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 e...

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 Col...

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 episo...

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 degre...

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 mo...

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. Mikay...

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 e...

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 associa...

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 colleg...

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...

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 t...

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...

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 att...

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 Ope...

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...

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...

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...

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 mor...

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 foundatio...

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 suppor...

What if the biggest limitation in our course design is the idea of the “average learner”? In this episode, Michael Cottam sits down with Michelle Patterson to explore Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a mindset shift—not a checklist. Together, they unpack how designing for learner variability changes how we think about engagement, access, and success. Rather than asking how to “fix” students,...

In part two of our conversation with President Bruce Kusch of Ensign College, we explore Ensign College’s groundbreaking move to three-year bachelor’s degrees and what that means for the future of higher education. President Kusch discusses accreditation challenges, workforce alignment, vocational education, AI disruption, and why colleges must rethink how they prepare students for meaningful care...

In part one of our conversation with President Bruce Kusch of Ensign College, we explore the remarkable transformation of the institution formerly known as LDS Business College into a global, applied-learning institution serving students in more than 100 countries. President Kusch shares the story behind the Ensign College mission statement, the institution’s close partnership with BYU-Pathway Wor...

From gatekeeping to door-opening—and how to truly engage learners. In part two, Kelvin Thompson shifts the conversation from strategy to practice—exploring what it really takes to engage learners in today’s complex educational landscape. From rethinking faculty roles as “door openers” to scaling impact across institutions, Kelvin highlights the power of human connection as the foundation of effect...

In part one of our conversation with Kelvin Thompson, we explore the deeper purpose behind online learning and digital innovation in higher education. Kelvin shares his journey from K–12 to national leadership in online learning, along with powerful insights on why teaching should be viewed as a core student success intervention. We also dive into how online learning makes teaching more visible—an...