Scott Carlson and Ned Laff on Hacking Colleges vs. Connecting Them

Should we hack colleges so students link their courses, clubs, and careers on their own? Or should we connect colleges with strategy that breaks down silos so that students succeed? What role do culture, policies, and technology play in how easy or hard they are to navigate? When you want to make progress, where do you start – is it top-down or bottom up? In this special episode, Elliot discusses this with Scott Carlson and Ned Laff, authors of Hacking College. Episode Highlights include: [07:08] Holistic Student Success - Ned Laff explains why success should be measured ethically, intellectually, and marketably rather than just by salary. [15:10] Co-location for Engagement - Elliot Felix shares how moving academic advising into the library significantly increased student traffic and resource usage. [20:41] Policy as Scar Tissue - A look into how excessive bureaucracy and rules can stifle institutional agility and prevent meaningful collaboration. [24:43] The Audit and Map Exercise - A simple strategy for institutional leaders to visualize their services and identify opportunities for consolidation. [33:14] Hacking the Major - A creative "hack" for students to bypass departmental restrictions by declaring and then dropping a major to access specific courses.