with William Rieth, eCity Interactive

Q A &

with William Rieth

William Rieth, Chief Enrollment Officer, eCity Interactive

What prompted your decision to make the change?

I worked in a variety of enrollment roles at Temple University within their Business School and School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management from 20142019 when I decided to make a move. It was truly a grueling decision. We had an amazing team and had built a highly effective recruitment and enrollment strategy, but I was ready for a new challenge. Some of my favorite experiences at Temple were presenting at conferences, hosting other colleges within Temple, and meeting peers from other institutions to share the work we had been doing. It dawned on me that this could be my career. Why only help one institution when I could help many? And, by extension, help students find their best-fit program/school.

What led you to apply to your current company?

The winding road that led me to eCity Interactive is too long for this, but the “too long; don’t read” version is some of the best people I’ve had the pleasure of working with were already at eCity and asked me to come over and help launch enrollment services to their already growing higher ed practice. I couldn’t say no. I get paid to talk about the funnel and help schools build out their enrollment strategy and tactics. Little does eCity know I would do it for free. I love helping institutions solve their marketing and enrollment problems.

What about your experience working in a university setting has helped you most in your role with your current company?

This may sound nuanced, but it’s undoubtedly the ability to understand the organizational dynamics within an institution, for example, the tension that tends to happen between Marketing and Admissions teams; or when faculty members start a new program that doesn’t fit a market need; even things like budget models and how individual departments end up benefiting (or not benefitting) from enrollment growth. I think this helps me relate to our partners in a way that someone who hasn’t formally worked in graduate enrollment/higher ed can never fully understand or appreciate.

What do you wish your colleagues in Higher Ed knew about the vendor/corporate side of GEM?

I think I speak for, hopefully, all vendors when I say that we care about your success, and it isn’t just about a sale. I know from my experience in higher education that choosing a partner is daunting and, candidly, when I went to conferences, I would run through the vendor hall as quickly as I could because I didn’t want to be “sold”. I get it. On the other hand, vendors provide a unique perspective on challenges in higher education. We are steeped in research and work with a variety of institutions so we can help share best practices. I know at eCity Interactive we’re extremely selective with whom we work because we want to make sure there is a good fit on both sides—just like in admissions.

What do you wish your current colleagues in the vendor/corporate side knew about Higher Ed?

I’ve ping-ponged back and forth between corporate and higher ed, and even the best corporate environments can’t match the pride and camaraderie within higher education. When you’re at an institution, you bleed those colors. You feel the energy when students return to campus and can see the pride students have when they graduate. That passion for the school you work for permeates everything you do, and it’s hard for those who haven’t worked in higher education to understand what that is like.

What are the pros & cons of your change and what do you like or miss about changing from an institutional role to a vendor role?

The flexibility in my current role is tough to put a price tag on and, with a young family, it’s a huge pro. I do miss being on a college campus and working with a team through multiple enrollment cycles. While I still have the pleasure of helping institutions grow enrollment, it will never be the same as physically being on a campus meeting with students and seeing them achieve their goals—even if their presence on campus creates longer lunch lines at the food trucks. Now that I think of it, food trucks might be the thing I miss most. I may have to pay Temple a visit soon. n