UPCEA 2022 New England Region Conference | Program

Colleges and Universities across the country are facing significant demographic, economic and political challenges, one might say unprecedented challenges. The Covid 19 pandemic has challenged our enrollments, our workforce and our fund balance, requiring all institutions to pivot in the delivery of classes and services. These changes, along with broader demographic shifts are having long-term impacts on our budget and forecasts for growth. Further, extreme political and social unrest in our communities and on our campuses require today’s academic leaders to consider how to address the varied perspectives and needs of our students, faculty and communities. Dr. Jacqueline Moloney, Chancellor Emerita at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, has experienced these challenges first hand, as Dean of Online & Continuing Education in the 2000’s and later as Executive Vice Chancellor and then Chancellor. In these roles, she has managed to innovate and introduce new programs that champion entrepreneurship, student success, diversity and research prowess.  In this keynote conversation, Chancellor Moloney and Vice Provost Steven Tello will consider and discuss the challenges faced over the last decade and share just how UMass Lowell continued to come up on top. The goal of this conversation is to share strategies we might all find helpful in adapting to difficult and change times.

• Jacqueline Moloney, University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Steven Tello, University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Nancy Coleman, Harvard University

Going the Distance: Putting the Hybrid Classroom on Wheels
Beethoven | eDesign Collaborative | Applied
In this session, the primary concept we will explore is the design and construction of the HELIX Portable Classroom, a hybrid solution that achieves a similar functionality to our permanent hybrid classrooms, but at a fraction of the cost. Our session will outline the decisions we’ve made during each step of the process. From design to pilot, these strategic choices allow our portable solution to achieve equity across student populations, ease-of-use by faculty, and scalability by administrators. At our institution, we already know that this flexible design is going to replace or reduce many full-scale audiovisual renovations, and we believe other institutions will benefit from this work. In regards to outcomes, we have gathered feedback from various Harvard faculty members over the past year, met regularly with Zoom to optimize the functionality, and we will share the latest features with our audience as well.

• Christian Wisecarver, Harvard University
• Christian Franco, Harvard University
• Henry Leitner, Harvard University

The One Word That’ll Solve Every Enrollment Challenge
Mozart | Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Success | Strategic
The silver bullet. Every higher ed institution who’s struggling to survive every day is looking for it. What’s the answer? How do we motivate a team throughout term after term of enrollment decline? How do we find a path forward amidst the chaos of the industry, giant monopolies, and seemingly insurmountable challenges that engulf our days in the higher ed industry? There is an answer, and it’s one word: leadership. With the right amount of reflection, honesty, tools, frameworks, and ah-ha moments, you can be the leader your institution needs to solve their biggest challenges. Yes, YOU. Our goal is for this group to come together and inspire one another to say, what am I waiting for? This is my chance to lead. To inspire. To change. To impact. And to solve this enrollment crisis once and for all from the inside, out. Learn from our presenters at Rebel Interactive and Regis University on how they have been solving Regis University's biggest challenges over the past decade.

• Allison Minutillo, Rebel Interactive Group
• Kim Frisch, Regis University

Launching an Online Virtual Reality Certificate: Lessons Learned
Beethoven | Alternative Credentials | Applied
Alternative credentials can make higher education more accessible and affordable while helping working professionals improve their career trajectory in a shorter amount of time than a traditional degree program. Certificates are fundamentally different from degrees and require higher education leaders to view everything from program strategy to enrollment management through a unique lens. This presentation will provide lessons learned from Tufts University College and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts based on their launch of virtual reality short courses and a virtual reality certificate in 2021. The virtual reality industry is set to surpass $300 billion by 2024, resulting in professionals looking to pivot their careers into this field. The presenters will share actionable insights on program strategy, marketing, enrollment management, and student success.

• Tara Pope, Tufts University
• Audra Delaney, Viv Higher Education

Online Program Success: Applying Market Data to Decisions
Mozart | Online Administration | Applied
What makes a successful online program today? Institutions are responding to increased demand, but in many cases do not have the data needed to ensure that their programs align with market demand. What will give you the edge? As it has been for decades in serving adult, working professional, and other “non-traditional” students, it is understanding – and matching – what online students expect from the institution to which they inquire, apply, and enroll. Meeting these preferences and expectations is critical, considering the level of “choice” that online students have today.  But what are these student expectations? This session will explore results of a recent survey of 1,600 prospective online students – degree and non-degree – to help institutions understand what they need to do to both shape credit-bearing programs that online students want and then market and position those programs effectively.

• Holly Tapper, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL)
• Charles Ramos, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL)
• Jeremy Thompson, Boston University

In this dynamic, facilitated panel discussion, learn from PCO leaders how they are building the case for alternative credentials on their campuses, leveraging legacy structures and policies, partnering internally and externally to address workforce needs, and cultivating quality across non-degree credentials. Audience questions will play a critical role in this conversation—bring yours!

• Bob Hansen, UPCEA
• Lisa Templeton, Oregon State University
• Stacy Chiaramonte, Worchester Polytechnic University
• Clara Piloto, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

How to Mount a Strategic Offense: An Enrollment Marketing Story
Mozart | Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Success | Strategic
Higher ed has changed. Marketing has changed. Monopolies do exist. Consumers are overwhelmed with choices. Marketing costs have skyrocketed. Alternative program and upskill options are abundant. Tuition is increasing, and value is decreasing. Universities are lagging behind. Institutions are facing an unprecedented drop in enrollments. Decisive, collaborative leadership has never been more critical. We must mount a strategic offense to combat the industry, marketing and consumer realities…immediately. One that’s backed in a data-driven marketing strategy to inform a compelling, story-driven enrollment-driving approach. In this session, we’ll share a real-life agency-client relationship approach to battling in the trenches together through the change, politics, and dysfunction that plagues higher education. We’ll take you through workshops, approaches, and a step-by-step journey that resulted in Regis University and Rebel Interactive Group reimagining the way we engage prospective students.

• Allison Minutillo, Rebel Interactive Group
• Kim Frisch, Regis University
• BJ Kito, Rebel Interactive Group

Session Canceled - Awareness of Assistive Technology in the Course Design Process Creates a More Egalitarian System
Online Administration | Foundational
The lack of awareness of assistive technology by professors creates barriers that violate the rights of the individual with a disability under U.S. law. This session explores recent research investigating the impact of assistive technology in the students with disabilities’ success within the context of college academia. We will discuss the impact that the lack of knowledge and awareness of assistance technology have in students with disabilities’ success at the college level, and recommendations that encourage diverse, supportive, egalitarian, and equitable college environments.

• Humberto Hernandez, D'Youville University

Developing Successful Graduate, Professional & Online Education Strategy in a Highly Competitive Market
Beethoven | Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Success | Strategic
Your ability to develop successful recruitment and enrollment strategies is critical to support the success and growth of your professional, continuing, and online (PCO) education unit. However, the success of your strategy is dependent on a range of factors including external competitors, changing market demographics, internal policies and business practices, and the knowledge and strength of your team. This session will examine the development of recruitment and enrollment strategies through a SWOT lens (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). The presenters will share their experience in rebuilding a PCO division at a large, public university. This session will consider current student market trends and the challenges our institutions often face in responding to shifting student demographics. Participants will be encouraged to share their own successes and challenges during the presentation. The goal of this session is to provide you with a SWOT framework for organizing a complex and changing highered market.

• Steven Tello, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
• Nancy Ludwig, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Preparing Faculty to Teach Online: A Pedagogical Approach and Outcomes
Mozart | Program Planning and Implementation | Applied
With the rise in interest in online courses, institutions are developing and implementing programming to better prepare their faculty to teach online. Available literature demonstrates that there is a desire among faculty for more pedagogy-focused online teaching preparation programming, as well as a need for models and information on the outcomes of these programs for educational developers. This presentation will outline the development of a six-week course for instructors at a R1 university, The Essentials of Online Teaching, and its unique pedagogical approach to teaching faculty about designing and facilitating online courses. It will also share the impact of the course on faculty’s feelings of preparedness to teach online, the aspects of the course that participants found most helpful or needing improvement, and next steps for the program. Findings indicate that after participating in the course, instructors felt statistically significantly more prepared to teach online in the 22 areas measured by the pre- and post- survey. They reported that the most helpful aspects of the course were the: opportunities to collaborate with colleagues; hands-on course building assignments and feedback; instructional materials; course-as-a-model; and opportunity to reflect.

• Sharon Kearney, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Nyaradzai Changamie, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Your 'Dam' Website: Five Reasons Students Aren’t Converting on Your College Site
Beethoven | Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Success | Applied
A website is an institution’s greatest marketing asset. Yet most colleges and universities admittedly have websites that lack in areas essential to converting continuing ed, online and professional student prospects at various stages in the funnel. From a lack of visibility in organic searches to content and layouts that hinder user experience, some websites can be more of a barrier than an asset for information and conversion. Attend this session to learn why students aren't converting from your website – and how to fix it.

• Jaime Oleksik, Carnegie
• Adam Poluzzi, Boston College

Reimagining Physical Spaces for Online Learning: Harvard’s Brattle Square Studio
Mozart | eDesign Collaborative | Applied
We will discuss the design and intention behind Harvard Division of Continuing Education’s Brattle Square Studio, a modern teaching and learning space that emphasizes human interaction and technical flexibility. We will discuss the methodology behind the studio’s interactive sessions and how it might be a model for other institutions. Key concepts we will touch on include facilitating active learning online, enhancing instructor presence through direct eyeline, directional sound, lighting, and framing. We will talk about how to create a playground for instructors with multi-use technology, and how and why to remain platform agnostic. We will talk about optimizing room layout for presenters to have freedom of movement and genuine interactions with their students. We want educators to leave the session thinking about technology as a gateway rather than a barrier to human connection.

• Gregory Aimo, Harvard University
• Joshua Casoni, Harvard University

Coffee Chat hosted by the MESS Network: Learner-Centric Program Development
Beethoven

• Dee Masiello, Suffolk University
• Holly Tapper, RNL
• Amanda Cupps, University of Maine

Coffee Chat hosted by the B&O Network: Change Management
Mozart

• Michael Jones, University of Connecticut
• Cindy Parker, Johnson & Wales University
• Amanda Turner, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Shankar Prasad, Dean of Brown's School of Professional Studies invites you to a Networking Happy Hour at the School’s beautiful offices in downtown Providence. Enjoy refreshments, and views of the Providence River while connecting with colleagues, presenters and new business contacts! 

To get to the School of Professional Studies: 

• For your convenience, a complimentary limited-capacity shuttle bus will be running from the conference (front of hotel) to the School of Professional Studies at 225 Dyer Street (5th floor) and back, beginning at 5 p.m. The shuttle ride should take around 10 minutes in each direction, and the shuttle will run on a continuous loop between the conference hotel and the Networking Happy Hour venue until 7 p.m. 
• If you have comfortable shoes and the weather cooperates, the School of Professional Studies is a 15-20 minute walk through downtown Providence. 
• Both Uber and Lyft are available in Providence. If you don’t already have an account with one of these rideshare services, you will need to download the appropriate app to your device and create an account. 
• The city of Providence also has a Shared Micromobility program, which includes both e-scooters and bikes for rent. To rent a Spin, Bird, or Veo e-scooter or bike, you will need to download the appropriate app and create an account. More information about these services is available here. 

Brown University requires all students, faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As visitors to the School of Professional Studies, UPCEA participants are not required to show any proof of vaccination. All are welcome. Mask-wearing is optional. Comprehensive up-to-date health protocols for Brown University can be found at healthy.brown.edu.

Imperative for Future Success; Improving Data Operations for Marketing and Enrollment Management
Beethoven | Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Success |
The foundation of a marketing and enrollment team’s success has always been communication, a relationship of transparency, and common goals. That is still true today, but there is more complexity to communication and goals more than ever. That complexity lies in the amount of data accessible and how accurate and interpretable that data is, having the data and processes aligned are necessary to build a feedback loop of performance between admissions and marketing. Data is now more than ever a crucial part of the marketing and enrollment relationship. As marketing campaigns and the user journey have become more complex using the same methodology from the past is not sufficient, it is easier to be misaligned on different aspects of the student journey than in the past. JWU College of Professional Studies will discuss these challenges and how to work through them to continue to increase the performance of the marketing and enrollment team.

• Evan Grenier, Johnson & Wales University
• Kelsey Lima, Johnson & Wales University
• Casey Liddle, EducationDyanmics
• Sara Butler, EducationDynamics

Bridging the Gap: Continuing Education and Corporate Education
Mozart | Community and Economic Engagement | Applied
Post-pandemic, colleges and universities have a greater opportunity to connect and address corporate education opportunities. This session will highlight some of the successes WPI has had providing corporate programs to local businesses. Presenters include people from workforce development groups and corporate training. This session will describe WPI’s strategy to meet companies where they are and how WPI has become a go-to corporate education partner. We will illustrate how successes were accomplished, and how to avoid pitfalls and frustrations. Participants will learn about channels used to develop corporate clients and partners, and gain understanding about how the prospective company’s journey and their buying criteria can inform how you should go to market. Learn from our presenters about how they have leveraged their best assets, unique attributes, and brand differentiators to develop a successful corporate training business.

• Stacy Chiaramonte, Worcester Polytechnical Institute
• Lee Maxey, MindMax

In the post-pandemic world, the New Adult Learner will be the difference on whether colleges and universities thrive or survive.  To better prepare our members, Jim will present the results of a meta-analysis UPCEA and corporate partner sponsored research on the New Adult Learner. The research will show the complexities of the adult learner and the breadth of segments they represent. Jim will offer insights on motivating factors, delivery and credential preferences, support services and needs and how these might relate to marketing, recruitment and retention. In a competitive market, understanding the differences of the many adult learner segments is critical to institutional success.

• Jim Fong, UPCEA

Are you interested in being more involved with the New England Region and UPCEA? Join the current region leadership and other colleagues for updates on future programming and events and learn about exciting volunteer opportunities that are available to UPCEA members.