Episodi

  • Willingness Before Certainty: Leading Higher Education Through Change with Dr. Eric Klein

    Willingness Before Certainty: Leading Higher Education Through Change with Dr. Eric Klein
    Oct 27 2026

    Higher education leaders rarely get to make important decisions with perfect information. So how do institutions move forward when technology, student expectations, finances, enrollment, and the workforce are all changing at once?

    In this episode of the Engaged By Design podcast, Vernon Smith sits down with Dr. Eric Klein, Assistant Provost of Doctoral Research and Student Success at American College of Education and author of the forthcoming book The Future of Higher Education: Strategic Leadership for Academic Transformation.

    Eric argues that effective leadership often requires willingness before certainty—developing the judgment to move when the evidence is sufficient, while remaining flexible enough to adjust as new information emerges.

    The conversation explores strategic prioritization, institutional complexity, AI and academic integrity, authentic assessment, student support, and why colleges should use technology to create more capacity for meaningful human interaction rather than simply automate existing processes.

    They also examine an increasingly important challenge for higher education: how do we preserve what matters while redesigning what no longer works?

    In This Episode

    • How community college experience shapes Eric’s approach to institutional strategy
    • The pressures converging on higher education
    • Eric’s forthcoming book on strategic leadership and academic transformation
    • Why leaders have to choose what not to do
    • Trust as a scarce institutional resource
    • Professional development and growing as a higher education leader
    • What Eric means by “willingness before certainty”
    • The organizational risk of waiting too long to make decisions
    • Digital boundaries, leadership, and self-care
    • Using external services to provide students with on-demand support
    • AI, academic integrity, and why Eric does not want to become the “AI police”
    • Moving from detection toward conversation and coaching
    • Appropriate uses of AI by faculty and students
    • Rethinking authentic assessment in the AI era
    • Whether the traditional online discussion board has outlived its usefulness
    • Leaders as both stewards and architects
    • Why “bespoke doesn’t scale”
    • Simplifying institutional systems without sacrificing personalization
    • Using technology to make more room for meaningful human interaction
    • Designing education around the learners institutions actually serve today
    • Why compassion and engagement still scale

    About Dr. Eric Klein

    Eric Klein, Ph.D., is Assistant Provost of Doctoral Research and Student Success at American College of Education, where his work includes doctoral research, student success initiatives, academic support services, and emerging issues affecting higher education.

    His career spans nearly two decades in higher education across public and private institutions, including previous service as Associate Vice Chancellor of Educational Support Services for the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District.

    Eric earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has also completed executive leadership development through Harvard University and Cornell University.

    Beyond his institutional leadership, Eric writes and speaks about strategy, leadership, artificial intelligence, student success, organizational transformation, and the future of colleges and universities.

    Eric Klein’s Forthcoming Book

    The Future of Higher Education: Strategic Leadership for Academic Transformation

    Eric’s forthcoming book examines the forces reshaping colleges and universities and the strategic choices leaders will need to make as they respond to changing student needs, financial pressures, artificial intelligence, new educational models, and other forms of disruption.

    Published by Koehler Books, the book is scheduled for release December 1, 2026 and is currently available for preorder.

    Official book page

    Preorder on Amazon

    Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

    • The Course Design Accelerator
    • Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    41 min
  • From Beauty School to Doctorate: Designing Education Around the Whole Student with Dr. Toshua Cornwell-Clark

    From Beauty School to Doctorate: Designing Education Around the Whole Student with Dr. Toshua Cornwell-Clark
    Oct 20 2026

    Dr. Toshua Cornwell-Clark never set out to earn a doctorate. Her original goal was to become a cosmetologist.

    But when a teaching opportunity at San Diego City College required a degree, one step led to another: an associate degree, a discovery of sociology, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and eventually an Ed.D. in Organizational Innovation and Leadership from National University.

    In this episode of the Engaged By Design podcast, Vernon Smith talks with Dr. Tosh about that journey—and about what colleges and universities can learn from students whose education has to fit alongside careers, businesses, families, and the rest of life.

    They discuss the importance of faculty mentorship, designing education around the whole student, connecting sociology with cosmetology and beauty standards, and Dr. Tosh’s research on texturism and Eurocentric beauty standards. She also shares the story behind her book Eternal Black Eye, her work as a children’s author, and the remarkable experience of earning a doctorate alongside her sister.

    At the center of the conversation is a simple principle for educators: students may not care how much you know until they know how much you care.


    In This Episode

    • Dr. Tosh’s journey from beauty school to college professor and doctoral graduate
    • How one sociology course changed the direction of her education
    • Balancing education with business, teaching, and family responsibilities
    • Why flexible programs matter for working adult learners
    • The importance of responsive faculty mentorship
    • Her 2026 Distinguished Golden Apple recognition from San Diego City College
    • The story behind Eternal Black Eye
    • The connection between sociology, cosmetology, beauty, and identity
    • Her research on texturism and Eurocentric beauty standards
    • What higher education leaders should understand about the whole student
    • Two sisters earning their doctorates together
    • Why caring for students has to become visible through action
    • Hearing learners rather than merely listening to them

    About Dr. Toshua Cornwell-Clark

    Dr. Toshua Cornwell-Clark, Ed.D., is an adjunct professor, sociologist, public speaker, published author, and licensed beauty professional. Her scholarship brings sociology and cosmetology together to explore identity, internalized racism, texturism, and Eurocentric beauty standards.

    She teaches at San Diego City College and is the recipient of the college’s 2026 Distinguished Golden Apple Award, an honor selected by students.

    Her published works include Eternal Black Eye, The Adventures of Camp Pallo, The King and the Corn, Christmas, Kwanzaa, & the Snow Globe, and Jot & Journal: Affirmations.

    https://toshuacornwellclark.com/books

    Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

    • The Course Design Accelerator
    • Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    32 min
  • Leading Change from Within: Scaling Student-Centered Innovation with Lori Carrell — Part 2

    Leading Change from Within: Scaling Student-Centered Innovation with Lori Carrell — Part 2
    Oct 13 2026

    How do you lead meaningful change in higher education without letting turf wars, tradition, or institutional complexity stop the work?

    In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Lori Carrell, Chancellor of the University of Minnesota Rochester, we move from the origins of College-in-3 to the leadership and organizational practices required to make innovation happen.

    Lori explains why three-year degrees are not intended to replace the traditional four-year bachelor’s degree. Instead, they are one tool for asking a much bigger question: How can higher education become more student-centered, research-based, affordable, and effective?

    We explore the University of Minnesota Rochester’s approach to evidence-based learning, its Get Forward Faster pathways, its partnership with Mayo Clinic, and the challenge of preserving an innovative culture as a young campus grows.

    Lori also offers an important warning for innovators: yesterday’s innovators can become tomorrow’s barriers.

    A true learning organization has to keep listening, studying, adapting, and redesigning around the students it serves today.

    In This Episode

    • Leading change without getting trapped in academic turf wars
    • Why belief in the value of learning matters to leadership
    • Working through conflict without personalizing it
    • Why three-year degrees are an option, not a replacement for four-year degrees
    • Using skepticism constructively
    • Questioning assumptions embedded in the 120-credit model
    • Designing from a blank canvas
    • UMR’s three guiding principles
    • Building research-based practices into every student’s experience
    • UMR’s Get Forward Faster approach
    • Work-based learning and the Mayo Clinic partnership
    • Why curiosity may matter more than narrow technical skills
    • Putting student learning and development first
    • The University of Minnesota’s next phase of learning innovation
    • How UMR operationalizes collaboration and transparency
    • Scaling innovation without losing culture
    • Why original innovators sometimes become institutional barriers
    • Becoming a learning organization
    • Listening directly to the learners institutions exist to serve

    About Lori Carrell

    Lori J. Carrell, Ph.D., is Chancellor of the University of Minnesota Rochester and co-founder of the College-in-3 Exchange.

    Her leadership at UMR centers on transformative communication, learning innovation, student success, and wellbeing. The university’s work is guided by three principles: students are at the center, research informs practice, and partners make it possible.

    Lori is also co-author with Robert Zemsky of Communicate for a Change: Revitalizing Conversations for Higher Education.

    Resources Mentioned

    University of Minnesota Rochester — Get Forward Faster
    UMR’s current accelerated and early-assurance pathways connect undergraduate education with professional certificates and graduate programs.
    Explore Get Forward Faster

    University of Minnesota Rochester
    Visit UMR

    College-in-3 Exchange
    Learn about College-in-3

    College-in-3 Research and Resources
    College-in-3 research and resources

    Communicate for a Change
    Lori Carrell and Robert Zemsky’s earlier book on the conversations higher education must have to change from within.
    Johns Hopkins University Press

    Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

    • The Course Design Accelerator
    • Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    35 min
  • Rethinking the Four-Year Degree: The Story Behind College-in-3 with Chancellor Lori Carrell — Part 1

    Rethinking the Four-Year Degree: The Story Behind College-in-3 with Chancellor Lori Carrell — Part 1
    Oct 6 2026
    Why does a bachelor’s degree need to take four years and 120 credits? More importantly, what would happen if colleges started with the learning outcomes students actually need and designed backward from there?In Part 1 of our conversation with Dr. Lori Carrell, Chancellor of the University of Minnesota Rochester and co-founder of the College-in-3 Exchange, we explore the origins of a national movement to rethink the structure of the bachelor’s degree.Lori traces her own path from a curious child growing up in a rural community to professor, higher education reformer, and what she calls an “accidental chancellor.” She explains how her work with Robert Zemsky eventually led to College-in-3 and a growing network of institutions exploring intentionally designed three-year bachelor’s degrees.But this is not simply about cutting 30 credits from an existing degree.Lori argues that the real opportunity is to use research about how people learn, design around meaningful student outcomes, improve completion and career preparation, and make higher education more affordable at the same time.In This EpisodeLori’s journey from rural childhood to university chancellorWhy curiosity and even boredom can be powerful forces for learningHow Lori met Robert ZemskyThe conversations that led to Communicate for a ChangeWhere the original three-year degree idea came fromHow the pandemic helped reopen possibilities for higher education redesignUMR’s faculty design sprint and the prototype for an accelerated degreeWhy a three-year degree cannot simply be a four-year degree with courses removedHow faculty teams across disciplines became early College-in-3 explorersThe role of accreditors and policymakers in making experimentation possibleWhy seat time and learning are not the same thingLori’s critique that higher education values learning research but often fails to implement it at scaleDesigning simultaneously for quality, completion, affordability, and career launchWhat institutions considering three-year degrees should think about firstAbout Lori CarrellLori J. Carrell, Ph.D., is Chancellor of the University of Minnesota Rochester and co-founder of the College-in-3 Exchange.Her academic background is in human communication, and her scholarship and leadership have focused on learning innovation, communication, institutional change, student success, and wellbeing.Before becoming UMR’s second chancellor in 2018, she served the campus as vice chancellor for academic and student affairs and interim chancellor. Earlier, she was a professor of communication and led teaching, learning, and general education reform at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.She is co-author with Robert Zemsky of Communicate for a Change: Revitalizing Conversations for Higher Education.Resources MentionedCollege-in-3 Exchange Learn more about the national effort to redesign undergraduate education around increased student success and lower student costs. College-in-3 ExchangeCollege-in-3 Overview Background on how the movement began and its goals for three-year bachelor’s degree innovation. College-in-3 in a NutshellCommunicate for a Change: Revitalizing Conversations for Higher Education Lori Carrell and Robert Zemsky, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021. View the book at Johns Hopkins University PressUniversity of Minnesota Rochester University of Minnesota RochesterLori Carrell — UMR UMR senior leadershipForthcoming BookLori discusses a new book project telling the story of College-in-3, being developed with Robert Zemsky and Kimberly Sluis of Strada Education Foundation.Public University of Minnesota materials have previously identified the project as:College-in-3: An Overdue Conversation about Reducing Cost and Improving QualityThe project has been associated publicly with Johns Hopkins University Press, although final publication details have not yet been announced.Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more aboutThe Course Design Accelerator Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    32 min
  • One Size Fits No One: Making Virtual Student Services Work with Mikayla Middleton

    One Size Fits No One: Making Virtual Student Services Work with Mikayla Middleton
    Sep 29 2026

    How do you make specialized student services work virtually—and how do you know they’re actually making a difference?

    In part two of our conversation with Mikayla Middleton, Director of Ohana Student Services, we explore how Ohana matches providers to student needs and strengths, works with schools and families, tracks student progress, and responds to shortages of specialized professionals.

    Mikayla also shares powerful examples of relationships built across distance, including a virtual special education teacher who surprised one of her students at graduation—and received his rose as the person who had made a meaningful difference in his educational journey.

    The conversation comes full circle around individualized learning, the power of believing in people, and Mikayla’s reminder to share a little “sparkle” along the way.

    Topics include: provider matching, special education staffing shortages, parent advocacy, student progress data, virtual therapy and support, school partnerships, individualized learning, and student success.

    Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

    • The Course Design Accelerator
    • Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    31 min
  • Borrowing Belief: Expanding Access to Special Education with Mikayla Middleton

    Borrowing Belief: Expanding Access to Special Education with Mikayla Middleton
    Sep 22 2026

    Mikayla Middleton’s path into education began with a love of teaching and a desire to help people who learn differently. Today, as Director of Ohana Student Services, she helps schools expand access to specialized services through a virtual model.

    In this first part of our conversation, Mikayla talks with Michael Cottam and Vernon Smith about her journey from special education teacher to virtual education leader, the role of IEPs, the challenges schools face in providing specialized services, and how virtual delivery can connect students with the support they need regardless of location.

    We also explore one of Mikayla’s favorite ideas: sometimes we need to borrow someone else’s belief in us until we can see those possibilities ourselves.

    Topics include: special education, IEPs, virtual student services, teacher workload, access to specialized providers, rural education, and creating meaningful relationships with students online.

    Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

    • The Course Design Accelerator
    • Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    29 min
  • The Rio Salado Model: How Dual Enrollment Changes Lives | Dr. EJ Anderson, Part 2

    The Rio Salado Model: How Dual Enrollment Changes Lives | Dr. EJ Anderson, Part 2
    Sep 15 2026

    What does it take to move dual enrollment from simply offering college classes to truly helping students build a pathway toward their future?

    In part two of our conversation with Dr. EJ Anderson, we look closely at the Rio Salado College dual enrollment model and the systems that have helped thousands of high school students successfully earn college credit, and, in some cases, complete an associate degree before graduating from high school.

    EJ explains the role of success coaches who bridge the worlds of high school and college, the importance of genuine partnerships with schools, and how national quality standards help ensure that dual enrollment courses provide authentic college-level learning.

    We also hear powerful stories of students whose identities and futures changed through these opportunities, including first-generation students and students pursuing career and technical education pathways.

    The conversation concludes with EJ’s powerful philosophy of learner engagement: don’t just tell students about the class. Help them see the dream the class can help them reach.

    In this episode:

    • What makes the Rio Salado dual enrollment model distinctive
    • Why success coaches serve as a bridge between high school and college
    • Building strong school-college partnerships
    • NACEP standards and academic quality
    • How dual enrollment can change a student’s identity
    • Career and technical education pathways
    • Teacher shortages and policy challenges
    • Engaging learners by connecting education to their goals and dreams

    Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

    • The Course Design Accelerator
    • Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    30 min
  • Why Dual Enrollment Is Growing So Fast | Dr. EJ Anderson, Part 1

    Why Dual Enrollment Is Growing So Fast | Dr. EJ Anderson, Part 1
    Sep 8 2026

    Dual enrollment has become one of the fastest-growing areas of higher education, but building a successful program takes much more than simply offering college credit in high school.

    In part one of our conversation with Dr. EJ Anderson, we explore why students and parents are increasingly seeking dual enrollment opportunities, how dual enrollment differs from AP and IB, and what schools and colleges need to make these programs work at scale.

    EJ draws on 18 years of experience in dual enrollment to discuss the importance of qualified teachers, strong leadership, clear communication with families, adequate staffing, and student support. We also explore the challenges that arise when institutions pursue enrollment growth without investing in the infrastructure needed to serve students well.

    Along the way, EJ shares stories showing how dual enrollment can save students time and families money while opening new pathways into college and careers.

    In this episode:

    • Why dual enrollment is growing nationally
    • Dual enrollment compared with AP and IB
    • The importance of qualified high school instructors
    • How leadership shapes successful programs
    • What parents and students need to understand
    • Enrollment fatigue and other barriers
    • Why teachers have such a powerful influence on participation
    • The tension between enrollment growth and program quality

    Join us at www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

    • The Course Design Accelerator
    • Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    35 min