Business and Operations Network Track

Federal Policy Update
Cabinet | Business and Operations | Strategic | Policy
Please join us for a session that will discuss the varied and busy education agenda in Washington. The Department of Education in the past few months have been crafting regulations regarding major issues of importance to the distance and adult education community. The recent election has changed up the landscape for congressional education legislation and actions. We’ll walk you through what to watch and what has been going on in DC. Hear from legal and policy experts on a host of issues in governance and regulation.

• Chris Murray, Thompson Coburn LLP
• Kelly Otter, Georgetown University
• Chris Davis, University of Maryland Global Campus

Moderator: Jordan DiMaggio, UPCEA

Setting the Stage: Managing Change to Prepare for Growth
Lincoln West | Business and Operations | Strategic |
UNC-Chapel Hill Digital and Lifelong Learning (DLL) is developing several new large-scale programs – including several online degree programs and campus continuing/professional education partnerships. Until recently, however, our organizational structure still reflected our service model from a decade ago. DLL’s Leadership Team embarked on a major change management project to evolve the organization into a matrixed model that helps service groups and program areas collaborate more efficiently, effectively, and easily. Join us to learn about our planning process, rollout, continuing reorg and service alignment efforts, and lessons learned/assessment.

• Todd Nicolet, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Tyler Ritter, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Hilary Culbertson, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Austin Gold, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Jennifer Larson, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Moderator: Josh Steele, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Onboarding New Employees in a ‘New Normal’: Strategies for Building Community From Day 1
Cabinet | Business and Operations | Foundational |
As the job market in higher education gets more competitive, remote and hybrid work environments are becoming increasingly common! But how do you make sure that everyone you bring on board has everything they need to get started...and want to stay? In this session we’ll summarize what we have learned about the components that go into a good onboarding process, and we will share the resources and processes that we have put into place within our administrative unit and our college. We look forward to engaging attendees in a discussion of what is, and is not, working for us all!

• Ann Taylor, The Pennsylvania State University
• Stevie Rocco, The Pennsylvania State University

Moderator: Colin Lumsden, Springboard

Money Talks: Using Funding Models to Leverage Partnerships
Jefferson West | Business and Operations | Strategic | Policy
Strada Public Viewpoint reports 62 percent of Americans prefer skills training or another non-degree option if enrolling in the next six months. Knowing this demand, creating sustainable and profitable programs is imperative. To aid in the decision-making process, we developed funding models that are used to guide the program development process. Participants will explore the different models and engage in a process of sketching out funding models that may be used at their institutions.

• Melissa Mahan, University of Texas at San Antonio
• Edwin Blanton, University of Texas at San Antonio

Moderator: Lyla Garner, Mississippi State University

Ensuring that the Shoemaker’s Children Do Not Go Barefoot: Professional Development for PCO Staff
Cabinet | Business and Operations | Applied |
Those in Professional, Continuing, and Online Education create important programs – both credit and noncredit – for those seeking to expand their knowledge and skills at key junctures in their working lives. What are ways we encourage and support PCO staff seeking professional development to advance their current and future careers? What are the educational opportunities within our PCO colleges, universities, and professional associations (including UPCEA)? This panel will explore how continuing education has been encouraged for staff and integrated into a PCO enterprise – and the outcomes that followed.

• Jay Halfond, Boston University
• Nancy Coleman, Harvard University
• Jenni Murphy, California State University, Sacramento
• Saira Cooper, Rice University

Moderator: Aaron Lawrence, SmartBrief

Business & Operations Network
Award Presentation | Business & Operations Award for Operational Excellence

Spotlight Session | Guiding the Future-Ready University
Jefferson East | Business and Operations | Policy |
The future of higher education is definitively “non-traditional”, but figuring out what that means requires further exploration. In this session, presenters will reflect on the characteristics of a truly “future-ready” university—juxtaposing those that have situated themselves firmly in the PCO space against those who are trying to expand their mission to serve learners from K-Grey. We will also reflect on the key metrics we could use to measure our progress, and discuss impactful innovations in both business and academic processes that can position an institution as future-ready.

• Amrit Ahluwalia, The EvoLLLution: A Modern Campus Illumination
• Shawn Miller, Duke University

Moderator: Lyla Garner, Mississippi State University

Relationships Matter, No Matter What’s Going on in the World: The “Glue” to Establishing, Reigniting and Solidifying Partnerships
Cabinet | Business and Operations | Foundational | Diversity & Inclusion
Whatever’s happening in the world can impact what we do in program planning, establishing, reigniting and solidifying partnerships, etc. In fact, knowing what the “glue” is to do the former is key. By attending this presentation, audience members will learn 3 best practices or “glue” to insure partnerships work no matter the calamity. The presenters will teach you how to use this “glue” to help you either establish partnerships, reignite dormant ones and solidify current ones.

• Cynthia Kimball Davis, Southern Utah University
• Shelbie Jones-Alm, Southern Utah University
• Cole-Makena Hamblin, Southern Utah University

 Moderator: Nichole Henry, Syracuse University

Strategic Planning 101
Fairchild | Business and Operations | Foundational |
Have you been asked to create a strategic plan but don’t know where to start?  Does the notion of strategic planning scare you? This session is for you if you answered yes to either of these questions.  This basic Strategic Planning 101 activity will be helpful to those new to strategic planning or to those looking for a refresher course on point.

• Kurt Snyder, Stanford University

Moderator: Lisa Barr, California Institute of the Arts

Operationalizing the Pursuit of Inclusive Excellence: A Candid Conversation around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Cabinet | Business and Operations | Applied | Diversity & Inclusion
Welcome to an introductory conversation around operationalizing the pursuit of Inclusive Excellence from UPCEA’s 2022 Inclusive Excellence Association Award recipient, Rutgers University, Division of Continuing Studies. This session will discuss the actual costs and engage in a candid conversation about navigating institutional policy move to the needle forward of representation. The session will discuss aligning financial, human resource and operational teams and strategies to advance “move the needle” of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access  initiatives in PCO units. This session is about sharing best practices, solutions, and approaches for business and operations teams to operationalize efforts around DEIA. We will discuss lessons learned and mistakes made and introduce of best partners.

• Rich Novak, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
• Shino John, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey