LIVE from the 2025 Middle States Commission on Higher Education Annual Conference - with Dr. Havidán Rodríguez⁠, President of ⁠SUNY at Albany⁠

It's YOUR time to #EdUpIn 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 CollegeYOUR co-host is Samyr Qureshi, Executive Chairman, KnackYOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow 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 under $15,000?What happens when 81% of your students work while attending college, 47% work full time & 85% of graduates stay in the local region to fuel the workforce?How does a president who gives a $500 monthly scholarship in his mother's name & personally recruits students everywhere he goes create a culture where education changes lives, not just delivers degrees?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp ExperienceWe make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠​subscribe today​⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025! 

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Christian Benito, 3rd Year Student, & Andre Krzyzanowski De Jesus, 2nd Year Student, Berkley CollegeIn this episode, recorded Live from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education⁠ 2025 Annual ConferenceYOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow is Christian's Second Amendment research comparing US gun violence to Europe by population showing America is on par with Europe despite 120 privately owned guns for every 100 people & examining concealed carry effects in sanctuary counties?Why does Andre's immigration research as a Brazilian & Polish immigrant prove that immigrants don't bring terrorism or take jobs but instead enhance law enforcement, nursing & medical techniques while developing social, political & economic progress?How does Berkeley College support students presenting controversial topics like pro gun research by backing independent research & providing opportunities to present to higher ed administrators at conferences?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠⁠​subscribe today​⁠⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025!

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Richard W. E. Georges, President, H. Lavity Stoutt Community CollegeIn this episode, President Series #429, recorded Live from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education⁠ 2025 Annual ConferenceYOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow does the only community college in the British Virgin Islands serve 40,000 people across 50 islands with 800 credit students & over 1,000 continuing ed students achieving 90% employment rates?Why did Hurricane Irma in 2017 force HLSCC to move everything to the cloud (LMS, operations, HR & finance) which made them one of the better prepared institutions in their region to respond to COVID without too much loss?How is the transformation phase after recovery & discovery bringing the first fully owned bachelor's degree in education & residential campus with standalone government grants? Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠⁠​subscribe today​⁠⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025! 

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Rebecca Corbin, President & CEO, National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship In this episode, recorded Live from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education⁠ 2025 Annual ConferenceYOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow does NACCE’s 23 year old nonprofit serve 350 community colleges with $1,200 annual membership fees while giving members over $100,000 back in grant funds plus access to SkillPoint tech platform valued at $6.5 million that connects 3.5 million users to in demand jobs?Why does having 15 board members who are all community college presidents or chancellors create one of the fastest growing nonprofits in higher ed by promoting entrepreneurial mindset & workforce solutions?How does answering invitations like attending the AI for Good Summit in Geneva with 15,000 people or saying yes to conferences lead to transformational partnerships?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠⁠​subscribe today​⁠⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025!

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Chuck Ambrose, Senior Education Consultant, Husch Blackwell Consulting, & Host of EdUp InsightsIn this episode, recorded Live from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education⁠ 2025 Annual ConferenceYOUR cohost is Elvin FreytesYOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow did Husch Blackwell Consulting launch as a wholly owned subsidiary in June after 3 years of building comprehensive legal practice by adding Campus Compass diagnostic tool & strategic consulting to complement regulatory & compliance support?Why does Chuck with 47 years in higher ed & 25 years as president or CEO believe podcasting provides an outlet for verbal thinkers to learn more than they give through intimate conversations?How is EdUp Insights creating Author Insights mini-series to spread tools & strategies from "Colleges on the Brink" while counseling leaders that their 3rd act can be their most productive instead of heading to the barn?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠⁠​subscribe today​⁠⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025!

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, Commissioner Middle States Commission on Higher Education, & President of SUNY at AlbanyIn this episode, President Series #428, recorded Live from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education⁠ 2025 Annual ConferenceYOUR cohost is Lloyd Ricketts, Commissioner Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Vice President& Treasurer at Wilmington UniversityYOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow does the accreditation process provide value as an inclusive opportunity to rethink the institution, navigate challenges & help schools become bigger & stronger through peer review rather than 1 person behind a curtain dictating decisions?Why does maintaining focus on serving students matter most when facing regulatory & enrollment challenges because educating engaged global citizens who transform communities is what accrediting agencies like Middle States support?How is SUNY Albany celebrating its 180th anniversary by adding new academic programs, flourishing research & becoming a national leader in artificial intelligence while serving 1/3 low income students & 1/3 first generation students?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠⁠​subscribe today​⁠⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025!

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Honar Issa, Secretary-General, Dilan Rostam, Director for Higher Education, & Boushra Rahal Alameh, President, Kurdistan Accrediting Association for Education (KAAE)In this episode, recorded Live from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education⁠ 2025 Annual ConferenceYOUR cohost is Dr. Davie Gilmour, Commissioner, Immediate Past Chair of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, & President (Ret.) Emeritus of PennsylvaniaCollege of TechnologyYOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow did Kurdistan rebuild its education system after decades of war, embargos & disconnection from the international community by establishing KAAE in 2022 with Middle States as official partner to bring standardization & peer review to institutions?Why did 11 pilot universities & K-12 schools voluntarily participate in this model project with 4 additional institutions asking "why didn't you choose us" because competition drives them to implement standards & become founding institutions opening doors for globalization?How does introducing a ranking system within accreditation incentivize institutions to focus on mission centricity, governance, effectiveness & student outcomes rather than just financial burden or political challenges?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠⁠​subscribe today​⁠⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025!

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Kimberly Davenport, Commissioner Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Partner & Director of Corporate Responsibility at ScottMadden, Inc.In this episode, recorded Live from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education⁠ 2025 Annual ConferenceYOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow does ScottMadden bring unbiased corporate perspectives on governance, budget & operations to help higher ed institutions that are hungry for change but slow to evolve their business models?Why did Kim overcome initial nervousness about asking "simple" questions to realize her outside perspective from HR, policy & process development in other industries provokes valuable thoughts among academic commissioners?How does passion for education from having a mother who was a school teacher for 35 years drive the mission to create environments where students thrive & become great colleagues in conference rooms in a few years?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠⁠​subscribe today​⁠⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025!

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Margery Kraus, Founder & Executive Chairman of APCO WorldwideIn this episode, recorded Live from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education⁠ 2025 Annual ConferenceYOUR cohost is Michael Fischer, Commissioner Middle States Commission on Higher Education⁠⁠, Professor of Accounting, Emeritus; former Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs at St. Bonaventure UniversityYOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow does APCO Worldwide's 41 year old consulting firm with 1,200 people work at the intersection of business, government, public opinion & education to help institutions navigate troubled times & understand the "whys" behind federal policy changes?Why is now the time for optimism by reframing education through lifelong learning, non traditional students & collaboration between universities instead of perpetuating competitive institutional systems?How can higher ed create partnership between faculty & administrators, reimagine governance with accountability standards at every level & seize opportunities from policy changes rather than digging heels in?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠⁠​subscribe today​⁠⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025!

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Christina Weber,  Biology Honors Student, & Jesse Jacondin, Senior Research Analyst, Brookdale Community CollegeIn this episode, recorded Live from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education⁠ 2025 Annual ConferenceYOUR cohost is Terence Peavy, Lead Vice President for Institutional Field Relations at the Middle States Commission on Higher EducationYOUR host is ⁠⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow did 1 second semester freshman increase student participation in accreditation from 3% to 21.7% by leading student to student outreach instead of relying on administrators?Why did creating 3 tiers of involvement (working group member, focus group participant & survey respondent) make accreditation accessible to busy community college students?How are students gaining career benefits, networking with presidents & earning potential internships requiring 45 hours per semester through accreditation involvement?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠⁠​subscribe today​⁠⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025!