Host Jeff Dillon sits down with Jennifer Beyer, VP of Product at Thesis, to explore the evolving landscape of student information systems (SIS) and the unique challenges faced by small to mid-sized colleges. With over two decades of experience spanning campus administration and EdTech leadership, Jennifer shares her mission to simplify higher education processes through cloud-based solutions.
From her beginnings as a first-generation student and campus tour guide to her current role driving product strategy, Jennifer offers insights into how institutions can reduce friction, leverage technology, and prioritize the student experience. Tune in to learn how Thesis Elements is redefining the SIS space and why smaller schools are leading the charge in innovation.
Key Takeaways:
- Access and Student-Centric Design:
- Jennifer emphasizes the importance of creating technology that helps students find the right fit and enables staff to focus on meaningful work. Her firsthand experience as a first-generation student informs her approach to solving institutional challenges at scale.
The Shift to Cloud-Based SIS: - Smaller institutions are moving faster to adopt cloud solutions for scalability, security, and resource efficiency. Thesis Elements focuses on delivering purpose-built, modern SIS solutions that can be implemented in about a year—a fraction of the time required by legacy systems.
Frictionless Processes: - Jennifer highlights the need for integrations, automation, and usability to reduce administrative burdens. For example, streamlining tasks like mass registrations or billing for student housing can significantly improve efficiency for understaffed offices.
Lessons from Campus to EdTech: - Transitioning from frontline roles in admissions and student success to EdTech taught Jennifer the value of understanding user journeys. She advocates for "purpose-driven design" and engaging directly with campus teams to build solutions that address real pain points.
The Future of Higher Ed Tech: - AI and partnerships with niche solutions present opportunities to enhance personalization and operational efficiency. However, Jennifer stresses the importance of balancing innovation with security and usability to avoid "shiny object" pitfalls.
Leadership Philosophy: - Jennifer’s leadership style centers on curiosity, empowerment, and aligning technology with institutional mission. She believes in getting out of her team’s way to let them solve problems creatively while staying focused on serving smaller colleges effectively.
Meaningful Change Takes Time: - For institutions driving transformation, Jennifer advises staying true to core goals and avoiding distractions. Incremental improvements—like reducing clicks in a workflow—can have an outsized impact on daily operations.
Listen to the full episode for more insights on how EdTech is reshaping higher education administration!
Find Jennifer Beyer here:
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbeyer/
Thesis
https://www.thesiscloud.com/elements
And find EdTech Connect here:
Web: https://edtechconnect.com/
Chapters
- (00:00:00) - How AI is changing the way we learn about students
- (00:00:44) - Jennifer Beyer on Higher Ed Tech Connect Podcast
- (00:02:36) - How Ed Tech is reshaping the student experience
- (00:03:45) - In the Elevator With First-Generation Students
- (00:05:18) - CIO Network: The End-User Experience of Software
- (00:07:22) - EdTech Connect: Making higher education processes friction
- (00:10:11) - Small Colleges and Mid-Size Universities
- (00:12:40) - Thesis Elements' Product Development Process
- (00:18:17) - Post-Admissions: The Need for Personalization
- (00:20:37) - Jeff Smith: The Process of Building a Product Team
- (00:23:45) - President of Dean's School: Combining Business and Education
- (00:26:19) - AI and its impact on higher ed administration
- (00:27:18) - The move to the cloud and higher ed tech
- (00:28:29) - What's Driving Meaningful Change in Higher Ed?
- (00:29:36) - How to Write a Great Website for Students
- (00:30:56) - EdTech Connect
