It's YOUR time to #EdUp

Community Colleges Episodes

They Called It High School With Cigarettes. Now It's Training America's Workforce - with Dr. Bonny Ball Copenhaver, President, New River Community & Technical College
March 18, 2026

They Called It High School With Cigarettes. Now It's Training America's Workforce - with Dr. Bonny Ball Copenhaver, President, New River Community & Technical College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Bonny Ball Copenhaver , President, New River Community & Technical College In this episode, President Series #458, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , sponsored by the ​ ELIVE 2026 ​ Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, the ​ HigherEd PodCon ​ II happening July 16 & 17, & the 2026 AcOps Conference July 29-31 by Coursedog YOUR host is Dr. Joe Sallustio How does a West Virginia community college serving 10 counties in coal field Appalachia retrain workers, combat g...
How to Build Workforce Pathways That Actually Lead to Jobs - with Dr. Stephanie Fujii, President, Arapaho Community College
March 10, 2026

How to Build Workforce Pathways That Actually Lead to Jobs - with Dr. Stephanie Fujii, President, Arapaho Community College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Stephanie Fujii , President, Arapaho Community College In this episode, President Series #453, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , sponsored by the ​ ELIVE 2026 ​ Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, the ​ HigherEd PodCon ​ II happening July 16 & 17, & the 2026 AcOps Conference July 29-31 by Coursedog YOUR host is Dr. Joe Sallustio How does Denver's oldest designated community college with 15k students avoid the enrollment cliff while suburban growth & housing de...
Maybe We Should Stop Competing & Start Collaborating - with Deborah E. Preston, President, Mercer County Community College
March 6, 2026

Maybe We Should Stop Competing & Start Collaborating - with Deborah E. Preston, President, Mercer County Community College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Deborah E. Preston , President, Mercer County Community College In this episode, President Series #451, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the ​ ELIVE 2026 ​ Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the ​ HigherEd PodCon ​ II happening July 16 & 17 YOUR host is Dr. Joe Sallustio How does a 6,000 student New Jersey college serve 2 different populations across West Windsor near Princeton & economically depressed downtown Trenton? Why are 5 Mercer County c...
Talent Is Universal. Opportunity Is Not. (This College Fixes That) - with Madeline Pumariega, President, Miami Dade College
March 1, 2026

Talent Is Universal. Opportunity Is Not. (This College Fixes That) - with Madeline Pumariega, President, Miami Dade College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Madeline Pumariega , President, Miami Dade College In this episode, President Series #447, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the ​ ELIVE 2026 ​ Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the ​ HigherEdPodCon ​ II happening July 16 & 17 YOUR host is Dr. Joe Sallustio How does democracy's college serve 125k students across 8 campuses with 2.5 million alumni by removing every point of friction to create belonging? Why does turf, tradition & trust create cha...
If Students Won't Come to Counseling, How Do You Reach Them? - with Dr. Nichole Kang, Wellness Center Director, Montgomery County Community College
Feb. 11, 2026

If Students Won't Come to Counseling, How Do You Reach Them? - with Dr. Nichole Kang, Wellness Center Director, Montgomery County Community College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Nichole Kang , Wellness Center Director, Montgomery County Community College In this episode, sponsored by the ⁠⁠⁠ ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR cohost is Dr. Jerry Walker , Executive Director of Mental Health Services, TimelyCare YOUR host is Elvin Freytes How does a community college launch wellness services during 2021 online operations with 2 centers,...
What If Student Success Actually Means Nothing Unless You Define It? - with Dr. Bernard A. Polnariev, Vice President for Administrative Services, UCNJ
Feb. 3, 2026

What If Student Success Actually Means Nothing Unless You Define It? - with Dr. Bernard A. Polnariev, Vice President for Administrative Services, UCNJ

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Bernard A. Polnariev , Vice President for Administrative Services, UCNJ In this episode, sponsored by the ⁠⁠⁠ ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR host is ⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does New Jersey's first community college serving 12,000 students rise from Aspen Prize top 150 in 2021 to semi finalist in 2023 to finalist in 2025 by focusing on student success, post...
Why Are Companies Paying Students to Attend This Community College? - with Dr. Julius Sokenu, President, Moorpark College
Feb. 1, 2026

Why Are Companies Paying Students to Attend This Community College? - with Dr. Julius Sokenu, President, Moorpark College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Julius Sokenu , President, Moorpark College In this episode, President Series #442, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR cohost is Dr. Bernard A. Polnariev , Vice President for Administrative Services, UCNJ YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does a 15,000 student California community college become an Aspen Prize finalist twice while transfer students perform 20 points ahea...
How Can Evaluations Become Messages Instead of Judgments? - with Kristine Goodwin, Strategic Project Manager for the President, North Shore Community College
Jan. 21, 2026

How Can Evaluations Become Messages Instead of Judgments? - with Kristine Goodwin, Strategic Project Manager for the President, North Shore Community College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Kristine Goodwin , Strategic Project Manager for the President, North Shore Community College In this episode, part of our Academic Integrity Series, sponsored by ⁠ Integrity4Education YOUR host is ⁠ Elvin Freytes ⁠ How does a Hispanic serving institution with majority first generation students navigate AI by choosing not to fight the tidal wave but instead figuring out where to duck under, where to ride the wave & what to rebuild for an agile future? Why does 1 stra...
Why Pennsylvania's Newest College Might Outlive Its Oldest Ones - with Susan R. Snelick, President, Northern Pennsylvania Regional College
Jan. 18, 2026

Why Pennsylvania's Newest College Might Outlive Its Oldest Ones - with Susan R. Snelick, President, Northern Pennsylvania Regional College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Susan R. Snelick , President, Northern Pennsylvania Regional College In this episode, President Series #439, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does Pennsylvania's only rural regional college serve 10 counties without a single campus based facility & why is this model critical for eliminating education deserts across northern Pennsylvania? What h...
How Does Serving the "Top 100%" Challenge Everything Higher Ed Measures? - with Dr. Edward Bush, President, Cosumnes River College
Jan. 13, 2026

How Does Serving the "Top 100%" Challenge Everything Higher Ed Measures? - with Dr. Edward Bush, President, Cosumnes River College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Edward Bush , President, Cosumnes River College In this episode, President Series #438, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does a community college president lead the 9th most diverse institution in the nation while challenging traditional higher ed metrics that fail to capture the full spectrum of student success stories? What does it mean t...
AI in the Classroom: What Faculty Need to Know About Integrity, Engagement, & Student Success - with Dr. Rebecca I. Hopkins, Vice President of Learning, Western Technical College
Jan. 7, 2026

AI in the Classroom: What Faculty Need to Know About Integrity, Engagement, & Student Success - with Dr. Rebecca I. Hopkins, Vice President of Learning, Western Technical College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Rebecca I. Hopkins , Vice President of Learning, Western Technical College In this episode, part of our Academic Integrity Series, sponsored by ⁠ Integrity4Education YOUR cohost is Thomas Fetsch , CEO, Integrity4Education YOUR host is ⁠ Elvin Freytes ⁠ How does Western Technical College support a diverse learner population by treating most academic integrity issues as developmental moments tied to citation, idea integration, & authentic learning? How are faculty ...
How 1 College Rewrote the Rules on Academic Integrity for the AI Era - Dr. Cathy R. Briggs, Dean, Student Success, & Gina Yanuzzi, Assistant Professor, Comp. & Lit., Rowan College at Burlington County
Dec. 22, 2025

How 1 College Rewrote the Rules on Academic Integrity for the AI Era - Dr. Cathy R. Briggs, Dean, Student Success, & Gina Yanuzzi, Assistant Professor, Comp. & Lit., Rowan College at Burlington County

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Cathy R. Briggs , Dean of Student Success, & Gina Yanuzzi , Assistant Professor of Composition & Literature, Rowan College at Burlington County In this episode, part of our Academic Integrity Series, sponsored by ⁠ Integrity4Education YOUR cohost is Thomas Fetsch , CEO, Integrity4Education YOUR host is ⁠ Elvin Freytes ⁠ How does academic integrity evolve when AI detectors prove notoriously inaccurate & faculty must rely on evidence based conversations instead of ...
How Do You Lead 13,000 Students Where 48% Are First Generation? - with Fernando Delgado, President, Lehman College
Dec. 16, 2025

How Do You Lead 13,000 Students Where 48% Are First Generation? - with Fernando Delgado, President, Lehman College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Fernando Delgado , President, Lehman College In this episode, President Series #431, sponsored by YELO Funding YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Elvin Freytes How does a college president lead 13,000 plus students in the Bronx where 48% are first generation, 56% are Latino & mid 80s are Black & Brown students while creating a beacon of hope for an entire borough? What happens when a college becomes so intertwined with its community that its mantra is "of the Bronx, by the Bronx & for ...
How 1 College President Recruits Students Everywhere He Goes & Gives Away $500 Every Month - Mike Hobbs, President, Georgia Highlands College
Dec. 14, 2025

How 1 College President Recruits Students Everywhere He Goes & Gives Away $500 Every Month - Mike Hobbs, President, Georgia Highlands College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #430, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR guest is Mike Hobbs , President, Georgia Highlands College YOUR co-host is Samyr Qureshi , Executive Chairman, Knack YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does a college president grow enrollment by 1,100 students in 3 years while keeping tuition at just $105 per credit hour & offering bachelor's degrees for u...
What a 45 Minute AI Conversation Revealed About 19 Years of Leadership - with Dr. Randall VanWagoner, President, Mohawk Valley Community College
Nov. 18, 2025

What a 45 Minute AI Conversation Revealed About 19 Years of Leadership - with Dr. Randall VanWagoner, President, Mohawk Valley Community College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #424, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR guest is Dr. Randall VanWagoner , President, Mohawk Valley Community College YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does a 19 year community college president use ChatGPT for a 45 minute leadership reflection road trip & discover he's actually leading his "3rd presidency" at the same institution? What happens w...
Anticipatory Tiptoes - with Dr. Kimberly Beatty⁠, Chancellor, ⁠Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City⁠
Oct. 28, 2025

Anticipatory Tiptoes - with Dr. Kimberly Beatty⁠, Chancellor, ⁠Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City⁠

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #417, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR guest is Dr. Kimberly Beatty , Chancellor, Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City YOUR co-host is Christi Segal , Vice President Managed Services & Executive Business Engagement, Ellucian YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does a community college serving 18,000 students across 5 campuses get approval t...
What America's Original Community College Teaches About the Future - with Dr. Clyne Namuo, President, Joliet Junior College
Oct. 8, 2025

What America's Original Community College Teaches About the Future - with Dr. Clyne Namuo, President, Joliet Junior College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #411, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR guest is Dr. Clyne Namuo , President, Joliet Junior College YOUR co-host is Christi Segal , Vice President Managed Services & Executive Business Engagement, Ellucian YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does America's 1st community college create a digital twin president called "Cyber Clyne" to personalize le...
Should College Presidents Live on Campus? This One Does & Here's Why - with Dr. Kristen Miller, President, Southern Maine Community College
Oct. 7, 2025

Should College Presidents Live on Campus? This One Does & Here's Why - with Dr. Kristen Miller, President, Southern Maine Community College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #410, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR guest is Dr. Kristen Miller , President, Southern Maine Community College YOUR co-host is Dr. Chuck Lloyd , Vice Chancellor, Community College System of New Hampshire YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does a community college president make the institution "student ready" rather than expecting students to ...
What Happens When Workforce Pell Finally Arrives (& Why Colleges Aren't Ready) - with Dr. Lisa Avery, President, Linn-Benton Community College
Oct. 6, 2025

What Happens When Workforce Pell Finally Arrives (& Why Colleges Aren't Ready) - with Dr. Lisa Avery, President, Linn-Benton Community College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #409, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR guest is ⁠ Dr. Lisa Avery ⁠ , President, ⁠ Linn-Benton Community College ⁠ YOUR host is ⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio ⁠ How does a community college get students $90,000 jobs with just a 2 year degree in programs like non destructive testing for aerospace & marine manufacturing? What happens when AI could revolut...
The Strategic Plan That 500,000 People Are Watching - with Dr. Brian Knetl, President, Waubonsee Community College
Oct. 5, 2025

The Strategic Plan That 500,000 People Are Watching - with Dr. Brian Knetl, President, Waubonsee Community College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #408, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by Studiosity , YOUR guest is Dr. Brian Knetl , President, Waubonsee Community College YOUR cohost is Dr. Noreen Golfman , Former Provost, Podcaster, & Studiosity Advisory Board Member YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does a community college president create a strategic plan called RISE 2030 with over 160 employee volunteers across a 500,000 person district serving rural, suburban & urba...
Maybe We Should Stop Asking 'Are Students College Ready? - with Dr. Alberto J. Román, Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District
Sept. 30, 2025

Maybe We Should Stop Asking 'Are Students College Ready? - with Dr. Alberto J. Román, Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #407, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR guest is Dr. Alberto J. Román , Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does the largest community college district in the nation serve 200,000 students across 9 colleges while 25% (50,000 students) are unhoused? What happens when a first generation immigrant wh...
What Universities Can Learn from a 99.7% Debt-Free Graduation Rate - with Clay Christensen, President, Mountainland Technical College
Sept. 29, 2025

What Universities Can Learn from a 99.7% Debt-Free Graduation Rate - with Clay Christensen, President, Mountainland Technical College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #406, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR guest is Clay Christensen , President, Mountainland Technical College YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does the largest technical college in Utah achieve a 99.7% debt free graduation rate with 6,500 students & a 1,600 person waiting list? What happens when 573 industry professionals serve on advisory comm...
If You're Not Tracking This Data, You're Already Behind - with Dr. Nick Swayne, President, North Idaho College
Sept. 21, 2025

If You're Not Tracking This Data, You're Already Behind - with Dr. Nick Swayne, President, North Idaho College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #403, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR guest is Dr. Nick Swayne , President, North Idaho College YOUR host is ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ Dr. Jodi Blinco ⁠ , Vice President for Enrollment Management Consulting, ⁠ EducationDynamics How do you achieve 30% enrollment growth while most institutions struggle with declining numbers? What does it take to build real-time ...
How to Grow Enrollment 31 Years Running: The Tag Team Strategy - Dr. Peggy Heinrich, President, & Dr. Annamarie Schopen, VP of Teaching, Learning, & Student Development, Elgin Community College
Sept. 14, 2025

How to Grow Enrollment 31 Years Running: The Tag Team Strategy - Dr. Peggy Heinrich, President, & Dr. Annamarie Schopen, VP of Teaching, Learning, & Student Development, Elgin Community College

It's YOUR time to #EdUp In this episode, President Series #400, powered by ⁠⁠⁠Ellucian⁠⁠⁠ , & sponsored by the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19, YOUR guests are Dr. Peggy Heinrich , President, & Dr. Annamarie Schopen , Vice President of Teaching, Learning, & Student Development, Elgin Community College YOUR host is ⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio How does a community college maintain growth when most are facing enrollment declines? What does it take to serve 15,000+ ...