News from the world of private higher education Business Offices. Tips, tricks, best practices and days in the life of university operations.
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February 19, 202629 min
Breaking: IPEDS ACTS Section & One Institution's Response with Ryan Downs & Krissta Hadsell
Ryan Downs, Director of Institutional Research at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and Krissta Hadsell outline their shared approach to collecting the data needed for the ACTS Section of the IPEDS reporting, backfilling other duties to make space for that, and cross-campus collaboration through the process.Ryan can be reached at ryandowns.cfoc@gmail.comKrissta can be reached at krissta@cfocolleague.com
February 13, 202618 min
Higher Ed Trends: CFOC Newsletter Review with Jessica and Scott
Jessica Ryals and Scott Spear review articles highlighted in the 1/20/26 CFO Colleague newsletter, highlighting higher education trends from varying perspectives. Articles Referenced: https://universitybusiness.com/here-are-5-higher-ed-predictions-for-2026/https://www.highereddive.com/news/6-higher-education-trends-to-watch-in-2026/809045/https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-college-affordability-debates-get-wrong-on-the-returns-to-college/
January 29, 202611 min
Higher Ed Value Proposition: CFOC Newsletter review with Jess & Scott
Join Jessica Ryals and Scott Spear as they review the first CFO Colleague newsletter articles of 2026, centered around value proposition in higher education.To subscribe to the newsletter, click here: https://cfocolleague.com/free-resources/Articles referenced in our talk:First Article:https://universitybusiness.com/introducing-impact-how-higher-ed-can-win-the-value-battle/Second Article:https://www.highereddive.com/news/7-in-10-employers-have-high-confidence-in-higher-ed-survey-finds/807607/Third Article:https://universitybusiness.com/how-academic-programs-can-attract-right-fit-students-in-todays-competitive-environment/#highereducation #higheredfinance #businessoffice
January 27, 2026Episode 217 min
Episode 76 - Business Office Innovation with Gabby Parker
Gabby Parker shares her journey into the world of higher education finance and how her personal experience at the Institute for G.O.D. fueled her passion for the organization's mission. She details the financial hurdles faced by G.O.D. and the Institute, particularly the decline in charitable giving post-COVID.To combat these challenges, the organization has leaned into an entrepreneurial spirit, developing revenue-generating services and the ProDev program, which provides students with professional experience and scholarships through business partnerships. Gabby also highlights the strategic benefits of outsourcing operations and the development of custom internal systems—including a highly detailed budgeting spreadsheet and a specialized CRM called GrowthOps—to maintain efficiency and financial health without relying on federal funding.To get in touch with Gabby and continue the conversation, here's her contact info::Email: gabby@genovationsaccounting.comWebsite: genovationsaccounting.com
December 15, 202524 min
Episode 74 - Unconventional Teams in Unconventional Times with Tony Stemen
Tony Stemen of Talent Growth Partners talks about his career journey and intersections with higher education, his top tips for recruiting new team members well, and his expertise in threading the needle of what colleges and professionals both want. Tony's contact info:Tony StemenTalent Growth PartnersDirect: 740-358-2509Email: tony@talentgrowthpartners.comWeb: www.talentgrowthpartners.com
August 19, 202523 min
Episode 73 - Financial Aid with Ryan Downs part 2
Ryan Downs talks all things Financial Aid, and offers tips for Directors and counselors alike to provide the best service to our students.
August 5, 202526 min
Eposide 72 - Financial Aid with Ryan Downs part 1
Ryan Downs talks through the current FinAid environment (recorded prior to OBBB passage but still relevant!) and ways for departments to get ahead of the curve.
July 1, 202522 min
Episode 70 - What's Going Well (Auditor Version!) with Scott Spear and Jackson Magdy
The auditor relationship is likely the most critical contractor relationship for the Business Office. Jackson Magdy from Forvis Mazars and Scott Spear from CFO Colleague talk about building a great working relationship between client and auditor. From navigating complex transactions to maintaining open lines of communication, Jackson and Scott describe what they've learned working together and ways it can help Business Offices thrive across higher education.
June 27, 202531 min
Episode 71 - BREAKING One Big Beautiful Bill and current events with Dave Moja
Dave Moja talks us through Form 990 trouble spots, what's going on with the IRS, and the One Big Beautiful Bill: what looks good for higher ed (a little) and what looks hard (a LOT)!
June 17, 202516 min
Episode 69 - What's Going Well - Suahil Housholder
Suahil Housholder of Anderson (IN) talks about life after a missed debt covenant, her research with leadership in distressed institutions, and her team's tradition of "Audit Treats" to get through what could be the toughest time of year with a little fun and whimsy.
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