An Educated Guest

How can higher ed ensure everyone has the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life? That’s precisely the question The Gates Foundation seeks to answer through its US Program in Postsecondary Success.In this episode of An Educated Guest, Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Patrick Methvin, Director of Postsecondary Success at The Gates Foundation. Todd and Patrick discuss the role of philanthropy in higher ed and how the postsecondary sector can help fulfill the promise of economic mobility for all, regardless of race, gender, or family income. Key Takeaways:The Gates Foundation’s roots in funding education The importance of higher ed advancing socioeconomic mobilityHow their education funding stacks from K-12 to postsecondary to the workforcePostsecondary funding areas the Gates Foundation targetsHow the Foundation seeks to close attainment gaps Guest BioPatrick Methvin is the Director of Postsecondary Success at The Gates Foundation. He oversees work designed to significantly increase the number of Americans achieving post-high school credentials and eliminate educational attainment disparities by race and income. Previously, Patrick served as a principal in the Boston Consulting Group’s Social Impact and Consumer Goods Practice Areas. In this role, he supported higher ed institutions in managing operating model changes required by their rapidly changing funding environments.Patrick holds an MBA from the Wharton School, a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of North Carolina.

“The next step is not your last.” That’s why Amazon is focused on creating new paths to career success with the Career Choice program. In this episode of An Educated Guest, Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Tammy Thieman, Global Program Director of Amazon Career Choice. Todd and Tammy explore how Amazon is providing a workplace where employees can advance their careers through access to “industry-busting” education providers and skills training. Key Takeaways: How Amazon Career Choice created a 45% enrollment increase in the first six months of 2022  How Career Choice helps employees be good consumers of their education and land opportunities wherever their careers take them  Why they rigorously vet education providers in their network  How Career Choice is part of Amazon’s greater education pledge of $1.2 billion by 2025  Why the program will continue measuring results relentlessly and share learns widely  Guest Bio Tammy Thieman is the Global Program Director of Amazon Career Choice. Currently available in 14 countries with over 80,000 participants, Career Choice is Amazon’s education program focused on career advancement and skills training for hourly employees with the goal of helping move them into higher-paying, in-demand jobs.  In her time at Amazon, Tammy has focused on upskilling initiatives such as supporting veteran hiring in tech and launching Amazon’s first Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship program. Tammy began her career as an active-duty Army officer and recently retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Army Reserve where she was the Pacific Northwest leader for Command and General Staff College. She currently lives in Las Vegas with her husband and two children.

Higher ed was never designed around students. But Dr. Bridget Burns is determined to disrupt that. In this episode of An Educated Guest, Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Dr. Bridget Burns, Founder and CEO of the University Innovation Alliance (UIA). Together, they explore how empathy, design thinking, accessible data, trusting each other to fail, and the UIA’s six policy areas have innovated scalable solutions for student success. Key Takeaways: • Why tools like predictive analytics and proactive advising are fundamental to diagnosing students’ problems and providing immediate support • How chatbots can resolve students’ issues and help staff be more effective • Why career services need to become part of every classroom experience • How $1000 grants have ensured students graduate on time • How creating the social safety to fail is key to innovation Guest BioDr. Bridget Burns is the founder and CEO of University Innovation Alliance, a multi-campus laboratory for student success innovation that helps university leaders implement scalable solutions to increase the number and diversity of college graduates.In 2020, Bridget was recognized by Diverse Issues as one of "35 Leading Women in Higher Education" and named one of the “16 Most Innovative People in Higher Education” by Washington Monthly magazine. In addition, her work has been highlighted in national outlets like The New York Times, Fast Company, and 60 Minutes. She was also featured in the documentary “Unlikely." Bridget received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and master’s degree in Public Policy from Oregon State University and her Doctorate in Higher Education, Leadership & Policy from Vanderbilt University.

Imagine a future where learners can instantly verify their skills, credentials, and employment. Thanks to the National Student Clearinghouse, this future is already becoming a reality. In this episode of An Educated Guest, Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Rick Torres, President and CEO of the National Student Clearinghouse. They discuss topics such as the “K-20 to workforce continuum”, the top factors accelerating enrollment declines, and how a “point of no return” now requires higher ed to pivot for good. Key Takeaways: How the Clearinghouse is evolving paper transcripts into a digital credentials wallet How the credentials ecosystem is becoming less of a “wild west” Why employers have been upskilling talent in-house and how higher ed institutions can help Understanding recent enrollment declines via the community college sector Why universities, states, and federal policy makers must work in tandem to track education and job outcomes Guest Bio Rick Torres joined the National Student Clearinghouse as President and CEO in 2008. Under his leadership, the Clearinghouse has provided access-driven educational reporting, data exchange, verification, and research services to help learners, institutions, and organizations maximize human potential across the “K-20 to workforce continuum.” Rick currently serves as a board member of the John Tyler Community College Foundation and Achieving the Dream. He is also a founding member of the Groningen Declaration Network Group, a multinational group of leaders dedicated to developing a trusted international data exchange ecosystem. Rick holds an MBA in international finance from Georgetown University and undergraduate degrees in both marketing and management from Manhattan College.

“Are we the problem?” This simple question would lead Dr. Tim Renick to leverage big data at scale and profoundly improve Georgia State University (GSU) students’ outcomes. In this episode of An Educated Guest, Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Dr. Tim Renick, founding Executive Director of Georgia State University’s National Institute of Student Success (NISS). They explore how personalized approaches to data and technology have revolutionized student success, created equitable career outcomes for historically under-resourced learners, and increased revenue at GSU.Key Takeaways:•How GSU dramatically improved outcomes for low-income students and students of color •How proactive chat technology helped reduce GSU’s summer melt by over 30% •The unique strategies GSU uses to help students connect education and career•How Tim founded NISS using a systematic, data-informed, and technology-enhanced approach •The four service areas NISS offers to help universities boost student successGuest BioDr. Tim Renick is the founding Executive Director of Georgia State University’s new National Institute for Student Success. Immediately before his transition, he served as Professor of Religious Studies and Senior Vice President for Student Success at GSU. Under his leadership, the university has produced one of the fastest-growing graduation rates in the nation and has eliminated achievement gaps based on students’ race, ethnicity, and income levels. Tim has testified before the U.S. Senate on strategies that help university students succeed and has been invited to speak at the White House twice. In addition, his work has been covered by national news media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and CNN. He is also the principal investigator for a $9 million U.S. Department of Education grant to study the impact of predictive-analytics-based advisement on 10,000 low-income and first-generation students. Tim graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth College and holds master’s and doctor’s degrees in religion from Princeton University.

Google’s search bar gives power to the everyday learner. But now, Google is working to develop lifelong learners too. In this episode of An Educated Guest, Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Steven Butschi, Director of Education at Google Cloud. Todd and Steven discuss Google’s approach, partnerships, and advancements in the world of higher ed and careers.  Key Takeaways: How Google is investing in an ecosystem of lifelong learning, from in-house certificates to traditional degree programs with partner universities  How new employer-recognized certificate programs compare to typical MOOC courses  Why a machine-learning approach, predictive analytics, and user search experience can improve the educational process  How Google is personalizing higher education with AI, from advancing DE&I to improving financial aid support   Guest Bio Steven Butschi is the Director of Education at Google Cloud. In his role, he works with school districts, universities, colleges, and EdTech companies to digitally transform by adopting cloud computing products. Steven joined the Google Education team in 2009 after working in IT consulting and volunteering as an adult English Language Learner (ELL) teacher. In his time at Google, Steven has helped universities migrate to Google Workspace for Education, worked on the founding team to bring Chromebooks to the education market, and launched efforts to bring the Google Cloud Platform to researchers, universities, and EdTech companies. Steven holds a BA from Brown University in International Relations and French.

Western Governors University (WGU) is breaking the mold of traditional education. Discover how taking a student-centered approach can shape the future of higher ed and skills-based hiring practices. In this episode of An Educated Guest, Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Marni Baker Stein, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Western Governors University to discuss some of their top innovations. Key Takeaways: The impact of personalizing education around individual learners’ needs How competency-based education translates into surfacing skills within the workplace How WGU was inspired by health care to pioneer the Community of Care, a 360-degree case management model How WGU is democratizing access to skills-based hiring and empowering learners with a skills-based achievement wallet through the Open Skills Network WGU’s sophisticated approach to learner outcomes data and how they hope to advance competency-based education in the future   Guest Bio Dr. Marni Baker Stein is Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Western Governors University. Marni has more than 25 years of experience designing and scaling programs to improve access, affordability, and student success. In her current role, she’s responsible for driving the university’s focus on academic quality and student success, contributing to making Western Governors University one of the leading online universities in the United States today. Prior to WGU, she worked for several educational institutions in the U.S. and abroad on the development and administration of pioneering high school, undergraduate, graduate, and continuing and professional programming models. These institutions include the University of Texas System, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California Santa Barbara, Pennsylvania State University, SUNY Buffalo (Latvia), and the United States Information Agency (Turkey, Japan). Marni earned her Ph.D. in Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum from the University of Pennsylvania.

How has higher ed trended this year? Just ask Richard Garrett. With nearly 25 years of experience in higher ed research, consulting, and policy, he has his finger on the pulse of postsecondary education’s current trends and future trajectory. In this episode of An Educated Guest, Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Richard Garrett, Chief Research Officer of Eduventures to review his predictions for higher ed in 2022. Key Takeaways: How developments in alternative credentials and online learning at elite universities can shape the future of higher ed The background of the “gainful” employment rule and how it could evolve and impact non-profits and consumers The issue of student debt cancellation and how we can expect it to play out How approaching peak bachelor’s degrees can pave the way for options that better serve learners How new, state-led learning initiatives can localize the online learning experience Guest Bio Richard Garrett is Chief Research Officer at Eduventures, a higher ed research and advisory firm under Encoura. Richard is also Co-Director of the CHLOE Project. CHLOE—Changing Landscape of Online Education—is an annual survey of online leaders in US colleges and universities that monitors how online learning strategy, policy and practice is evolving. Prior to Eduventures, Richard was the North America Director for i-graduate, working with clients of the International Student Barometer. From 2015 to 2019, Richard was Director of the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, focused on global developments in online learning, internationalization, and commercial activity and partnerships. He also worked as a researcher in the School of Education & Continuing Studies at the University of Surrey in the UK and as a policy analyst at the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. He has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from King’s College London and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Cambridge.

Higher ed must serve the many, not the few. That’s why journalist, Paul Fain, covers outcome-focused, career-connected education for all.   In this episode of An Educated Guest, Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes independent journalist, Paul Fain. Todd and Paul dive into some of the timeliest topics in higher ed, from big tech’s investments in credentials to the future of an equity-driven Carnegie classification system.  Key Takeaways:  How we can make non-degrees, alternative credentials, and apprenticeships more career-connected at scale for all  How employers can do more for their employees in terms of career mobility, diversity, equity, and inclusion  The motivations and challenges of recent big tech investments in non-degree credentials  Why community colleges have been struggling despite being a pathway to affordable learning  The impact of including social mobility and DE&I in the Carnegie Ranking System  Guest Bio :Paul is a well-respected journalist in higher ed, having written for Inside Higher Ed, The Chronicle of Higher Education, C-VILLE Weekly, The New York Times, Washington City Paper, and Mother Jones. He is currently a Senior Fellow for Strada Center for Education Consumer Insights, where he creates content to shed light on the gap between postsecondary education and the workforce. He also hosted the podcast, When Policy Meets Practice, which features conversations with community college leaders about the policy approaches that produce results for workers, learners, and employers.  Paul won a journalism award for beat reporting from the Education Writers Association and the Dick Schaap Excellence in Sports Journalism Award. He attended the University of Delaware and got hooked on journalism while working at the student newspaper, The Review.

Todd Zipper, EVP and GM of Wiley University Services and Talent Development, welcomes Pierre Dubuc, Co-founder & CEO of OpenClassrooms. Todd and Pierre discuss making higher ed more accessible with resources like OpenClassrooms, an online education platform that trains learners, places them in the workforce, and provides job-ready talent to employers. Topics Discussed: How OpenClassrooms plans to bridge the gap between higher ed and career by offering skills-based and practical curriculum The benefits of connecting learners with mentors and career coaches The opportunity for digital apprenticeships to solve the growing skills gap How upskilling and reskilling relate to workforce development and the future of work Guest Bio:Pierre Dubuc has been working on creating the education of tomorrow for the past 20 years, designing his first-ever online course in 1999, at age 11. In 2016, Pierre appeared among Forbes “30 under 30” for social entrepreneurship. Now, he is on a mission: to make education more accessible. Pierre is the Co-founder and current CEO of OpenClassrooms, an online education platform offering top-quality education-to-employment programs and career coaching services for students worldwide. OpenClassrooms trains over 300,000 students per month in over 100 countries, featuring curriculum that teaches the skills and competencies needed for the most in-demand jobs in the market today. This includes programs in areas such as web development, data analysis, and design.