2026 Webinar Series

February 25

"Empowering Educators: Leveraging AI for Course Design"

This presentation shares an innovative approach to designing an AI course using Generative AI tools, specifically ChatGPT. The course encompasses a comprehensive syllabus, assignments, lectures, and rubrics, all generated by AI. This session will explore the process, challenges, and successes of integrating AI into curriculum development. Attendees will gain insights into the practical applications of AI in education and its potential to revolutionize teaching methodologies.

Presenter: 

• Cindy York, Associate Professor, Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, Northern Illinois University

Moderator: Janine Guerra, Drexel University 

March 4

"The Integration of Non-Credit Certificate Programs in For-Credit College Courses"

As higher education adapts to evolving learner needs and workforce demands, integrating non-credit certificates into for-credit college coursework emerges as a strategic innovation. This approach enables students to stack credentials, personalize learning pathways, and align academic experiences with career objectives. Through examples from an applied leadership program, this paper explores the benefits, challenges, and implementation strategies of embedding high-quality certificate content into academic curricula. It highlights how microcredentials, nano-degrees, and digital badges serve as credible indicators of skills acquisition, supporting lifelong learning and employability. The discussion addresses institutional considerations such as aligning certificates with course outcomes, ensuring quality assurance, and verifying learner identity. Ultimately, the integration of certificates for credit strengthens the relevance of higher education while expanding access and flexibility for diverse learners.

Presenter: 

• Elizabeth Crawford, Department Head and Professor, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
• David Rausch, Associate Dean & Professor, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
• Christine Wolfe, Customer Success Manager, Coursera for Campus

Moderator: Janine Guerra, Drexel University

March 25

"Teaching Like a Crew Chief"

During this session, we will explore concepts from some of NASCAR's legendary crew chiefs that can be directly applied to teaching and learning. Participants will explore the crew chief teaching disposition by analyzing leadership qualities of crew leaders and identifying how strategic thinking and team-focused decision-making translate to classroom success. Attendees will be provided with tools to explore strategies for letting their love of their content drive student engagement, reimagine themselves in the teaching role as a crew chief, think about how enthusiasm can drive success, and avoid turning upside down when students occasionally get out of their lane.

Presenter: 

• Amy Johnson, EdD, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University

Moderator: Janine Guerra, Drexel University

April 8

"The Art of Tough Talks: A Leadership Playbook for Difficult Conversations"

Mastering the art of navigating difficult conversations is a vital skill for leaders at every level, yet it remains a challenge for many on how to engage in these discussions effectively. This presentation offers leaders a comprehensive guide to manage challenging interactions with confidence, poise, and a constructive approach. Tailored for both established and emerging leaders, this playbook delves into critical strategies for starting and steering conversations that are often shunned. Participants will gain insights into controlling their own emotions as well as those of others, ensuring that difficult dialogues foster positive results instead of conflict or misapprehensions.

Presenter: 

• Wendy Johnson, PhD, Principle & CEO, Managing from Afar

Moderator: Jana Breburdova, University of Central Florida

April 22

"Kentucky’s Statewide Blueprint for Adult Student Success by Scaling Credit for Prior Learning"

In response to the growing need to accelerate adult degree completion, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) launched a statewide Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) initiative to help institutions scale policies and practices that recognize learning outside the classroom. This webinar explores how Kentucky built a cross-institutional framework rooted in the ADDIE model—Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation—to align campus teams, foster collaboration, and implement sustainable CPL strategies. Attendees will gain insight into the process of establishing campus champions, completing institutional readiness assessments, coordinating statewide trainings, and building tools to measure return on investment. Through this shared journey, Kentucky institutions have increased capacity to serve adult learners, veterans, and comebackers by awarding credit for prior learning with consistency and integrity. Attendees will leave with a replicable framework, actionable tools, and lessons learned that can support CPL expansion in other states, systems, or multi-campus collaborations.

Presenters: 

• Mathew Bergman, PhD, President & Founder, Center for Academic Innovation; Partner Faculty, University of Louisville
• Dallas Kratzer, PhD, Kratzer Consulting; Visiting Scholar, University of Louisville

Moderator: Mark Murphy, Middle Tennessee State University

May 27

"Beyond Enrollment: Flourishing in the Pipeline of Higher Education Communities"

Description: 

Atlanta Technical College's Preparatory Academy (ATC-Prep) redefines college readiness by cultivating social, emotional, and spiritual well-being before students enter higher education. This session showcases ATC-Prep's innovative "whole learner" model, where high school students earn diplomas and workforce credentials within a technical college environment designed for belonging, resilience, and purpose. We will explore how early exposure to collegiate culture, wraparound supports, and intentional mentoring help transform disengaged learners into confident, connected scholars. Through this case study, attendees will gain practical strategies to integrate social and emotional learning (SEL), strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and create campus ecosystems that prioritize human flourishing over simple enrollment. "Beyond Enrollment" invites higher education professionals to reimagine readiness as more than academic preparation-it's the cultivation of emotionally grounded, community-minded students prepared to thrive in college and beyond.

Presenter: 

• Kennard Weever, Executive Director, Preparatory Academy, Atlanta Technical College

Moderator: Mark Murphy, Middle Tennessee State University

June 17

"Reflecting on Personal Motivation Immediacy in Leadership for Well-Being"

Motivational Immediacy is an expansive construct that is connected to both teaching and leadership. Each of these categories has inward-focused and outward-focused concerns. This presentation will focus on the inward (personal) side of the leadership domain. Motivational Immediacy in the Leadership-Inward domain can be described as the process of thinking of long-term goals and forcing oneself, as a habit, to connect each short-term action to that long-term goal in a way that mentally 'fuses' the means (short-term action) to the end (long-term goal). This purposeful act of reaching for, is an alternative to other mental habits such as reacting to, running from, and repeating of. Attendees will engage in dialogue centered on personal reflection of experiences during which they have engaged in each of the 'Four R's" above and how those experiences could be used as helpful tools to develop future Ml 'reaching-for' habits that promote mental health and well-being.

Presenters: 

• Jonathan Taylor, PhD (Professor of Adult Education and Director of Doctoral Studies, College of Education, Auburn University)

• Steven Frye, PhD (Associate Professor/Director, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Tennessee Technological University)

July 8

"Beyond the Badge: Industry-engaged Microcredentials for Bridging Generations in the Workforce and Advancing Socioeconomic Mobility"

This session presents findings from a mixed-methods evaluation of workforce-focused microcredential programs at Southern Utah University. The study explores how short, industry-responsive credentials foster socioeconomic mobility, particularly for rural and non-traditional learners. Through survey and interview data, the research reveals how microcredentials empower learners with confidence, real-world skills, and career advancement opportunities. It also highlights how these programs engage multi-generational learners and support community-centered workforce development. Attendees will gain practical insights into designing flexible, equitable programs that bridge education and industry needs, and help bolster university enrollments and funding by expanding the recruitment conversation to include microcredential offerings. The session concludes with a framework for developing inclusive microcredentials that embody empathy (through learner-centered design), empowerment (via access and mobility), and innovation (through agile, workplace-ready delivery).

Presenter:

• Melynda Thorpe, Assistant Vice President Workforce and Educational Opportunity, Southern Utah University

Moderator: Janine Guerra, Drexel University