Visibility Meets Workforce Demand with California State University, Monterey Bay
Co-hosted by Andrea Gilbert and Rhea Vitalis
With special guest Dr. Suzanne Zivnuska, Dean of the College of Business at California State University, Monterey Bay
Listen on: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music
Episode Overview
Part 2 of First Movers features Dr. Suzanne Zivnuska, Dean of the College of Business at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), in a conversation on how to stay visible and credible when workforce demand and AI-driven discovery are shifting at the same time. Building on Everspring’s partnership with CSUMB’s online MBA, we break down how the program got to be cited in nearly all AI summaries for its top searches, what “machine-readable” differentiation actually means, and why clear workforce alignment now helps drive both visibility and enrollment.
Key Takeaways
- Discovery and demand are shifting together: AI is changing how students find programs while workforce change reshapes what they expect.
- Differentiation must be machine-readable: CSUMB is translating its value props into signals AI platforms can interpret and cite.
- Credibility is the new visibility: Consistent, authentic content across platforms becomes the proof AI learns from.
- Career relevance boosts competitiveness: Clear alignment to outcomes and employer needs strengthens both brand trust and AI search performance.
- Performance metrics are evolving: Rising costs make cost-per-start and intent quality more important than cost-per-lead volume.
Transcript
Everspring Intro
Rhea Vitalis (Everspring): Welcome to First Movers, a new PulseCheck series from Enrollify brought to you by Everspring.
This week we’re tackling what happens when discovery and demand shift at the same time. Our guest is Dr. Suzanne Zivnuska, Dean of the College of Business at California State Monterey Bay (CSUMB). She brings nearly two decades in the CSU system, shaping programs and cultures where rigor meets real-world impact. Her work on mindfulness, ethics, and civility informs how she’s guiding CSUMB through AI and workforce transformation.
Also with us is Andrea Gilbert, who leads partner and solutions marketing here at Everspring. With two decades on the agency side of higher ed and her early days in the admissions office at Illinois Institute of Technology, Andrea sees the full picture of what university marketing and enrollment teams face.
I’m Rhea Vitalis, your host. I lead Everspring's research on AI's impact on enrollment and translate the trends into practical moves for marketing and admissions teams.
AI discovery and workforce disruption are connected (02:56)
Rhea Vitalis (02:56): AI is changing how students find and research programs. At the same time, workforce needs are shifting fast. Which disruption feels more urgent—or are they two sides of the same challenge?
Suzanne Zivnuska (CSUMB) (02:56): I see them as two sides of the same challenge. AI is changing how students discover and decide on programs. The workforce is changing what they expect from those programs once they arrive.
Universities have to connect those dots: use AI responsibly to meet students where they are, and redesign learning, so graduates are career-ready, adaptable, and ethical. That’s a strength of CSUMB—preparing socially responsible, career-ready grads who can engage their communities with grit and resilience.
Differentiation has to show up where AI looks (04:09)
Rhea Vitalis (04:09): CSUMB’s College of Business has a distinct identity around responsible business. And it speaks to what students and employers say they want.
We’re seeing AI intercept more and more digital conversations and searches. Many students don’t actually make it to a website until they’ve made a decision or are pretty deep into their research process. If students don’t reach your website early, how do you make sure differentiation still reaches them?
Suzanne Zivnuska (05:14): We can’t rely on students finding our site first. We have to make sure our values live everywhere our story might surface.
That means consistent, high-quality digital content about our Quintuple Bottom Line—people, profit, planet, ethics, equity—and making sure AI accurately represents who we are.
It’s not just visibility; it’s credibility. Alumni, partners, sustainability projects—those are the data points AI learns from. So our strategy is living our mission authentically and visibly so any system, human or machine, sees it.
Making differentiation machine-readable (06:52)
Rhea Vitalis (06:52): Andrea, how are you thinking about this problem when discovery mechanisms change?
Andrea Gilbert (Everspring) (07:08): Differentiation matters more than ever, it just has to be machine-readable. We can’t rely on traditional search alone.
At CSUMB, we translated the Quintuple Bottom Line into signals AI understands. We rebuilt pages around intent-rich student queries like “which MBA emphasizes sustainability” or “best affordable business programs in California.”
We implemented AI search visibility on the online MBA and saw impact: the microsite is getting about three times more LLM traffic than other business pages on the main university site.
On top of that, 62% of the top organic queries now trigger AI Overviews and we’re cited in 58% of them. That’s becoming a benchmark for visibility. Now we’re focused on keeping momentum so AI summaries keep reflecting CSUMB’s authentic strengths.
Why intent + architecture matter (08:57)
Rhea Vitalis (08:57): More searches are intercepted by AI summaries. Machines interpret full-paragraph intent and run micro-searches. Unique, connected content helps AI tie intent to differentiation, but technical optimization is required. You can have great content, but if machines can’t read structure, it won’t surface.
Andrea Gilbert (12:28): Exactly. Architecture has to come first. If it isn’t discoverable, students won’t see it because they’re not reaching the site.
Accreditation and agility can reinforce each other (12:47)
Rhea Vitalis (12:47): You’re in the middle of AACSB accreditation which is incredibly rigorous. At the same time, we’re hearing from employers and seeing in data that the skills graduates need are evolving quickly. AI is reshaping entire industries and jobs, and students are asking harder questions around whether their degree will translate into a career that they want. How do you balance rigor with agility? Are they at odds?
Suzanne Zivnuska (13:49): I see AACSB and agility working hand in hand. AACSB gives a disciplined framework—learning goals, assessment, impact. Those same standards keep us nimble because they require real evidence about what students need and what employers want.
We collect input from employers, alumni, and community partners across sectors, and that informs curriculum design. Students develop technical skills and adaptability, ethics, and leadership.
Our quintuple bottom line integrates societal impact with regional workforce priorities. So accreditation provides rigor and credibility while ensuring relevance in a changing economy. When they work together, we don’t just meet standards—we set standards for responsible, career-ready business education.
Rising ad costs and shifting KPIs (16:36)
Rhea Vitalis (16:36): In early 2025, advertising costs rose sharply—about 45% year over year on average. CSUMB saw cost per lead more than double. AI summaries intercept paid and organic clicks. Andrea, how did you navigate that?
Andrea Gilbert (17:59): We stayed calm and strategic. Costs were rising everywhere. Instead of chasing cheap leads, we focused on what predicts success: cost per start. We optimized toward intent and quality.
Search stayed the lead driver. We diversified across Meta for reach and LinkedIn for precision. The end game is enrollments, so cost per start guided strategy.
Rhea Vitalis (19:39): What results did you see?
Andrea Gilbert (19:50): We increased impressions 10% on Google search while CTR declined about 7%, but still achieved a 53% lift in conversion and a 32% drop in cost per lead.
That came from refining keyword strategy and refreshing creative mid-cycle, not setting and forgetting. Every touchpoint from ad to landing page reinforced ROI and outcomes. Efficiency now is smarter spend through targeting, discipline, and constant optimization.
Academic relevance fuels AI visibility (20:55)
Rhea Vitalis (20:55): We’re seeing universities perform better in AI search when they articulate clear career outcomes. Suzanne, do you see that connection?
Suzanne Zivnuska (22:29): Yes. It comes down to living your values and being clear about who you are so you can communicate it and deliver on it. That provides the data AI scrapes and puts in front of students.
Rhea Vitalis (23:01): Brand isn’t separate from these levers. Outcomes for students are core to brand, and structuring that so it’s findable matters.
Suzanne Zivnuska (23:41): Exactly. Our degree promises socially responsible, career-ready graduates. That’s central to curriculum, research, internships. Because it’s true and central, it shows up in what AI scrapes.
Andrea Gilbert (25:09): Students know what they want — affordability, career outcomes, belonging. They may not associate that with CSUMB at first. Marketing has to bring it forward early, which is exciting because it introduces new students sooner than old funnels did.
Strategic priorities for 2026 (28:26)
Rhea Vitalis (28:26): Looking to 2026, what are your top priorities?
Suzanne Zivnuska (28:46): Priority one is completing AACSB accreditation — not just compliance, but a framework for continuous improvement so programs stay rigorous, relevant, and workforce-aligned.
Priority two is doubling down on workforce and community alignment. We’ll expand partnerships, experiential learning, digital fluency, and ethical leadership.
We’ll measure success through accreditation outcomes, partnership growth, student satisfaction, placement rates, and maintaining faculty excellence. Beyond metrics, success means that when the Central Coast thinks of forward-looking, values-driven business education, they think CSUMB.
Advice for leaders feeling squeezed (30:59)
Rhea Vitalis (30:59): Andrea, what advice do you give enrollment marketing leaders right now?
Andrea Gilbert (31:51): Start with basics. Connect differentiation to how AI and students evaluate credibility. Design every content touchpoint around the questions prospects actually ask.
At CSUMB, we’re expanding AI search visibility for early discovery while improving down-funnel conversion. Focus on what matters — cost per start, not cost per lead. With clarity, authority, and intent-aligned content, you can outperform headwinds.
What they’re watching next (33:02)
Rhea Vitalis (33:02): Last question. What are you watching most closely over the next year?
Suzanne Zivnuska (33:35): Enrollments — but also retention and student success. The process doesn’t end with getting students here. It ends with keeping them here until they graduate and launch careers.
Andrea Gilbert (34:10): I’m watching how AI discovery translates into enrollment outcomes. Visibility alone doesn’t guarantee results; quality of engagement matters.
Indicators I’m tracking are AI citation frequency, cost per start trends, conversion quality, and lead source performance. Together they show whether visibility is turning into value. It’s not about showing up everywhere — it’s showing up where it counts and converting when it matters.
Rhea Vitalis (35:25): Thank you both. I love this conversation on balancing human and machine, authenticity and optimization, and driving meaningful results for students. Thanks to everyone tuning in.