Program | 2022 UPCEA South Region Conference

The UPCEA South Regional Committee would like to welcome you. Please join us for a meet-n-greet before the opening session.

Institutions across the country are scrambling to uncover the best ways to recruit and retain talent, improve work-life balance, and alleviate inflation pressures by incorporating various levels of remote/hybrid work. During this panel discussion, you will hear from leaders of continuing and online education units at five SEC institutions about the various remote/hybrid models they have incorporated. Panelists will describe the models they are using, discuss related policies, and share insights on what has worked well (or not) at their institutions. Attendees will engage in a brief discussion about the future of remote/hybrid work at UPCEA member institutions. 28 84 Strategic Business & Operations Leaders of UPCEA units as well as members who are involved in or responsible for remote/hybrid policies and practices at their institutions. Critical Take-aways: Attendees will learn about the models of remote/hybrid work that have been successfully/unsuccessfully incorporated at five public institutions; Attendees will identify policies and practices that enable remote/hybrid work success at five public universities; Attendees will identify future remote/hybrid work trends as part of a discussion; Attendees will observe remote work in action as the non-speaking panelists and session attendees catch up on their emails during the presentation.

• Cheryl Murphy, University of Arkansas
• Susan Seal, Mississippi State University
• Asim Ali, Auburn University
• Evangeline Tsibris Cummings, University of Florida

From Frenemy to Friend: Standardizing Online Course Design to Boost Academic Freedom
Salon IV | eDesign Collaborative | Applied
Online learning is marching into the Endemic Era calling for student-centered design and standardization. Will this cost or boost academic freedom? This interactive session focuses on ways standardization and academic freedom can establish a friendly relationship for better course design and student-centered learning. Participants are taken through a trio of challenges designed to shake-up preconceived ideas on standardization and lead into debating the possibility of making friends from a frenemy. It doesn’t stop there. We’ll also be examining current research and best practices using data derived from surveys and focus groups conducted by the University of Miami as well as national surveys undertaken between 2020 and 2022. A templated course design will be showcased for participants to weigh the pros and cons of the “cookie cutter” course method. Be prepared to engage in lively debate that will challenge norms as we reshape the frenemy to friendly relationship.

• Cate Dowman, University of Miami

Build It and They Will Fund: Establishing Financial Models that Lead to Success
Salon II | Business & Operations | Strategic
There are a wide array of ways to deliver professional and continuing education programs – owning the curriculum yourself, engaging with an IPO, partnering with an academic department – and many more. Having all the different options in order to provide professional and continuing education courses and certificates can be overwhelming, especially when you have financial goals that must be met. To aid in our decision-making processes, we developed funding models that are used as a guide throughout our programs. Not only do these models serve as a guide and make for easier decision-making, they also help ensure that financial goals are met. During this session we will describe the models, speak about the process of how we were able to get them established, and the pros and cons of each. Participants will also be engaged in a process of starting to sketch funding models that may be used at their institutions.

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

No (Guts) Chem, No Glory: Student Success Teams Must Take Risks to Help Students Achieve Glory
Salon VI | Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Success | Applied
Struggling in gateway courses keep students from pursing their career goals. For one program at the University of Arkansas, struggling in chemistry was becoming the norm. Using best practices and our own student data, our Online Student Support Services team identified key interventions and designed a non-credit course experience to prepare students for success in this challenging course. This interactive session will highlight the highs and lows of our latest trial, a no-cost prep course paired with intensive coaching. The course was marketed to students as a low risk, high engagement experience blending community engagement and technical content. Our coaching team acknowledged learning pains, worked with faculty, and created a supportive online learning environment leveraging multiple platforms and communication streams, as well as a lot of bad chemistry jokes.

• Kati Williams, University of Arkansas
• Colleen Whitman, University of Arkansas

Learner Support and Engagement through Non-Credit Courses
Salon II | Online Administration | Applied
Participants in this session will learn about creative ways to use a University’s Learning Management System (LMS) to virtually engage learners and create inclusive and supportive learning environments. LMS can be used to share academic and support services and allow students to complete University requirements and conduct virtual presentations and expos and much more from anywhere. Challenges associated with using the LMS for non-credit courses will also be discussed

• Samira Laouzai, University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Pam Paustian, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Using Learning Analytics for Evaluating 21st Century Skills on Admission to Online Degree Program
Salon VI | Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Success | Foundational
Data analytics (DA) and machine learning (ML) promote opportunities to respond to many issues in education. One of such applications is to assess 21st-century skills competencies, which receive growing attention from policymakers, employers, and educators for the young generation to succeed in work and life within the 21st-century society. The measurement of these skills was generally listed under two broad categories: self-rated and others-rated. Although it lacks personal experience and reflections, others-rated documents were considered less biased, more precise, and more predictive of prospective outcomes. This is one of the reasons that a letter of recommendation is an essential piece of application packages for evaluating applicants' qualifications and characteristics to succeed in most undergraduate and graduate programs and beyond. This interactive session provides an opportunity to discuss developing a framework using DA and ML to assess 21st-century skills in the letters of recommendation submitted when applying to an online degree program.

• Meryem Yilmaz Soylu, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Farahnaz Soleimani, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Jeonghyun Lee, Georgia Institute of Technology

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!

• Julie Uranis, UPCEA
• Lisa Templeton, Oregon State University
• Steve Harmon, Georgia Tech University
• Asim Ali, Auburn University

Getting Started with Micro-Credentials: Strategies for Higher Learners’ Engagement
Salon II | Alternative Credentials | Foundational
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is participating to a pilot with the UT System to include in the educational offerings Google professional certificates that complement students’ preparation for the workforce. In this presentation participants will explore three different strategies to embed a certificate: a) into the course curriculum; b) use the course as a platform for a creation of an informal learning community among students interested in pursuing the certificate; and c) engage all senior students in a professional development opportunity to gain highly marketable skills. Moreover, participants will discuss how project management, or certificates focused on soft-skills in general, should be integrated with the development of other key competencies such as digital fluency. Participants will be engaged in an interactive presentation and will discuss different instructional design models for micro-credentials and strategies to build faculty consensus and provide effective professional development.

• Claudia Arcolin, University of Texas at San Antonio

You Might Want to Sit Down for This: Lessons Learned Through Unexpectedly Rabid Program Growth
Salon VI | Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Success | Applied
In 2019 the University of Arkansas launched a new undergraduate online program predicted to admit 25-50 students per term. In Fall 2021, that program admitted more than 500 students, becoming the largest online undergraduate program at the university in under two years. This session will highlight how a small team at a public institution navigated the journey to build sustainable practices to support a rapidly growing program. The team will share key stress points in rapid growth, structural and operational changes made to meet the needs of students and faculty, and lessons learned navigating challenges to admissions, student services, and institutional policies and practices.

• Patricia Milner, University of Arkansas
• Colleen Whitman, University of Arkansas

Engaging Non-Traditional Students Through Different Course Models
Salon IV | Program Planning and Implementation | Applied
Over the past two years, the landscape of continuing education has shifted from being primarily in-person to online. This has allowed universities to engage with more learners than ever before since the barrier of having to travel to campus is removed. Has the shift from online to in-person changed not just where someone learns but how they learn? Do these new audiences want a traditional instructor-led course? The University of South Florida Corporate Training & Professional Education (CTPE) has been innovative in its recruitment of local industry practitioners to teach their courses. This innovation is also complemented by their partnership with Springboard for mentor-led coding, UI UX, data, and cyber security courses. These alternative course and teaching models have allowed engagement with diverse learners that may have been previously inaccessible. During this session, USF CTPE and Springboard will discuss the different models they have used to engage with these new learners.

• Sanam Raza, Springboard
• Mark Koulianos, University of South Florida

Online Program Success: Applying Market Data to Decisions
Salon IV | 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 discuss 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.

• Bob Stewart, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL)
• Scott Jeffe, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL)
• Darin Hoskisson, Texas A&M University Kingsville

Micro-Certificates for Public Health Workforce Development
Salon II | Alternative Credentials | Applied
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated public health employment gaps and highlighted the need for innovative approaches to workforce development. Public health professionals are responsible for rapid case identification, contact tracing, testing, isolation of cases, quarantine, creation of databases for situational case surveillance, risk factor assessment, disease mapping, and implementation of safety standards while promoting health and wellness in our communities. Current data suggests that more than 250,000 public health workers are needed to meet the future demand for robust public health infrastructure. However, public health workforce development opportunities are lacking. In January 2022, the Senate proposed legislation to address public health workforce gaps, including positions required to prevent, prepare for, and respond to public health emergencies. In response to this legislation, the University of South Florida College of Public Health (COPH) developed a Lifelong Learning Academy and micro-certificate programs to address challenges associated with hiring, recruitment, and retention of the public health workforce. Attend this session to learn about USF's experience in developing public health micro-certificates with digital badging.

• Ann Joyce, University of South Florida
• Janice Zgibor, University of South Florida

Creating New Perspectives on Industry Partnerships: Enrollments, Experiential Learning, and Employment
Salon VI | Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Success | Applied
Industry partnerships are a key component in helping our students gain the essential skills needed to enter the workforce upon graduation. In the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Purdue University Global, the academic leaders have made a concerted effort to develop strong partnerships with organizations across the country. This presentation focuses on the Three Es: Enrollments, Experiential Learning and Employment. Our industry partnership initiative has evolved over the past eight years and we will share our process and lessons learned from what we have implemented to help our partners meet educational needs, provide internships and externships for students, and assist in employment opportunities for graduates.

• Sara Sander, Purdue University Global
• Miranda Brand, Purdue University Global
• Bridget Rivera, Purdue University Global

The Devil’s in the Details: Using Technical SEO to Solve Your Website Woes
Salon IV | Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Success | Applied
You put your institution’s search visibility and website traffic at risk when big—and even sometimes nominal—changes are made to your website. The more people that touch and edit your site, the greater at risk you are. To avoid costly mistakes that unknowingly impact search rankings and traffic, marketing teams need to understand technical SEO implications. Attend this session to learn how your website structure can hurt or help your rankings, the impact of subdomains and microsites, and how to pull off a seamless website migration.

• Paula French, Search Influence
• Alicia Jasmin, Tulane University

Expanding Educational Offerings for the Non-Traditional Learner
Salon II | Alternative Credentials | Applied
Today’s learner demands relevant, engaging, easy to access content whether they are enrolled in a traditional for-credit program, or earning an alternative credential while upskilling or following a personal interest. Miami Online has integrated the latest research in higher education trends to create a professional education division devoted to meeting the needs of these new audiences. All learners want to feel supported, engaged, and receive meaningful outcomes from their learning experience, and by working with faculty members who are leaders in their content area, students from diverse backgrounds are able to access Miami University quality courses regardless of barriers that can exist between adult/professional learners and traditional educational experiences. Join our team of professional education experts and gain strategies to apply these practices in your own learning environment.

• Katherine Marusic, Miami University
• Kristine Smith, Miami University
• Benjamin Kitchen, Miami University
• Ariana Smith, Miami University

Beyond the Launch: A Guide for Developing New Programs
Salon II | Program Planning and Implementation | Applied
The University of South Carolina successfully launched its newest professional education certificate program in more than a decade in early 2022. Launching a new program can be daunting, time-consuming, and require institutional support from many key campus partners, all while managing the preexisting portfolio of offerings. This interactive session focuses on the failures and successes experienced by the UofSC professional education team in its quest to launch a new program successfully. Attendees will leave this presentation with lessons learned and a launch plan for developing new programs on their specific campuses.

• Kendrick Reed, University of South Carolina

Online Master’s Student Enrollment and Retention Trends: Comparison Between Pre- and Post-Pandemic
Salon VI | Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Success | Applied
This interactive session will invite attendees to actively discuss practical insights regarding the rapidly growing enrollment post-pandemic in Georgia Tech’s Online Master’s in Analytics program. Based on our recent study findings, the session will focus on discussing how online students’ enrollment and retention trends have changed in the past five years and how the global pandemic might have affected students’ behaviors and academic achievements. Specifically, we critically examine demographic changes over time, including a notable increase in enrollment of female, Asian, or non-US citizen students in this STEM-oriented program. Then we compare several key success metrics between pre- and post-pandemic student cohorts in terms of their history of withdrawal from courses during the first term, first term earned credit hours and GPA scores, and persistence in the second term. The session will offer attendees ample opportunities to share their knowledge and perspectives on the changing landscape of online degree programs.

• Jeonghyun Lee, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Farahnaz Soleimani, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Meryem Soylu, Georgia Institute of Technology

Coffee Chats hosted by the Networks 

Coffee Chats are informal, table-based, 45-minute, facilitated conversations around an emerging topic of import, which are heavy on networking and connecting, light on didactic, and sponsored by the UPCEA Networks (communities of practice open to all UPCEA members). Chats are open to any event attendee, regardless of Network-affiliation.

Coffee Chat hosted by the International Network: International Growth Markets
Salon II

• Margaret Cook, Studyportals
• Brian Saunders, ThriveDX
• Shelly Jobst, Virginia Tech University

Coffee Chat hosted by the Alternative Credentials Network: Approaches to Digital Badging: (Emerging?) (Best?) Practices Within Your Institution
Salon VI

• Chris Edwards, MindEdge
• Lyla Garner, Mississippi State University
• Carolyn Callaghan, Western Carolina University
• Brian Crose, Seminole State University

Growing and Evolving a Caring, Compassionate, and Collaborative Online Design Team During Early COVID and After
Salon II | Online Administration | Applied
During 2020, we grew our small 4-person online design team to 17 over the span of 6 months, all online, all during early COVID. This took a massive effort on the part of designers of all job descriptions working together to build relationships, traditions, processes, documentation, and so much more. Although we've moved into a hybrid working situation now, we've remained a caring, compassionate, and collaborative team that grows and evolves together over time. Join us to hear about our story, to tell your own, and to take away practical, scalable steps that you can customize to your own institution.

• Sarah Hepler, Georgia State University
• Joju Cleaver, Georgia State University
• Karah Hagins, Georgia State University

Workforce Development as a Career Pathway: A New Way Forward
Salon VI | Community and Economic Engagement | Strategic
In today’s world workforce development is synonymous with upskilling, but are the skills taught suitable for continuous growth, and how will that translate with employers/industry? The Urban Potential Laboratories (UP Labs) model of workforce development is specifically designed for career pathways where one combines industry practices with state-of-the-art learning. The life-long learning modality situates best practices for today with future outlook for a career. This presentation is geared towards those who are seeking frameworks that combine workforce development and credit articulation along with industry level Micro-Credentials to get employers, community, funders, and anchor-institution buy-in for a unique take on workforce development.

• Umer Rahman, Florida International University
• Lauren Nieves, Florida International University
• Caryn Lavernia, Florida International University
• Vanessa Valdes, Florida International University

Senior Leader Roundtables are informal, facilitated, small group, conversations designed to allow attendees an opportunity to network with senior PCO professionals and with each other. After a brief introduction, facilitators will help engage attendees and senior leaders in an informal but lively dialogue, followed by time for questions and potentially wrap up with a lightning round.

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