The EdUp Experience

YOUR Higher Education Podcast
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Jan 29, 2026 • 57min

If Facts Tell & Stories Sell, Why Is Higher Ed Still Using Facts? - with Dr. DeRionne Pollard, President & CEO, American Association of Community Colleges

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. DeRionne Pollard, President & CEO, American Association of Community CollegesIn this episode, sponsored by the ⁠⁠⁠ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR host is ⁠Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠How does the leader of the nation's largest higher ed sector serving 1,000 community colleges & 10 million students shift the narrative from facts to stories that sell the value of community colleges to policymakers, partners, & the public?Why are most college presidents stuck between AI early adopters & those avoiding it entirely, creating a dangerous middle ground where leaders talk a good game but can't name 5 AI programs or understand what agentic AI means for their institutions?What happens when AACC launches a strategic compass instead of a strategic plan with 5 directional anchors & 10 strategic bets designed to amplify data intelligence, workforce partnerships, & regional consortium work in bold new ways?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!
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Jan 29, 2026 • 47min

What If Higher Ed Focused on Development Instead of Information Delivery? - with Dr. Stephen P. Johnson, Provost & Chief Academic Officer, Palm Beach Atlantic University

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Stephen P. Johnson, Provost & Chief Academic Officer, Palm Beach Atlantic UniversityIn this episode, sponsored by the ⁠⁠⁠ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR cohost is Austin Doyle, Senior Partner Executive, KnackYOUR host is ⁠Elvin Freytes⁠How does Palm Beach Atlantic, a 57 year old faith based university with 4,000 students, achieve 3% enrollment growth year over year with increasing selectivity while most institutions face the opposite challenge?Why does location in downtown West Palm Beach near Wall Street South, the largest concentration of billionaires in the world, & Fortune 100 companies create unparalleled internship opportunities that develop leaders rather than just deliver information?How can higher education thrive by staying nimble while anchored on the why, focusing on student development over information delivery, & helping students find their calling to make a difference after graduation?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!
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Jan 28, 2026 • 51min

Can You Really Increase Quality, Decrease Cost & Expand Reach at Once? - with Alvin F. Meredith III, President, & Rob Garrett, Chief of Staff, Brigham Young University–Idaho

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Alvin F. Meredith III, President, & Rob Garrett, Chief of Staff, Brigham Young University–IdahoIn this episode, President Series #441, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠, & sponsored by StudiosityYOUR cohost is Troy Burnett, SVP & General Manager, StudiosityYOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow does a 25 year old university use a 3 track calendar system to maximize campus utilization year round while keeping teaching focused faculty 100% dedicated to student success at low cost?What happens when teachers speak only 40% of class time while students actively engage 60% through questions, presentations & application based learning that gives graduates workforce advantages?How does a university prepare students for AI driven workforce by fostering intellectual curiosity about emerging technology while focusing on collaboration, critical thinking & problem solving skills?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp ExperienceWe make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!
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Jan 27, 2026 • 44min

What If Training Costs Were Costless for Employers & Debt Free for Students? - with Pierre Dubuc, Co-Founder & CEO, OpenClassrooms

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Pierre Dubuc, Co-Founder & CEO, OpenClassroomsIn this episode, President Series #440, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠, & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR cohost is Darius Goldman, Founder & CEO, Career-BondYOUR host is Elvin FreytesHow does OpenClassrooms, a public benefit corporation, train & place 43,000 students annually through competency based education, industry mentorship, & employer aligned degrees in high demand fields like cyber, AI, & healthcare?How does the apprenticeship model solve student debt & employer staffing shortages by leveraging state & workforce board funding to make training costless for employers while students learn on the job?Why is AI requiring every student to learn AI skills regardless of field, enabling real time curriculum personalization, & why are apprenticeship degrees eating market share from traditional higher education like in France where 25% of graduate students are now apprentices?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp ExperienceWe make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today! 
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Jan 26, 2026 • 42min

What If Your Data Had a Seat at the Cabinet Table? - with Dr. Madhavi Chandra, Chief Product & Strategy Officer, Entrinsik

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Madhavi Chandra, Chief Product & Strategy Officer, EntrinsikIn this episode, sponsored by the ⁠⁠⁠ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR cohost is Dr. Karen Holding-Jordan, Dean of Records & Registration for Workforce Continuing Education, Wake Technical Community CollegeYOUR host is ⁠Elvin Freytes⁠How can higher ed leaders avoid AI sprawl by implementing intentional AI strategy that integrates with existing data ecosystems to drive real ROI instead of wasting funds on big box solutions?Why should institutions treat data as a cabinet member by bringing departments together to identify problems that break down data silos & create institution wide impact?How can leaders shift from banning AI to folding AI literacy into curriculum & changing assessment to evaluate how students prompt, interact, & apply analytical thinking as the student profile evolves beyond traditional 18 to 22 year olds?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!
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Jan 23, 2026 • 45min

How to Build the New Academy Through Creativity & Experimentation - with Dr. Joy Connolly, President, American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Joy Connolly, President, American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)In this episode, sponsored by the ⁠⁠⁠ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR cohost is Dr. LaNitra Berger, Associate Professor, History & Art History & Director of the African & African American Studies Program at George Mason UniversityYOUR host is ⁠Elvin Freytes⁠How did ACLS place over 40 scholars in jobs in 3 months during COVID when it typically takes 15 to 24 months & why does this prove humanities can pivot quickly?Why does the Public Humanities Graduate Fellows program break the myth of the English major barista by connecting PhD scholars with finance, law, healthcare & social work organizations?How can the new academy vision help scholars link arms around creativity & experimentation by co creating knowledge with communities outside academia & talking about humanities work with the same excitement we bring to students?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!
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Jan 22, 2026 • 32min

How Can Evaluations Become Messages Instead of Judgments? - with Kristine Goodwin, Strategic Project Manager for the President, North Shore Community College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Kristine Goodwin, Strategic Project Manager for the President, North Shore Community CollegeIn this episode, part of our Academic Integrity Series, sponsored by ⁠Integrity4EducationYOUR host is ⁠Elvin Freytes⁠How does a Hispanic serving institution with majority first generation students navigate AI by choosing not to fight the tidal wave but instead figuring out where to duck under, where to ride the wave & what to rebuild for an agile future?Why does 1 strategic project manager who's supervised almost every area of a college from academic affairs through risk management say the real academic integrity issue isn't policing AI but the mismatch between faculty expectations & what students actually understand?How can higher ed shift from treating evaluations as judgments to seeing them as messages & why does comparing assessment strategy to middle school binder checks reveal everything wrong with how we measure student learning?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!
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Jan 21, 2026 • 44min

AI, Burnout, & the New Healthcare Workforce: UMA’s Plan to Rebuild Talent Pipelines - with April Neumann, Executive Vice President of Workforce Transformation, Ultimate Medical Academy

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with April Neumann, Executive Vice President of Workforce Transformation, Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA)In this episode, brought to you by Career-Bond,YOUR co-host is Darius Goldman, Founder & CEO, Career-BondYOUR host is Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠How does Ultimate Medical Academy, a not for profit institution with a 30 year history, 20,000 online students, 100,000 alumni, & a nationwide footprint, support non traditional learners with wraparound services designed to remove life & learning obstacles so students can enter or advance in healthcare careers?How is UMA addressing the massive healthcare workforce crisis, including the projected loss of 6.7 million workers by 2026, through short term training, stackable credentials, employer partnerships, & the launch of Nasium Training to upskill & reskill existing employees through 3 to 25 week programs?How does UMA’s focus on care skills, learner support, employer aligned curriculum, mental health foundations, & flexible online pathways help learners thrive while meeting the urgent needs of healthcare systems facing burnout, staffing shortages, & evolving AI driven workplace demands?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp ExperienceWe make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!
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Jan 20, 2026 • 39min

How Higher Ed Leaders Are Getting AI Policy Wrong (& How to Fix It) - with Dr. David Hatami, Managing Director & Chief Policy Officer, EduPolicy.ai

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. David Hatami, Managing Director & Chief Policy Officer, EduPolicy.aiIn this episode, sponsored by the ⁠⁠⁠ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR cohost is Dr. Michael Horowitz, Chancellor & Founder, The Community Solution Education SystemYOUR host is ⁠Elvin Freytes⁠How does EduPolicy.ai translate complex AI regulations into actionable guidance for higher education & why must AI policy leadership come from the top to create institution wide buy in?How should institutions implement umbrella AI policies with department specific sub policies since admissions, financial aid, academics & registrar all use technology differently with unique data needs?How does AI policy become a living document that stays active in institutional ecosystems rather than collecting dust & what happens when only half of users enforce policy like a city where only half the police enforce laws?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!
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Jan 19, 2026 • 43min

Why Pennsylvania's Newest College Might Outlive Its Oldest Ones - with Susan R. Snelick, President, Northern Pennsylvania Regional College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Susan R. Snelick, President, Northern Pennsylvania Regional CollegeIn this episode, President Series #439, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠, & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow does Pennsylvania's only rural regional college serve 10 counties without a single campus based facility & why is this model critical for eliminating education deserts across northern Pennsylvania?What happens when a public institution founded in 2017 operates independently from community college standards & how does this freedom enable innovation that traditional systems cannot replicate?Why are colleges, campuses, tech centers & business schools closing their doors in rural regions & what infrastructure costs are literally driving institutions out of business while education deserts expand?Extended Conversation for EdUp Premium Members: How can institutions deliver affordable accessible education through Teams meetings, remote learning & asynchronous formats while maintaining workforce development offerings that require in person training?What makes Workforce Pell simultaneously promising for equity & access yet nearly impossible to implement when federal restrictions clash with institutional business models & existing workforce training systems?What does the future demand when high school graduates are declining enrollment across 2 year & 4 year institutions & how must higher ed collectively rethink the value proposition to remain competitive in a global environment?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp ExperienceWe make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!

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