UCR to appear on “The College Tour” television series
A film crew interviewed students for an upcoming episode
By Imran Ghori, Inside UCR I August 2, 2022
UC Riverside will be showcased in an upcoming episode of “The College Tour,” a television series that profiles campuses through student stories and is available on Amazon Prime and many other streaming platforms.
A television crew completed a week of filming across multiple campus locations that included interviews with 10 students in late July.
Alex Boylan, executive producer and host of the program, said the Los Angeles-based production team has long had UCR on its radar as one of the campuses they wanted to spotlight.
“We knew we wanted to tell the story from the beginning,” he said. “This is our backyard and we’re very passionate about the UC system.”
Boylan cited location, affordability, education quality, diversity, and inclusiveness as among the features that make UCR attractive. The students appearing in the show come from different backgrounds and have different educational interests yet tell a common story about how UCR has helped them pursue their dreams, he said.
“You’re going to get what UC Riverside looks like, which is a very diversified and inclusive community across the board,” he said. “There are some great stories there.”
The show began pre-production and casting two months before filming, soliciting video applications from students interested in appearing on the show.
Patrick Samones, a School of Medicine student who received his bachelor’s degree in biology at UCR, is among the students being profiled. A Moreno Valley resident who is a first-generation student from an immigrant family, Samones said he hopes his story resonates with others.
“I’m just hoping more people learn about the mission of the school and how important it is for underserved communities like our own,” he said.
Samones was filmed in segments at the School of Medicine’s Center for Simulated Patient Care and the Health Professions Advising Center, where he was a mentor as an undergraduate.
Others profiled include international students, a student who was in the foster youth system, a transfer student, and one involved in student government. Each segment was filmed at a different location including Tomás Rivera Library, the HUB, the Student Recreation Center, and various outdoor areas around campus.
Boylan also interviewed Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox at the Student Success Center for a digital extra called “Coffee with the President” featuring the head of each institution that accompanies each episode.
The program will begin rolling out individual segments on its website in late September while the full episode will be released on Amazon Prime early next year as part of the seventh season.
The goal is to get a well-rounded perspective that provides prospective students with a feel for the culture and vibe of a campus that they can’t get just reading about it online, Boylan said.
“We’re getting college students to talk to high school students and share their authentic stories so they can learn about the possibilities at that institution,” he said.
The idea for the show began from a conversation with his niece a few years ago when she was navigating the difficult process of choosing between colleges.
Boylan and his production team, whose credits include “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race,” and “The World’s Toughest Race” thought the idea of taking a travelogue approach to campus visits could have potential.
Since it began airing, Boylan said he’s heard from many students and parents how the program helped them choose a college. He’s also found it inspiring talking to around 1,000 students at 70 colleges and universities so far.
“The future of not only this country, but this world, is in amazing hands,” Boylan said. “The next generation that is in college right now are more mature, thoughtful and inclusive and want to marry their passion and purpose to making the planet a better place.”
Students at Jacksonville University to be featured in season finale episode of ‘The College Tour’
20 students will show Dolphin Pride during episode
By Kendra Mazeke, News4JAX I August 11 11, 2022
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local university is giving prospective students the ultimate sneak peek into its campus life with a featured episode on an Emmy-nominated and multi-award-winning TV show.
Twenty Jacksonville University (JU) students and alumni got the opportunity to represent their school and showcase their Dolphin Pride in a one-hour season finale episode of The College Tour, debuting on Amazon Prime and other streaming platforms on Sept. 1.
The university was selected to give prospective college students an inside look at what it is like to attend Jacksonville University, tour their facilities, and explore the distinct campus culture and people who make the university diverse.
The show’s Executive Producer and Host Alex Boylan is a Class of 1999 JU graduate.
“I have to be honest, it was emotional doing my part as a host for this episode,” Boylan said. “Being back on campus was awesome and seeing firsthand how far this university has come, where it is going, and how JU is shaping the future leaders of this country is nothing short of amazing.”
The College Tour, which was filmed over 10 days in March, takes a deep dive into academics, athletic programs and overall campus life through the eyes of current students.
President Tim Cost also made a cameo in the episode along with a future Olympian, a shark researcher, aspiring doctors and nurses, a U.S. Marine Corps officer candidate, aspiring artists and a film score composer.
The show also wanted to highlight Jacksonville’s natural beauty and career opportunities.
The featured students got to walk the “green carpet” and see their episode for the first time on Thursday at an exclusive screening.
Click here for more information on The College Tour.
Can’t wait for the premiere? Watch the episode below.
It’s a college premiere … at a premier college!
PCToday I August 8, 2022
The campus community will get an advance look at the Penn College episode of “The College Tour” – a half-hour installment of the series’ seventh season, debuting soon on Amazon Prime – when it premieres at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium.
Can’t attend in person? Catch the livestream from the ACC on YouTube. Students will have the chance to win some great prizes that evening, including a $200 Amazon gift card, and that’s just the capper to a fun-filled day of Launch Party activities! Join Public Relations & Marketing from 3:30-6:30 p.m. on the mall for goats; games; free snow cones, popcorn and Penn State Creamery ice cream; and a dunk tank (with a small fee) to benefit the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship. Each episode of “The College Tour” tells the story of a single college through the lens of its students, so, until Thursday rolls around, visit this gallery of behind-the-scenes photos and meet the cast (some of whom have since graduated) who so capably guide viewers on the Wildcat edition of “The College Tour”: Dhruv Singh, Ashlee Felix, Dacia J. James, Alejandro F. Huaman, Danielle E. Malesky, Jesse D. Laird V, Maggie J. Mangene, Caila N. Flanagan, Wesley S. McCray and Kathryn A. Plankenhorn.
30 Higher Education IT Influencers to Follow in 2022
By Amy Mclntosh, ED Tech I June 27, 2022
Social Media Brand Sets AcrossKeep these higher education IT leaders, bloggers, podcasters and social media personalities on your radar.
Adam Antor
Adam Antor is Florida Southern College’s director of esports and chair of the National Association of Collegiate Esports Competition Council. His streaming talk show, Collegiate Esports Talk, can be found on his Twitch channel and covers hot topics in high school and collegiate esports.
@CoachAntor I CoachAntor Adam Antor
Alex Boylan
Alex Boylan was part of the winning team on The Amazing Race in 2002 and currently hosts The College Tour, a show streaming on Tubi and Amazon Prime Video. Each episode tells the story of a college or university through the eyes of its students. The show has filmed four seasons and has showcased 48 colleges and universities in this format.
Ann Gagné
Ann Gagné is an educational developer for the University of Toronto who emphasizes accessible and inclusive instructional design in her work. She runs the All Things Pedagogical blog, where she dives deep into pedagogical ethics and instructional technology.
@AnnGagne All Things Pedagogical Ann Gagné
Bennett Newsome
Bennett Newsome is the esports strategist for Full Sail University’s Armada esports team, where he works on a range of initiatives that include directing the varsity team, collaborating on networking and partnerships, and guiding the Armada’s Stream Team student broadcasters. Newsome is also a Twitch partner, specializing in community building and gaming.
@damnitbennettDamnitBennett on Twitch@damnitbennett on TikTokBennett Newsome
Bonni Stachowiak
Bonni Stachowiak is dean of teaching and learning at Vanguard University, leading the Institute for Faculty Development. Bringing a passion for equipping educators with digital tools to the airwaves, Stachowiak also hosts the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, which features interviews with educators on topics ranging from digital pedagogy to work-life balance.
@bonni208Bonni StachowiakTeaching in Higher Ed
Casey Fiesler
Casey Fiesler is an assistant professor in the Department of Information Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, where her research focuses on governance and ethics, online communities and more. Outside of the university setting, Fiesler runs a popular YouTube channel and TikTok account that cover topics relating to digital ethics, technology law and academia.
@cfiesler@professorcasey on TikTok@caseyfieslerphdCasey Fiesler
Catherine Knight Steele
In addition to her role as assistant professor of communication at University of Maryland, College Park, Catherine Knight Steele is director of the university’s Black Communication and Technology Lab, where her research focuses on Black culture and discourse and digital communication. She is the author of Digital Black Feminism, a book that explores the relationship between Black women and the past, present and future of technology.
@SteeleCat717Catherine Knight Steele
David Seidl
David Seidl is the IT vice president and CIO at Miami University in Ohio. Before his time at Miami University, he was director of information security at the University of Notre Dame, where he co-led the cloud migration and operationalization of the university’s data center. He is a thought leader and conversation starter on Twitter, frequently participating in discussions with other technology leaders, both in and out of higher ed.
Derek Bruff
Derek Bruff is assistant provost at Vanderbilt University, as well as interim director of the Vanderbilt Digital Commons. There, he oversees programming to help faculty develop digital technology skills. Also an author, Bruff published Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology in College Teaching in 2019. He also hosts Leading Lines, a podcast that features interviews with educators, researchers and technologists about creative uses of educational technology.
@derekbruffDerek BruffLeading LinesDerek Bruff
Dustin Ramsdell
Dustin Ramsdell is a program coordinator for Noodle, an edtech platform connecting higher education institutions with upskilling programs. He also hosts a weekly podcast called Higher Ed Geek, which covers the latest in educational technology, combining Ramsdell’s passion for higher ed with his self-described love of “geeky stuff.”
@HigherEd_GeekDustin RamsdellHigher Ed Geek
Gayleen Gray
Gayleen Gray is assistant vice president and CTO of McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. She is on the EDUCAUSE board of directors and most recently presented at the organization’s conference on Canada’s approach to cybersecurity. She is committed to building relationships with other higher ed IT professionals, collaborating with her peers in Canada and the U.S
Jeff Selingo
Jeff Selingo has written about higher education for more than two decades and is the author of three books that made The New York Times’ bestseller list. Selingo is a special adviser for innovation and professor of practice at Arizona State University. He also co-hosts the podcast FutureU, which focuses on the future of higher education.
@jselingoFutureUJeff SelingoJeff Selingo
Jill Finlayson
Jill Finlayson is the director of the Expanding Diversity and Gender Equity (EDGE) in Tech Initiative at the University of California, a group with the mission of boosting participation and advancement for women and people of color in technical fields. She is an advocate for women in technology and a frequent speaker on ethics and equality in the tech industry.
Kelvin Bentley
Kelvin Bentley is a senior consultant for WGU Labs. He has been a digital learning consultant for more than 25 years and has led online learning initiatives for two- and four-year institutions. He also has a daily online newsletter that he shares on Twitter.
@blacktimelordKelvin BentleyThe Digital Learning Daily
Kelvin Thompson
In addition to serving as the executive director of the University of Central Florida’s Center for Distributed Learning, Kelvin Thompson co-hosts the university’s TOPcast. TOPcast, which stands for The Teaching Online Podcast, is a weekly, university-produced podcast that features interviews and discussions about all things online learning.
@kthompsoTOPcastKelvin Thompson
Kishonna Gray
Kishonna Gray is an associate professor at the University of Kentucky and the author of Intersectional Tech: Black Users in Digital Gaming. She is an interdisciplinary, intersectional digital media scholar whose areas of research include social inequalities in virtual gaming communities.
@KishonnaGrayKishonna GrayKishonna Gray
Mark Deppe
Mark Deppe is the director of the University of California Irvine’s esports program. In 2010, he led UC Irvine in developing the first esports program at a public university. Since then, he has continued to focus on pursuing excellence in the program’s five pillars: competition, academics, research, community and entertainment.
Matthew Rascoff
Matthew Rascoff is vice provost for digital education at Stanford University, leading a department launched in the fall of 2021. Upon its creation, the department joined with the National Education Equity Lab to deliver Stanford courses to underserved students nationwide. Rascoff is also part of EDUCAUSE’s Digital Transformation Task Force.
Maya Georgieva
Maya Georgieva is the senior director of the Innovation Center and XR, AI, and Quantum Labs at The New School, where she leads a team driving innovation focused on immersive storytelling, quantum computing, AI, future interfaces and design. She is also co-founder of Digital Bodies, a consulting group focused on the impact of immersive and wearable technology on education. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of VR and XR, recently presenting at SXSW EDU and EDUCAUSE’s annual conference.
@mayaigMaya GeorgievaDigital Bodies
Melissa Woo
Melissa Woo is executive vice president for administration and CIO at Michigan State University. She was the recipient of the EDUCAUSE 2019 DEI Leadership Award and served on the organization’s inaugural DEI advisory committee. She is passionate about developing rising IT leaders and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in IT.
Michael B. Horn
Michael B. Horn is the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute and a senior strategist at Guild Education. He is the author of several books on disruptive innovation in higher education. He also co-hosts the podcast FutureU, which focuses on the future of higher education.
@michaelbhornMichael B. HornFutureUMichael B. Horn
Michelle Pacansky-Brock
Michelle Pacansky-Brock is faculty mentor for online teaching and learning with the California Community Colleges — California Virtual Campus online education initiative, coordinating professional development in support of quality online teaching and learning. She is currently leading a grant project with the California Education Learning Lab that will examine the impact of humanized online instruction on diverse students in undergraduate online STEM courses in California.
@brocanskyMichelle Pacansky-BrockMichelle Pacansky-Brock
Phil Hill
Phil Hill is an edtech consultant who has worked with numerous clients, including Western Governors University, the California Community College System, UCLA, Bournemouth University, Lumen Learning, Coursera, multiple investment firms and more. He runs a popular blog, Phil on EdTech, and is a frequent contributor to industry publications.
@PhilOnEdTechPhil HillPhil on EdTech
Sarah Thorneycroft
Sarah Thorneycroft is acting program director of digital education at the University of New England, Australia. She is an advocate for inclusive and equitable learning spaces and environments.
Sergio Brack
In 2020, Sergio Brack graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he was the president of the university’s esports league. Today, Brack is director of esports at University of Maryland and is involved with Cxmmunity, an organization committed to increasing diversity in esports. He also co-founded the College Call of Duty league, an esports league that promotes accessibility and inclusivity in collegiate gaming.
Sharon Pitt
Sharon Pitt is vice president of IT and CIO at the University of Delaware, where her goal is to advance the university’s education, research and economic development missions. She is a EDUCAUSE board member, an EDUCAUSE Hawkins Leadership Roundtable mentor, chair of Internet2’s community engagement program advisory group, and a board member of the
New York State Education and Research Network.@sppittSharon Pitt
Stephen Landry
Before serving as CIO of Seton Hall University, Stephen Landry was director of the Center for Academic Technology at the school, responsible for integrating technology with curriculum in the 1990s. Today, thanks in part to those efforts, Seton Hall has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the most connected college campuses in the country.
Tanya Joosten
Tanya Joosten is director of the National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She works to support student success and access through identifying key research-based practices, with particular focus on students who are first-generation, affected by poverty, racial minorities and/or disabled.
@tjoostenTanya JoostenTanya Joosten
Tazin Daniels
In addition to her work as assistant director of the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching the University of Michigan, Tazin Daniels is an equitable digital learning expert with the Every Learner Everywhere Expert Network. She provides professional development for instructors, helping them teach online.
@ThePedagologistTazin DanielsThe Pedagologist
Tonya Bennett
Tonya Bennett is director of educational technology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also a co-founder of the Anti-Racism in Academia program and is active in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2020, she served as a small-group facilitator during Penn’s annual symposium, focused on women in STEM to honor Women’s History Month. She received EDUCAUSE’s 2021 Rising Star Award.
To discover EdTech’s Higher Ed IT influencers and blogs from previous years, visit our lists from 2021, 2020 and 2019.
SDSU featured on season four of ‘The College Tour’
By SDSU Marketing & Communications, The Brookings Register I May 11, 2022
Season four started Tuesday on Amazon Prime Video
BROOKINGS – South Dakota State University is featured in season four of “The College Tour,” a TV series that is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Hosted by “The Amazing Race” season-two winner Alex Boylan, “The College Tour” was created to empower high school students to virtually tour colleges across America from the comfort of their own homes.
SDSU’s episode, which can also be seen on http://www.sdstate.edu/thecollegetour and https://www.thecollegetour.com/episodes/south-dakota-state-university/, highlights the campus and overall culture from the students’ perspective. From academics to sports to college traditions, viewers can virtually visit South Dakota State as they’re making the important decision of where to apply and finally, where to attend. “The College Tour” makes viewing life as part of the Jackrabbits family accessible to all possible candidates.
Ten individuals, ranging from students to alumni, take time to talk about what makes SDSU a place to visit and attend.
“Hearing what makes South Dakota State University special through the eyes of actual students is important to all of us at State,” said Mike Lockrem, director of University Marketing and Communications. “We have heard from many students about how important a campus visit was when deciding on where to attend, so furthering the opportunity to showcase SDSU is a great opportunity. We know the college search process is changing, and it’s important to reach prospective students where they are today.”
Boylan, executive producer and host, said “Selecting a college is a monumental decision in a young person’s educational journey and this episode will give prospects a firsthand look at what makes South Dakota State University’s culture so special. And most importantly the story of the college is told through the authentic lens of its students.”
Season four of “The College Tour” is now on Amazon’s IMDb TV and all episodes are available on the show app and on www.thecollegetour.com.
About ‘The College Tour’
“The College Tour” is a series created to empower high school students to virtually travel across America for an inside look at colleges and universities. The series is produced by award-winning producers Lisa Hennessy, Boylan, Burton Roberts and Mike Murray and hosted by Boylan. Each episode highlights a college or university through the eyes of its students, faculty and alumni, providing prospective students with an intimate look at life on campus beyond what is written in brochures or websites.
“The College Tour” is available on Amazon Prime Video, IMDb TV and across “The College Tour” platform including its own mobile app and www.thecollegetour.com.
USI’s episode of The College Tour coming to Amazon Prime Video May 10
By University Communications, USI I May 9, 2022
The University of Southern Indiana’s episode of The College Tour will be available on Amazon Prime Video as part of season four of The College Tour beginning Tuesday, May 10. The 30-minute episode will be available to 200 million potential viewers via Amazon Prime Video and a variety of additional streaming platforms.
Hosted by The Amazing Race season two winner Alex Boylan, The College Tour is a powerful series created to empower high school students to virtually tour colleges across America from the comfort of their own home.
“Filming on campus was a great experience, and the students, alumni and everyone I interacted with made the University of Southern Indiana feel like home,” says Boylan. “The inviting campus is beautiful, and the exceptional USI community was a pleasure to work alongside.”
USI’s episode features 10 USI students and their unique experiences as Screaming Eagles:
- David Bradley ’22 – USI History and Location
- Elissa Tam ’22 – Academic Excellence
- Cole Stephenson ’22 – Finding Your Wings
- Perci Hale ’22 – Arts and Culture
- Diego Castillo ’21 – Housing and Residence Life
- Josi Barscz ’22 – Experiential Learning
- Tyler Henry ’22 – Student Life and Student Organizations
- Kaylee Johnson ’20 M’22 – Athletics and School Spirit
- Blake Whitehouse ’22 – Campus Culture
- Tori Beasley ’22 – Online Learning
Season four of The College Tour is now available on Amazon’s IMDb TV, and all episodes are available on The College Tour’s app and on www.thecollegetour.com.
USI’s episode and individual student segments can also be viewed at USI.edu/collegetour.
Helping Prospective Students See Themselves on Campus
By Mary Krate, Inside Higher Ed I May 2 2022
MONTCLAIR, N.J. — Jennifer Burlage of Clinton was one of 18 students selected to participate in an episode of “The College Tour,” With some students not able to make it to campus for an in-person tour, colleges must ensure their virtual tours offer a clear sense of what the campus is like, says Mary Kreta of the University of Montana.
Coming off a decade of enrollment decline, it was clear that the University of Montana needed a new admissions strategy from top to bottom. While there was plenty of work to be done, one area we wanted to focus on was the university’s campus visit experience, including the virtual tour.
Between the pandemic and the many prospective students and parents in rural areas of Montana, we wanted remote visitors to be able to get a sense of the campus that highlighted its vibrancy, something they were not getting in the old virtual tour on our website.
According to a Student Voice survey conducted by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse with support from Kaplan, a majority of students say virtual campus tours should include videos of residence halls, dining halls and classrooms, but many students who have taken virtual tours report not seeing these vital components of campus life. Another alarming statistic from the survey is that 55 percent of students also want virtual tours to include interaction with a student tour guide, but only 16 percent of students who took virtual tours reported having a one-on-one interaction with a student guide.
The survey also points out that students make their decisions to enroll based on academic programs and financial considerations. We know that our campus tour needs to highlight all aspects of being a student at UM.
Jeff Kallay, national campus visit expert and senior vice president of enrollment consulting at the higher ed firm Echo Delta, says, “The most important part of the virtual tour is what is most important to [students]: housing, food on campus, wellness and the facilities or academic interests. Ideally, a great virtual tour would survey each viewer and then offer up a personalized tour route based on what matters most to them.”
There was one more thing we wanted to take into consideration: 40 percent of our students are first generation, and over 7 percent are Native American, so making these tours equitable and valuable to all students was at the top of our list.
Revamping Our Tour
With all this information, we sat down to revamp our virtual tour by looking at the hierarchy of our students’ needs. We also partnered with The College Tour to provide another way for students to meaningfully connect with our campus from afar.
Our guiding light when creating the tour route, writing scripts and working with our student guides was the need to meet prospective students’ needs rather the impulse to show them what we wanted to highlight. A team of people in admissions and marketing built a student-focused tour and gathered feedback from our students throughout the process. Their unfiltered feedback on the script and on shooting locations led to numerous changes in the way we talked about our campus and how we highlighted our strengths.
Stephanie Geyer, UM’s director of digital strategy and innovation, recalls a student named “Zachariah Rides At The Door, [who] rewrote his script to start and end in his Blackfeet language, which made the segment much more compelling and authentic.” To date, this segment is also among the most viewed.
By coordinating these efforts and embedding some of the clips into our virtual tour, we created opportunities for engagement. We launched the tour in March 2022, and early numbers show higher-than-average visitor numbers and an inquiry rate of 14 percent.
Renewed Focus on In-Person Tours
While a large focus was on launching a high-quality virtual tour, we also revamped our on-campus tours and events, focusing on the overarching experience the students and their families have on our campus.
As the Student Voice survey points out, 56 percent of respondents visited campus in person, versus only 7 percent virtually. This high percentage of in-person visits is particularly exciting because it has helped to motivate robust conversations about how we personalize each visit and event.
Our newly implemented admitted-student event—Go Griz Days—celebrates our students’ accomplishments and facilitates new friendships through activities with other admitted and current students. The traditional focus on completing tasks necessary to register has moved online, because we want students to experience the components of campus life that truly drive their decision to enroll, not what the institution needs to get them to commit.
Students don’t want to hear from admissions officers; they want to hear from other students. They need to know about the academic program, but they also need to know about where they will eat and sleep.
Many of the first-generation student respondents to the Student Voice survey still made the trip to campus. This means we have a responsibility to ensure our campus visits speak directly to their accomplishments and concerns. It also tells us we need to rethink how we’re inviting first-generation students to interact with our virtual tours.
Campus visits in all forms are still foundational to the college search process, but we need to evolve. In an era when students can get a quality college degree online, we need to show them what they gain by coming to our campus. Students don’t want to hear from admissions officers; they want to hear from other students. They need to know about the academic program, but they also need to know about where they will eat and sleep. We are not simply transforming tours, we’re respecting students and working alongside them to help them see themselves as part of our campus community.
Bio
Mary Kreta is vice president for enrollment management and strategic initiatives at the University of Montana.
The Higher Ed Marketer I April 25, 2022
Filming ‘The College Tour’ at Jacksonville University marks homecoming for host Alex Boylan
By Emily Bloch, The Florida-Times Union I April 11, 2022
Gathered outside behind the Howard Administration Building, about two dozen students wearing Jacksonville University shirts and big smiles awaited cues from film director Bob Jury.
He waves his hands animatedly and calls out, “We’re rolling, big enthusiasm, here we go.” It marked day eight of filming for the school’s feature in “The College Tour,” an Amazon Prime series that spotlights colleges and universities around the country.
For the show’s host and executive producer Alex Boylan, this episode marked a special homecoming. Boylan is a JU dolphin himself, graduating in 1999.
“Coming back to film my alma mater, words cannot describe it,” he said. “JU has made me who I am to this day. Some of my best friends are students I went to college with. It’s been so meaningful.”
Boylan created “The College Tour,” which is now filming its fifth season, out of necessity after struggling to tour college campuses with his niece during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The mission is to tell the story of college education,” Boylan told the Times-Union. “How do you do that with 2,500 campuses across the country? We try to be as diverse as possible [with a range of campus sizes and student populations].”
Other Florida schools featured on ‘The College Tour’
Jacksonville University is a private, liberal arts university with a population of about 4,000 students. Other Florida schools featured on “The College Tour” include Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, the University of Central Florida and Florida Tech.
Boylan describes the episode’s production as a collaborative effort between the school and his team.
“This is a six-month process to make one episode,” he said. “There’s two months of pre-production with teams meeting weekly, then on-location for almost two weeks and then post-production for two months. Then marketing and distribution — it’s a journey … we’re just finding great stories and bringing them to you.”
What to expect from The Jacksonville University episode
The Jacksonville University episode will feature a range of mini-profiles on current students, school leaders and alumni, all in the hopes of portraying a school’s vibe through viewers’ screens.
Students to be featured on this episode of “The College Tour” include a star lacrosse player, a sailing student with Olympic potential, a violinist, shark researcher and student organizers.
Sommer Kinsler, 19, is a freshman at JU who is being featured in the episode. She singlehandedly organized a Black History Month celebration this year on campus that has been lauded by school leaders.
“She wanted to do all the things and here she is. She hit the ground running at JU,” said school spokeswoman Laura Phelps.
Jacksonville University is a private, liberal arts university with a population of about 4,000 students. Other Florida schools featured on “The College Tour” include Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, the University of Central Florida and Florida Tech.
Boylan describes the episode’s production as a collaborative effort between the school and his team.
“This is a six-month process to make one episode,” he said. “There’s two months of pre-production with teams meeting weekly, then on-location for almost two weeks and then post-production for two months. Then marketing and distribution — it’s a journey … we’re just finding great stories and bringing them to you.”
As the group works on filming the episode’s intro and outro segments, Boylan chats with students. Show producers remark how he’s needed to do fewer takes than usual. He says it’s because this episode is personal and that he practiced the script 10 times more than he usually would.
“I’m usually on location two-to-three hours and out. This week, it’s been eight days,” he said. “It’s fun seeing the students and seeing them get nervous about being on TV. I just tell them ‘you’ve got this. It’s going to be weird, a bunch of people staring at you. But it’ll be great.'”
He adds, “that’s the key to television — big smiles and be happy.”
The one-hour episode is expected to air this summer.
Emily Bloch is an education reporter for The Florida Times-Union. Follow her on Twitter or email her. Sign up for her newsletter.
Amazon Prime Video to feature Illinois State students in The College Tour series
By Jon Twork, Illinois State University News I April 8, 2022
A television production crew with experience working on Emmy award-winning reality shows, such as Survivor and Undercover Boss, was on campus for a weeklong shoot that wrapped up Friday, April 8.
Instead of filming drama-packed challenges on a remote tropical island, however, the crew focused their cameras on 10 Illinois State University students who shared their experiences as Redbirds for a 30-minute episode of The College Tour, scheduled to stream on Amazon Prime Video this fall.
Alex Boylan, an Emmy-nominated producer who won CBS’s second season of The Amazing Race, is The College Tour’s host and executive producer. He developed the show after seeing his niece’s college decision limited to a handful of schools that she could afford to visit. Seeking to expand options for prospective students and families, Boylan thought, “Higher education needs its own television series.”
“Each episode of The College Tour tells the story of one institution, and the best part about it is we tell that in a very authentic way through the lens of real, current students,” Boylan said. “There’s not a better way to learn about the vibe and the culture of a place than real students and their real stories.”
Episodes are available for free on Amazon Prime Video without a membership and can also be watched on The College Tour’s website and through several other streaming platforms.
“Illinois State has a unique and compelling story to tell, and The College Tour provides an opportunity to tell that story to a wide audience,” said Director of Admissions Jeff Mavros. “This is a special place, and there are no better brand ambassadors than our students themselves. Putting them front and center to share their experiences with the world is a no-brainer. I’m excited about seeing the final product because I know it will instill pride in the members of our campus community and the extended Redbird family across the globe.”
Senior acting major Joshua Thomas said he felt “ecstatic” when he was selected from a pool of more than 70 students who submitted audition tapes to be included in Illinois State’s episode. Thomas worked with The College Tour’s team during preproduction to develop a roughly 2-minute script focused on his experience making friends and getting involved on campus through opportunities with the School of Theatre and Dance and WZND, the student-run radio station.
“I hope that students watching my segment will kind of be inspired,” Thomas said. “When I started at ISU, I didn’t know necessarily what I wanted to do—other than be an acting major. But when I attended Festival ISU and saw all the events on campus and all the organizations, I was able to find my way. So, I hope that they see that and are like, ‘Oh, yeah, I will find my way once I get to college.’”
Even though Thomas has experience embodying a character and memorizing lines for theatrical productions including his current role in Mary Stuart (Oswald), he said appearing on-camera—as himself—presented a new challenge. Thomas said he was awestruck by the setup for his segment, which was filmed backstage in Braden Auditorium.
“It was kind of breathtaking because I went in there and they had somebody in my place, getting ready and doing the lighting; and then they were like, ‘OK, you’re going in there now.’ So, I was a little nervous, but it was fun,” Thomas said. “I really liked meeting the crew and networking with them.”
Amelia Korveziroska, a physics engineering sophomore, prepared extensively but felt the pressure when she arrived to shoot her segment in front of the Science Laboratory Building. The crew informed Korveziroska that they had 30 minutes to record her scripted portion before impending rain hit campus.
“We got everything done right as the rain started,” Korveziroska said. “So, it was definitely tight.”
Korveziroska focused her script on unique opportunities for undergraduate research at Illinois State, specifically in Assistant Professor of Physics Dr. Mahua Biswas’s applied nanomaterials research lab. In her first two years at Illinois State, Korveziroska has already co-authored a scholarly journal article, presented at an international conference, and is headed to Harvard this summer through a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) scholarship.
While Korveziroska would love to work for NASA in a few years, her experience on The College Tour made her consider future opportunities to inspire young women—through television—to pursue an education and career in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field.
Boylan, who has traveled to more than 50 schools for The College Tour over the past two years, said visiting college campuses across the country to share student stories—such as Thomas’s and Korveziroska’s—is “invigorating.”
In Normal, Boylan said he and the crew felt the “friendliness” and “spirit” of the Illinois State community. “I personally feel it, and our whole crew has been raving about it,” Boylan said. “This campus is really special. The friendliness and the spirit since we’ve stepped foot on this campus is second to none.”
Illinois State’s episode of The College Tour—the first episode of the sixth season—is scheduled for a fall release on Amazon Prime Video. The show will feature the following students: Sarah Aguilar ’20, a first-year graduate student enrolled in the specialist program in school psychology; Amelia Korveziroska, a sophomore physics engineering major; Katie Leslie, a sophomore nursing major; Danny Less, a senior communications major; Michael Lyman, a senior recreation management major; Abi Mitsven, a junior journalism major; Brittney Oakley, a sophomore accounting major; Michael Severino, a sophomore secondary mathematics education major; Jaychelle Smith, a junior film and theatre studies major; and, Joshua Thomas, a senior acting major.