and integration ease.

Strategic takeaway:
If you're relying on edtech to solve retention, career readiness, or operational bloat—get real about vendor due diligence and long-term viability.

The Funding Breakdown​

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Rethinking the College Business Model

Featuring Matt Hendricks, Founder of Perspective Data Science

Imagine benchmarking every food service contract, staffing ratio, and endowment draw on your campus—in minutes.

Matt Hendricks built the tool to do exactly that.

🔍 Audit + IPEDS + IRS 990s = Full Visibility​
Thousands of public records, stitched together, into the cleanest benchmarking sandbox we’ve ever seen.

💸 Find Hidden Millions​
One client found they were paying 2.5x above median for food services. Another? 250 extra staff. This tool surfaces it all.

📊 Built for CFOs & Boards​
No fluff. Just crystal-clear visuals that reveal where the money’s really going—and how to reallocate for impact.

📊 Preview the Dashboard Excerpt →​

What are topics you'd like too see covered soon? Reply with your feedback...

Best,

-Mike O’Connor

O'Connor & Associates

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