DAY 2: Thursday, February 27, 2025 3:45PM – 4:45PM
Adapting to Innovation: Strategy and Capacity Building for AI and Beyond
There is one constant in innovation: change. New technology-influenced opportunities are consistently introduced in our ever-evolving society. How an institution assesses readiness for adoption and strategically considers the pathway for implementation of new innovations is critical to sustainable success and digital growth.
This session will give an overview of the Adapting to Innovation concept, explain the need for building institutional capacity, provide practical examples of programs, and services being developed by the THECB Division of Digital Learning to facilitate this process, and share with participants openly licensed resources developed by THECB in partnership with Texas institutions, which can be used and adapted to address this need in other states.
The Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Report
The ninth installment of the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) report, produced by Quality Matters™, Eduventures®, and Educause®— offers an overview of the current state of online learning in higher education as well as insights into its future development. The report was compiled by surveying senior online leaders on vital topics facing institutions today, from supporting faculty, staff, and students with quality online learning to aligning institutional strategy with today’s increased demand for online options. — at U.S. two- and four-year colleges and universities.
The Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Project The CHLOE 9 Survey conducted in 2024 continues the discussion of how online learning is managed and strategically integrated into institutional plans, and provides data and insights related to TPSs and OPMs, institutional priorities for online growth, online pricing and cost models, and AI use and policies.
The majority of survey participants report both learner demand for online learning surging and institutional strategic priorities shifting to meet this demand, as well as the adaptation to the new presence of AI tools in the academic environment. Notable findings from the 53-page report include:
Priorities for Online Learning
Tuition and Institutional Revenue
AI in Higher Education
Third-Party Servicers
Regular and Substantive Interaction
This session will:
Explain the role of online learning in institutional strategy, including prioritization efforts to grow enrollment and integration with TPSs and OPMs.
Discuss how priorities for online learning growth differ by type of institution.
Describe how institutions are incorporating AI into the classroom and the need for, discussions about, and status of AI policies.
Identify pricing strategies and resource contributions for online initiatives.
What the federal government has to say about serving students in other states, third-party servicers, and Artificial Intelligence
Digitally delivered education is affected by the increasing development and use of AI. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released, rescinded, and plans to rewrite guidance about Third Party Servicers (TPS). ED released new final regulations last fall that will be effective July 1, 2024, as well as convened a new negotiated rulemaking. The new regulations as well as the outcomes of the newest rulemaking have current and future policy implications.
Attendees will learn about the various policy and compliance developments affecting the delivery of education when using digital technology. We will address the new final regulations and provide an update on the status of the newest rulemaking committee that will conclude in early March. Current additional issues of note include responses to the increase in Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and the release of guidance from the U.S. Department of Education addressing institutional use of Third-Party Servicers (TPS).
The Department has also presented an ambitious rulemaking plan. In March 2023, the Department announced the intention to establish a rulemaking to address multiple issues affecting digital learning including interstate distance education, accreditation, and the definitions related to distance education. That rulemaking is currently in progress and will conclude in early March with proposed rules noted in the Unified Agenda to be released October 2024. In October 2023, the Department released proposed regulations that were the final five issues from the previous rulemaking held in Winter 2022. Most notable are the financial transparency and gainful employment rule and certification procedures that include regulations affecting interstate compliance and providing programs leading to a professional license. It is important to note that the Department recently completed a rulemaking to address loan forgiveness in light of the July U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down the Biden Administration’s debt relief plan. The rulemaking concluded in December 2023 with anticipated proposed regulations to be released in May 2024.
Institutions and other stakeholders will wish to keep a keen eye on the direction these issues will go over the next several months. Ultimately, the development of policy and compliance requirements in these areas will require institutions to rethink how they are creating and supporting digital learning, including course design, contracting for third-party services, serving out-of-state students, and fulfilling the special obligations associated with programs that lead to a professional license or certification.
Although much of the conversation around AI in higher education has focused on discussions of academic integrity, generative AI is posed to impact a number of policy areas on the institutional, system/state, and federal level. In addition to exploring third-party providers and the emerging regulatory landscape, we will also explore the emerging regulatory landscape of generative AI.
Original TPS guidance was released in February 2023. The original Dear Colleague Letter vastly expanded the type of service for which an institution contracts to be considered a TPS. A TPS is a classification of the servicer for which there are increased responsibilities for the institution as well as the company itself in order for the institution to participate in Title IV HEA programs. Additionally, the Department was interested in public input about the 2011 bundled services exception when working with an Online Program Manager (OPM). The Department received more than 1000 public comments regarding the February 2023 guidance and officially announced in May 2023 that it chose to delay and amend the guidance. Institutions and organizations are still waiting for the amended guidance for which the Department indicated will become effective six months after its release.
We plan to guide the participants through applicable policy considerations and regulations as well as responding to participant questions. We will conclude with specific steps that institutional staff may take to communicate with their stakeholders about the development of new policies as well as new and revised rules. Participants will be directed to additional resources on these issues.
SUNY Online provides services, supports, and resources for online learning activities and initiatives across the SUNY system and a broad community of online teaching and learning practitioners and stakeholders.
Online Teaching and Learning at SUNY has a 30+ year history!
The Summit provides opportunities for face-to-face and virtual networking, discussion, and social interaction for our online community of practice stakeholders.
Our virtual and face-to-face participants are invited to join us to meet friends and colleagues, and socialize.
Social Networking activities take place virtually and in-person throughout the event.
Networking with friends & colleagues at the Summit is a feature and tradition!
Social Networking Activities:
For in-person attendees the morning and afternoon Breaks, Lunch & Dinner are intended to provide attendees with the opportunity to network.
Please let us know if you would like to be introduced to someone, or to connect with someone on a particular topic or challenge you are interested in! We would be happy to make introductions!
For our virtual participants, use the #hashtag #SUNYOnlineSummit to contribute to the Summit backchannel and meet new friends & colleagues to share and enhance the virtual event experience for yourself and others!
In-person networking activities will take place on:
The SUNY Online Summit presentations and the recordings from this event are provided FREE of charge.
Registration is required for participation in both the face-to-face event in NYC, NY, as well as for access to the live virtual event (no guarantees are made regarding quality of broadcast).
Keep in mind that any times listed are ET. Recordings and Materials will be made available after the event concludes.
Kim Scalzo, Interim Senior Associate Provost of DIAS
Kim Scalzo is the interim senior associate provost of Digital Innovation and Academic Services (DIAS), former executive director of SUNY Online and Interim Executive Director of Academic Technologies and Information Services (ATIS). For the five years preceding the launch of Open SUNY, Scalzo served as director for SUNY Center for Professional Development. Prior to joining SUNY, Kim was an administrator at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where she started as the director of Professional and Distance Education Programs, and moved on to serve as the director of Distributed Education and Multimedia before a four year term as the director of Outreach Programs. @kimscalzoLinkedin
Dan Feinberg is the interim director of SUNY Online. He has spent 19 years at SUNY, including time at University at Albany, Schenectady Community College, and the last 13 years at SUNY System Administration. Dan’s job allows him to work with SUNY broad diversity of campuses and stellar higher ed professionals across the state. A lifelong educator, Dan began his career as a public school teacher and has been elected three times to the Scotia-Glenville Board of Education. Dan enjoys planning trips across the country as a part of his family’s continental conquest! LinkedInX
Erin Maney, SUNY Online Communications & Community Engagement Manager
Erin Maneyis the SUNY Online Communications & Community Engagement manager. She was previously an Open SUNY senior instructional designer, and prior to that came to the team from Monroe Community College where she served as an instructional designer. She has worked for community colleges and universities in Wisconsin and Florida before returning to upstate NY. Erin was formerly an English teacher for K-12 districts and continues to teach developmental writing courses and college orientation seminar as an adjunct instructor. After leaving the traditional classroom, she served in many roles supporting educators in K-12, at-risk youth facilities, technical and career high schools, community colleges, and universities. Much of her experience is focused on developing and facilitating training programs, finding new and engaging ways to communicate content, and developing meaningful learning opportunities for both faculty and students. @expertlymadeLinkedIn
Harry Cargile, Director of Academic Technology Strategy and Integration
Harry Cargile, is the director of academic technology strategy and integration and is currently serving as a co-lead for the SUNY Digital Learning Environment project. He has been a part of SUNY since 1999 working with academic technology and most specifically learning management systems.
Dr. Veronica Estrada, Core Faculty School of Human Development, Pacific Oaks College
Dr. Veronica Estrada is a core faculty at Pacific Oaks College and an adjunct professor at Pasadena City College. She was the recipient of the OLC 2021 Effective Practice Award. Dr. Estrada is also an emotional intelligence (EQ) expert and consultant, who helps individuals and teams enhance their EQ skills, enabling them to navigate challenges and foster positive working environments. Dr. Estrada focuses on navigating the delicate balance between technological advancement (AI) and human emotional intelligence (EQ), fostering a harmonious integration that preserves the essence of human experience amidst a rapidly digitizing world. LinkedIn
Susan Warner, Manager, Online Student Support, SUNY Online
Susan Warner currently serves as the manager of online student support at SUNY Online. In this role, Susan is deeply committed to fostering collaboration among SUNY faculty and staff to promote the best practices in online student support and empowering SUNY campuses with essential online student support resources. In her previous role as the Lead Success Coordinator for SUNY Online, Susan spearheaded the training and leadership of the SUNY Online Degrees at Scale student success coaching team, which provided success coaching to online students across seven SUNY campuses encompassing over twenty programs. Before her tenure at SUNY Online, Susan played a pivotal role in implementing Guided Pathways at Monroe Community College as an MCC School Specialist. Susan has a passion for an appreciative, strengths-based approach to proactive student success coaching and a strong commitment to providing equitable, accessible support to all students. Beyond her professional pursuits, Susan finds joy in coffee gatherings with friends, cheering on the Buffalo Bills, and spending time with her grandchildren.
Dr. Michele Forte, Associate Professor/Mentor in Community & Human Services, ESU
Dr. Michele Forteis an associate professor at SUNY SUNY Empire State University (ESU) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York State. She has extensive experience in mentoring and coaching diverse organizational and student populations in various educational and not-for-profit settings. Dr. Forte is the former Project Manager for Student Supports initiatives for SUNY Online and a coach with the New York Student Success Center (NYSSC) Coaching Academy as well as for the SUNY REACH initiative. Her scholarly interests include competency-based frameworks for assessing learning, high-impact coaching and mentoring models, and connections between grief, loss, and resilience.LinkedinProfile
Jacquelyne Howard, Administrative Assistant Professor of Technology & Women’s History, Newcomb Institute, Tulane University
Dr. Jacquelyne Thoni Howard is an administrative assistant professor of technology and women’s history at Newcomb Institute of Tulane University . She leveraged her liberal arts degrees to gain extensive experience in digital scholarship and instructional technology and specializes in Borderlands History, History of Gender and Technology, and Digital History. At Newcomb Institute, Jacquelyne directs initiatives and student programming related to digital humanities and instructional technology. Her teaching and research interests include examining topics about gender and race using interdisciplinary frameworks such as technology studies, digital humanities, empires and borderlands studies, family studies, and U.S. History. Using digital and quantitative methods with historical approaches, her current manuscript project examines the family experiences of African, Indian, European, and mixed-heritage women living in the Lower French Louisiana Borderlands from 1700-1766. She earned a Ph.D. in U.S. History from Fordham University, an M.A. in History from the University of San Diego, and a B.A. in History with a minor in secondary education from Loyola University New Orleans. BlogLinkedInTwitter (X)
Dr. Liv Newman, Administrative Assistant Professor and Associate Director of CELT, Tulane University
Dr. Liv Newman is administrative assistant professor and associate director of the Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching at Tulane University and adjunct faculty for Loyola University New Orleans. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Florida and M.A. in Education Policy from Stanford University. Dr. Newman has worked in higher education for nearly 25 years spanning both teaching and administrative roles. She has extensive experience improving undergraduate and graduate, on-ground and online teaching, through her faculty development positions and numerous leadership roles. Her scholarly interests focus on the intersection of race and class, inequities in education, and enhancing the online educational experience for faculty and students. Blog
Cheryl Dowd serves as the senior director for the State Authorization Network and WCET Policy Innovations, and Cyber Fellow for WICHE. Dowd directs the activities and research to manage State and Federal regulatory compliance requirements for the out of state activities of the member institutions. Additionally, she serves the overall WCET membership in addressing emerging and special regulatory issues related to digital learning in postsecondary education. Dowd is a contributing author for a guidebook for understanding the legal basis for State and Federal compliance for activities of post-secondary institutions, State Authorization of Colleges and Universities. Dowd earned her JD from the University of Richmond, MS in Criminal Justice from Bowling Green State University, and BS in Political Science from James Madison University. LinkedIn, X
