Engaged By Design

Colleges and universities are adopting artificial intelligence at a remarkable pace, but are they prepared to use it effectively?

Dr. Eric Goodman, co-author of Business Before AI and former chief academic officer and business school dean, joins Dr. Michael Cottam to explore why successful AI adoption begins long before an institution selects its tools.

Drawing on decades of experience in higher education leadership, including Western Governors University, Eric discusses the gap between AI use and institutional strategy, the potential for AI to transform curriculum development and personalized learning, and the risks of automating processes that aren't well understood.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, we explore three of the six foundations Eric identifies for effective AI adoption: leadership, process, and context.

We discuss why AI tends to amplify an organization's existing strengths and weaknesses, why leaders must establish a clear vision, and how colleges and universities can rethink their processes rather than simply adding AI to the way they've always worked.

Topics include:

• Why higher education is struggling to keep pace with AI adoption
• Lessons from earlier technological changes in online learning
• The importance of leadership and institutional AI strategy
• Mapping and improving processes before automating them
• Opportunities for AI in course design, curriculum mapping, and assessment
• Why institutional context, accurate information, and human oversight matter

Resources mentioned

Business Before AI — Book and free six-question AI readiness assessment
https://businessbeforeai.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HJBV9PS2

Higher Ed Change — Helping colleges and universities lead AI change through their people, not just their tools
https://higheredchange.com/

AI Readiness Benchmark for Higher Education — Free 10-question institutional self-assessment
https://higheredchange.com/benchmark

Higher Ed OS — A governed, measurable approach to campus-wide AI adoption
https://higheredchange.com/higher-ed-os

About Engaged by Design

The Engaged by Design podcast explores ideas, innovations, and practices that help educators and educational leaders engage more learners more effectively.

In Part 2, we continue the conversation with Eric Goodman, exploring people, governance, and measurement—and what it takes to turn AI experimentation into meaningful institutional results.

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

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 http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

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 http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

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 http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

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 Episode

• Lori’s journey from rural childhood to university chancellor
• Why curiosity and even boredom can be powerful forces for learning
• How Lori met Robert Zemsky
• The conversations that led to Communicate for a Change
• Where the original three-year degree idea came from
• How the pandemic helped reopen possibilities for higher education redesign
• UMR’s faculty design sprint and the prototype for an accelerated degree
• Why a three-year degree cannot simply be a four-year degree with courses removed
• How faculty teams across disciplines became early College-in-3 explorers
• The role of accreditors and policymakers in making experimentation possible
• Why seat time and learning are not the same thing
• Lori’s critique that higher education values learning research but often fails to implement it at scale
• Designing simultaneously for quality, completion, affordability, and career launch
• What institutions considering three-year degrees should think about first

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 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 Mentioned

College-in-3 Exchange
Learn more about the national effort to redesign undergraduate education around increased student success and lower student costs.
College-in-3 Exchange

College-in-3 Overview
Background on how the movement began and its goals for three-year bachelor’s degree innovation.
College-in-3 in a Nutshell

Communicate 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 Press

University of Minnesota Rochester
University of Minnesota Rochester

Lori Carrell — UMR
UMR senior leadership

Forthcoming Book

Lori 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 Quality

The project has been associated publicly with Johns Hopkins University Press, although final publication details have not yet been announced.

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

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 http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

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 http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

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 http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

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 http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

Why does a bachelor's degree require 120 credits? And what happens when an institution asks whether those credits actually represent the learning students need?

In Part 2 of our conversation with Brian Ashton and Boyd Baggett, we examine the development of the three-year, 90-credit bachelor's degree offered through BYU-Idaho and BYU-Pathway Worldwide.

Boyd takes us behind the scenes of a process that began years before approval: changes in accreditation standards, a growing emphasis on student learning outcomes, collaboration with the College in 3 movement, and a willingness to question assumptions built into the traditional credit-hour model.

But shortening a degree isn't simply a matter of removing 30 credits. Brian and Boyd explain what had to remain, what students may give up, why the model isn't right for everyone, and why clearly defined and assessed learning outcomes are essential to maintaining quality.

The conversation then turns toward institutional mission, values, AI, rapid change, and what higher education leaders will need to navigate the future.

In this episode:

• Why BYU-Idaho pursued a 90-credit bachelor's degree
• How accreditation standards created an opening for innovation
• Why the Carnegie credit hour was never designed as a measure of student learning
• Building support for the three-year degree
• The enrollment response after the new degree was announced
• Why a shorter degree cannot simply mean cutting 30 credits
• Which students benefit most—and which may not
• What students give up in a more prescriptive degree pathway
• Employer and graduate-school response to the three-year degree
• Preserving institutional mission while redesigning curriculum
• Navigating AI, changing values, and a rapidly changing world
• Brian and Boyd's advice for engaging learners more effectively

The three-year degree raises a larger question for higher education: If students can demonstrate the learning they need in less time and at lower cost, what assumptions are we willing to reconsider?

Guests: Brian Ashton, President, BYU-Pathway Worldwide; Boyd Baggett, Associate Academic Vice President for Curriculum, BYU-Idaho

Hosts: Michael Cottam and Vernon Smith, Engaged by Design

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

What would higher education look like if it were designed from the beginning for students who need education to be affordable, flexible, relevant, and immediately useful?

In Part 1 of our conversation with Brian Ashton, president of BYU-Pathway Worldwide, and Boyd Baggett, associate academic vice president for curriculum at BYU-Idaho, we explore a model now serving nearly 100,000 students around the world.

Brian and Boyd explain how BYU-Pathway combines online-first design, dramatically different tuition models, student support, and job-ready stackable certificates to create pathways into meaningful work and bachelor's degrees. We also discuss how designing specifically for online education changes the economics of higher education—and how BYU-Pathway uses data, instructional design, and AI to support students at scale.

Along the way, Brian shares the story of a student in Argentina whose first certificate helped launch a career that eventually led to a vice president role at JPMorgan Chase.

In this episode:

• Why talent may be equally distributed while opportunity is not
• How BYU-Pathway serves students in nearly 200 countries
• Designing for online learning rather than adapting a campus model
• Keeping education affordable while maintaining quality
• Why students begin with job-ready certificates instead of general education
• How stackable certificates lead toward associate and bachelor's degrees
• Using data and AI to provide better student support at scale
• Designing curriculum around changing labor-market needs
• Preparing students not simply to use AI, but to develop judgment and become lifelong learners

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. In Part 2, we explore one of BYU-Idaho and BYU-Pathway's most significant innovations: the three-year bachelor's degree.

Guests: Brian Ashton, President, BYU-Pathway Worldwide; Boyd Baggett, Associate Academic Vice President for Curriculum, BYU-Idaho

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

What does it take to build a nationally competitive cybersecurity program from the ground up?

Dr. Ken Williams knows firsthand.

In the final episode of this series, Ken shares the challenges of launching Louisiana's first fully aligned cybersecurity degree program—from curriculum design and faculty hiring to building industry partnerships and preparing students for careers with organizations like the FBI, NASA, Cisco, IBM, and Amazon Web Services.

The conversation closes with Ken's deeply personal philosophy of teaching: treating every student like family while challenging them to become confident critical thinkers who are ready to solve problems the world hasn't even imagined yet.

It's an inspiring conversation about leadership, service, and creating educational experiences that truly change lives.

In this episode

• Launching Southern University's cybersecurity program
• Building a degree program from scratch
• Hiring and developing cybersecurity faculty
• Creating partnerships with industry leaders
• Preparing students for careers in government and technology
• Louisiana's statewide cybersecurity consortium
• Lessons in educational leadership
• How to engage more learners more effectively

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

Artificial intelligence is transforming cybersecurity, but it isn't replacing cybersecurity professionals.

It's making their work even more essential.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Dr. Ken Williams explains how AI is fundamentally changing both cyber defense and cyber attacks. Through practical stories and easy-to-understand analogies, he explores zero-day vulnerabilities, phishing attacks, ransomware, digital identity, and why cybersecurity has become one of the most critical professions in modern society.

Ken also shares how industry certifications, academic programs, and real-world experience must work together to prepare students for careers that will continue evolving alongside AI.

Whether you're an educator, technology leader, or simply someone trying to understand today's cybersecurity landscape, this episode offers valuable insight into where the future is headed.

In this episode

• Building a cybersecurity academy near Quantico
• Why certifications matter alongside degrees
• Closing the gap between academia and industry
• Understanding zero-day vulnerabilities
• AI's impact on cybersecurity
• The evolving threat of phishing and ransomware
• Why cybersecurity careers are growing—not disappearing
• How AI is reshaping national security

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

What does military communications in the Gulf War have to do with educating tomorrow's cybersecurity professionals?

Quite a lot.

In Part 1 of this conversation, Vernon Smith sits down with Dr. Ken Williams to explore an extraordinary career that spans military service, cybersecurity leadership, and higher education innovation. Ken shares how leading communications teams in the Army during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm shaped his philosophy of leadership, preparation, and mission-critical thinking.

The conversation then shifts to higher education, where Ken discusses earning the prestigious NSA Center of Academic Excellence designation, redesigning cybersecurity curriculum around real workforce needs, and helping pioneer an accelerated three-year bachelor's degree that reduced costs while maintaining academic quality.

If you've ever wondered how higher education can better prepare students for today's rapidly changing workforce, this episode offers a compelling blueprint.

In this episode

• Ken's journey from Guyana to the U.S. Army
• Building communications infrastructure during the Gulf War
• Leadership lessons from the military
• Why cybersecurity education needed to change
• The NSA Center of Academic Excellence program
• Connecting curriculum to real workforce skills
• Designing an innovative three-year cybersecurity degree
• Lessons from collaborating across higher education systems

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

How do you help educators adapt, grow, and thrive in a rapidly changing world?

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Kimberly Jacobs, we explore lessons learned from decades of faculty development, leadership, and change management. Kim shares insights from her work leading the Center for Teaching and Learning at American Public University System, where she supported thousands of faculty members as they developed new teaching practices, adopted emerging technologies, and improved student engagement.

The conversation also explores coaching, professional development, AI, online learning, and the ongoing challenge of helping educators embrace change while remaining focused on student success.

In this episode:

• Why great subject matter experts aren't always trained teachers
• The importance of learning methodology and adult learning theory
• Coaching versus telling in faculty development
• Building effective professional development programs
• Faculty readiness for AI and emerging technologies
• Lessons learned from large-scale change initiatives
• Rethinking general education for modern learners
• Why meaningful learning happens one person at a time

Key Takeaway

Effective educational leadership isn't about changing everyone at once. It's about building relationships, creating opportunities for growth, and helping each learner move forward from where they are today.

#highereducation #facultydevelopment #leadership #onlinelearning #artificialintelligence #changemanagement #engagedbydesign

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

What does a lifetime devoted to teaching look like?

In Part 1 of our conversation with Dr. Kimberly Jacobs, we explore her remarkable journey from aspiring classroom teacher to one of the pioneers of online higher education. Kim reflects on her early days helping build courses for a young American Military University, her passion for working with adult learners, and the experiences that shaped her leadership in faculty development.

We also discuss her current work as a literacy volunteer in rural Virginia, where she's helping first-grade students develop reading skills and confidence. Along the way, Kim shares powerful insights about learning, service, and the joy of helping individuals discover their potential.

In this episode:

• Kim's path into higher education and online learning
• Building courses during the early days of online education
• Why she loves working with beginning learners
• The connection between literacy and lifelong success
• Volunteering with first-grade readers in her local community
• Lessons from a career spent helping others learn and grow

Key Takeaway

Transformation happens one learner at a time. Whether working with first graders or adult students, meaningful education begins with meeting people where they are and helping them take the next step forward.

#highereducation #onlinelearning #literacy #leadership #facultydevelopment #engagedbydesign

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

As technology accelerates, what becomes more important, not less, in leadership?

In this final part of our conversation with Dr. Jennifer Douglas, we explore the human side of leadership in a rapidly changing, AI-driven world.

Jenny helps us uncover the hidden patterns that hold leaders back, especially high achievers who appear successful on the outside but feel stuck or isolated internally. From the belief that “I’m not enough” to the loneliness that often comes with leadership, this conversation brings those challenges into the open.

We also take a clear-eyed look at AI in leadership—where it helps, where it falls short, and why human judgment and connection still matter deeply.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The hidden beliefs that drive overwork, burnout, and self-doubt
• Why leadership can feel isolating, and how to build real support
• How unconscious patterns shape decisions and behavior
• A real example of how AI can create dehumanizing experiences
• The limits of AI in decision-making and meaning-making
• Why “human-in-the-loop” leadership is essential
• How leaders can thoughtfully adopt AI without losing their values

We close with a powerful reminder:
People engage more deeply when they can connect learning to their own story.

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

What if the biggest challenge in leadership isn’t strategy, but managing yourself?

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Jennifer Douglas, we shift from external leadership skills to the internal work that makes great leadership possible.

Jenny shares why so many high-performing leaders struggle under pressure—and what’s often missing from traditional leadership development. The answer isn’t more frameworks. It’s learning how to integrate your thinking, emotions, and physical well-being into how you lead.

This episode is especially practical, with tools you can use immediately.

We explore:

• Why leaders often feel overwhelmed—even when they’re successful
• The gap in leadership development around whole-person well-being
• How a coaching mindset unlocks better thinking and stronger teams
• What happens in the brain under stress (and why it matters)
• Simple, actionable techniques to manage stress in real time
• How to “zoom out” of your internal monologue and regain control
• A powerful visualization exercise to release tension and refocus

One standout idea: many leaders are operating like a phone with “20 apps running in the background,” draining their capacity without realizing it.

In Part 3, we will expand the conversation outward, exploring leadership, loneliness, and what it means to lead humans in an AI-driven world.

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

What shapes a leader long before they ever step into a leadership role?

In this first part of our conversation with Dr. Jennifer “Jenny” Douglas, we explore the formative experiences that influence how leaders think, learn, and lead. From her upbringing in rural Pennsylvania to her work in higher education leadership, Jenny shares how work ethic, community, and lifelong learning laid the foundation for her leadership approach.

We also dive into a powerful idea: writing is thinking. As Jenny explains, the way we structure our thoughts—on paper and in conversation—directly impacts how we lead. In a world increasingly shaped by AI tools, that connection matters more than ever.

Along the way, we explore:

• How early experiences shape leadership mindset and resilience
• Why community and connection still matter in modern leadership
• The link between writing, thinking, and decision-making
• The risks of outsourcing too much thinking to AI tools
• How systems thinking helps leaders collaborate more effectively

This episode sets the stage for a deeper conversation about leadership, self-awareness, and navigating complexity in today’s world.

In Part 2, we will shift inward, exploring coaching, stress, and the inner work of leadership.

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education

UDL often comes with a sense of pressure: more to do, more to build, more to manage.

In Part 2, Michelle Patterson helps us move past that overwhelm by reframing UDL as an iterative, human-centered design process. Instead of trying to do everything, she introduces practical ways to start small—what she calls the “plus one” approach.

The conversation also explores:

• How systems and leadership support reduce faculty burden
• Why learner choice increases depth and quality of work
• How AI can help identify hidden barriers in course design
• What it really means to balance firm goals with flexible paths

If you’ve ever wondered how to make UDL doable—not theoretical—this episode offers a grounded path forward.

Join us at http://www.engagedbydesign.com to learn more about

• The Course Design Accelerator
• Faculty-in-the-Loop AI in Higher Education