2020 UPCEA South Region Conference | Virtually Together
Program

The changing circumstances of higher education require a form of adaptive teaching in which technologies are used to support student learning across a variety of contexts. As our toolbox of technologies expands, faculty and other instructors aren’t always sure how to integrate those tools into their teaching in meaningful ways. Determining what’s possible and what’s useful can be challenging. In this session, we’ll explore several teaching principles for matching technology to pedagogy, principles that can help us make intentional and effective use of technology however we teach.

• Derek Bruff, Vanderbilt University

If You Build It, Will They Come? How to Design & Market an In-House Online Program
Program Planning and Implementation
Hear action-driving insights from a university that has launched 6 new online programs in the last 3 years. We’ll detail lessons learned from a successful and unsuccessful launch and share the process for determining the program, including what data you need and what to consider. You’ll get a panoramic view from deciding if you should go for it, marketing it, and evaluating success - and even making the tough decision to wind down a program.

• Christa Payne, Tulane University
• Ariel Tusa, Search Influence

Leading Through Change & Uncertainty:The Story of Scaling University of Georgia’s Coaching Program
Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Services
The University of Georgia coaching program embarked on an ambitious scale up -- 35K students from 6K --before COVID-19. Chase Hagood, Director, Division of Academic Enhancement tells the story of preparing for expected change and the adaptation needed when confronted with the unexpected change of COVID-19. Joined by Malika Clinkscales of student success non-profit, InsideTrack, Hagood will share why UGA adopted a change support methodology and lessons learned from collaborating with an external partner.

• Chase Hagood, University of Georgia
• Malika Clinkscales, InsideTrack
• Kate Ludgate, InsideTrack

Business & Operations
Recently, we have become overtly aware of the importance of strong leadership in higher education as we prepare for an unknown and unprecedented future. Leaders in online and continuing education have a charge to increase enrollment and student success, but we also have a responsibility to foster the future leaders in our field.  Quite often people do not have the opportunity to think about, discuss, and wrestle with leadership concepts until they find themselves in those positions. Therefore, we wanted to provide an opportunity for our staff to contemplate leadership topics in online education, understand the complexities of making decisions, learn from the wisdom of those who have gone before them, and explore current issues through the lens of leadership.  We established a voluntary leadership discussion group for those wishing to prepare for leadership or grow in their current role. Almost 60% of our staff participate in our monthly sessions. As the Executive Director, I wanted to facilitate the discussion but not teach it. It has been important that we have open dialogue in which each person feels safe to share their thoughts with the understanding that each person’s ideas were of value, regardless of current position. In this UPCEA session, I will present the format of the program, topics we have discussed and how we were able to manage positive conflict in order to address issues in a constructive way. These included contemporary issues such as crises management and racial justice through the perspective of leadership.

• Susan Seal, Mississippi State University

Two Visions, One Program: Aligning Administration and Faculty Expectations for a Successful Online Program
Program Planning and Implementation
Administrators and faculty often have different perspectives and metrics for developing and evaluating successful online programs. In this presentation, we discuss what expectations administrators, faculty, and students have, how they may differ and ultimately affect outcomes, and brainstorm ideas for alignment procedures. Participants will acquire insights and ideas to lead discussions at their institutions to ensure the needs of all stakeholders are met.

• Brian Crose, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Crystal Marull, University of Florida

Doing More With Less: How to Build a Case for Strategic Investments So You Can Work Smarter, Not Harder
Business & Operations
This session will explore how professional, continuing, and online units can leverage a renewed spotlight to present and deliver new ideas about learning. We will explore how units can work smarter, not harder given their resource limitations by questioning their assumptions and budgets, as well as make a case for seeking out strategic opportunities and investments even during these turbulent times.\

• Osmar Padilla, Emory University
• Andrew Garber, Emory University

The 60-year curriculum is the modern approach to a lifetime of learning. Getting a degree, getting a job and never setting foot in a classroom again are not today’s reality, as many people alive now will live to be 100 years old. That means people will have five to seven stages in their lives, not just the three traditional stages of school, work and retirement, and learning must be constant throughout our careers. Automation and changes in the workplace mean professionals must continually retool to stay relevant and competitive. Employers in every industry and profession are looking for higher education to help their workers upskill. Through dynamic conversation and audience engagement, this session will first focus on an overview of this movement and then dive deeply into what a 60-year curriculum means for UPCEA member institutions.

• Rovy Branon, University of Washington
• Nancy Coleman, Harvard University
• Damon Wade, University of Virginia
• Jennifer Gigliotti-Labay, Rice University

Interdisciplinary Instructor Collaboration for Continuous Course Improvement
Program Planning and Implementation
A culminating capstone course in an online program is currently taught by 3 different instructors. These instructors have different disciplinary backgrounds and their collaboration benefits from this diversity in experience, pedagogy, and thought. This session will discuss how the instructors collaborate to compare and contrast their students’ experiences in real-time as the course is in progress, as well as how they collaborate between semesters to improve the course layout, instructions, and assignments.

• Courtney Harrington, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Leah Tompkins, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Sarah Dunning, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

A Secure Part of the Program Portfolio: Cybersecurity and Long-Term Trends
Program Planning and Implementation
UPCEA and its Center for Research and Strategy will share the findings of its Cybersecurity Occupational Trends Whitepaper (in development), while the University of Miami will share its program management and success of their HackerU program.

• Dan Vigdor, HackerU
• Desiree Young, University of Miami
• Jim Fong, UPCEA

Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) uses the power of food to heal communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. WCK has created a new model for disaster response through its work helping devastated communities recover and establish resilient food systems. WCK has served more than 40 million fresh meals to people impacted by natural disasters and other crises around the world in countries including The Bahamas, Indonesia, Lebanon, Mozambique, Venezuela, and the United States. WCK’s Resilience Programs in the Caribbean and Central America have trained hundreds of chefs and school cooks, advanced clean cooking practices, and awarded grants to farms, fisheries and small food businesses while also providing training and networking opportunities. Join us to learn about this NGO's powerful work, and please consider donating to this organization identified as the UPCEA South 2020 conference service project. donate.wck.org/upceasouth

• Maggy Leahy, World Central Kitchen
  

• Lisa Abrego, World Central Kitchen

"To the Far Reaches of the World, Role for Initiative" - Using Remote Professional Development With Games for a Leadership Development Program
Program Planning and Implementation
How would you deliver a PCO program to the adult professional learners who are "working from home"? This session explores a pilot course in a leadership development program using Dungeons and Dragons, a popular role-playing game (RPG) to engage adult professional learners. By using an RPG as a foundational context, this course offers an innovative educational experience and engages participants to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained in a meaningful context.

• Jasmine Bishop, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
• Enoch Park, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Bringing Communities Together During Crises Through Low-Cost Means
Community and Economic Engagement
With the COVID-19 pandemic changing the workplace to a work-from-home setting, many employees were not ready for the shift. In order to create a sense of routine and community, the Center for Professional Education developed a webinar series, Workstation, to help individuals deal with the new work environment. This poster session will provide viewers with effective ways to engage their audience in times of crisis but also create a sense of community among their customers.

• Jeff Grant, University of Tennessee
• John Freeze, University of Tennesse

Believe and Achieve: Reflections From a Virtual Summer Pre-College Program
Program Planning and Implementation
During spring 2020, students in grades 7-12 experienced emergency remote teaching for the first time. With social distancing still in place for summer 2020, traditional in-person camps and workshops were not an option. Learn how SMU Lifelong Learning (Southern Methodist University) transformed their fledgling pre-college summer program from in-person to virtual. Join our flipped session to share key takeaways from your institutions in the implementation of virtual learning to your summer programs.

• Lauren LaRocca, Southern Methodist University
• Mandy Caulkins, Southern Methodist University

Supporting Students in Prison, a Case Study of Innovation and Challenges
Community and Economic Engagement
Prison education points to a challenge many programs with non-traditional students face: providing effective academic and advising support. What constitutes successful support, and how can programs best approximate that support in challenging situations? What are the most effective partnerships across institutions, and what kind of collaboration can all partners see as win-wins? The program will feature staff from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Correctional Education Program, which brings for-credit courses to students in North Carolina prisons.

• Raphael Ginsberg, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Bringing Communities Together During Crises Through Low-Cost Means
Community and Economic Engagement
With the COVID-19 pandemic changing the workplace to a work-from-home setting, many employees were not ready for the shift. In order to create a sense of routine and community, the Center for Professional Education developed a webinar series, Workstation, to help individuals deal with the new work environment. This poster session will provide viewers with effective ways to engage their audience in times of crisis but also create a sense of community among their customers.

• Jeff Grant, University of Tennessee
• John Freeze, University of Tennessee

Balancing Work, Life, and a Terminal Degree

• Amy Heitzman, UPCEA

As the marketplace continues to shift, and the demand for alternative credentials (micro-, nano-, stackable) rises, this session will cover the recently released Hallmarks of Excellence in Credential Innovation, along with the results of a recent UPCEA survey of 176 institutions on the role that alternative credentials plays in their portfolio of programs. The survey, sponsored by Mindedge, will share actionable data of those members involved in alternative credentialing efforts, in what areas, and with what results. This lively session will examine the emergent phenomenon of credential innovation as well as showcase data that undergird credential evolutions and how UPCEA member institutions are leading this charge.

• Jay Halfond, Boston University
• Jim Fong, UPCEA
• Tonya Amankwatia, North Carolina A&T State University

Building Your Marketing Toolbox: Tools, Techniques, and Technology That Drive Results
Marketing, Enrollment, & Student Services
Consumers have more options than ever when it comes to professional development, and continuing education departments have to find meaningful ways to engage, interact, and retain customers. During the session, UTC Center for Professional Education will provide a before and after look at their marketing strategy, which has significantly increased enrollments. Participants will gain insight into how to leverage affordable tools, techniques, and technology that can create better buyer relationships, and ultimately, more registrations.

• Jeff Grant, University of Tennessee
• John Freeze, University of Tennessee

Making a Giant Pivot: How to Refocus Programming Strategy for Future Success
Program Planning and Implementation
Those revenue and enrollment numbers are probably not looking good for you, like they weren't for us. We had to make drastic changes to get back on track. So we made a pivot and changed everything. Come learn how we can to the decision and what we did to implement it.

• Melissa Walden, Texas A&M University
• Meni Sarris, SpurCG

The rapid shift to more widespread online and hybrid forms of teaching in higher education have created an opportunity to recognize the need to teach inclusively. Inclusive teaching strategies can improve learning and create an environment in which students feel valued. In this session we will explore inequities and diversity in the classroom. After providing a framework for inclusive teaching, Professor Viji Sathy of the University of North Carolina will draw upon her own teaching experiences and educational research to share inclusive teaching strategies that can be readily implemented with any discipline, class size, or format to help all students achieve to their potentials.

• Viji Sathy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill