Distance Learning Roundtable

March 1 2023

March 2023: Join us for episode 6 of the Distance Learning Roundtable — Meet Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, authors of the hottest book to hit higher ed, Commencement

Distance Learning Roundtable
Distance Learning Roundtable
March 2023: Join us for episode 6 of the Distance Learning Roundtable — Meet Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, authors of the hottest book to hit higher ed, Commencement
/

March 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for episode 6 of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts.

Meet this month’s guests — Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, authors of the hottest book to hit higher ed, Commencement

Today’s Topic: The New Era of Education

Dean and Pat ask the authors: 

  • Dean: Let’s start with your book Commencement, The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education. What was your motivation for writing the book? Second, tell us about your interactions with over 100 College and University presidents.
  • Pat: The Pandemic was a game changer in the field of education. Many institutions had some experience with online learning for 10-20 years, primarily through a blended model. However, most turned to a totally online model during the crisis. In your opinion, what is the difference between a true online program and one that they implemented “for emergency use only”?
  • Dean: A subject that is not often talked about is the marketing of online degree programs. It appears how to present an online degree to potential students is very different than how to present to students who physically attend. From your experiences in branding and positioning, briefly tell our listeners and viewers your views.
  • Pat Joe, as Senior Vice President, Lindenwood Global, at Lindenwood University. what are some of the challenges associated with starting an online program at a nearly 200-year-old university?
  • Dean: Millions of potential students are employed but do not have any degree or want to enroll and obtain their advanced degrees. States are pressing for improvement and employers want this as well. With respect to student flexibility, how do you implement an effective policy that is acceptable for both students and employers?
  • Pat: What does online learning look like five years from now for higher education? Will there be consolidation or expansion?

Click here to watch the video interview!


About the Authors

Meet co-author Kate Colbert: A former higher-education insider and current world-renowned marketing expert, Kate Colbert develops college-and-university brand stories that are meaningful to the prospective student and measurable on the institutional balance sheet. She has overseen brand and enrollment marketing, public relations, and alumni relations at two Chicago-area graduate schools. Kate has additional expertise in corporate education, university crisis management, and faculty relations. She has consulted for Northeastern University, UC San Francisco, Carthage College, Tulane University School of Law, Babson College, The University of Tulsa College of Law, Bradley University, and Medical College of Georgia. Ms. Colbert has spoken at the American Association of Medical Colleges, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and graduate education seminars with EducationDynamics. She is a six-time recipient of CASE District V’s annual awards for excellence in marketing and communications. She contributed to the book Net Proceeds: Increased Revenue from Enrollment and Advancement (Moore and Abrahamson) and authored the 2018 bestselling book Think Like a Marketer: How a Shift in Mindset Can Change Everything for Your Business. Kate has served as a faculty member at Illinois State University, the College of Lake County, Loyola University Chicago, and Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.

Meet co-author Joe Sallustio: As one of our nation’s foremost higher-education experts, Dr. Joe Sallustio has led a broad range of educational institutions in various sectors of higher education. He served as Senior Vice President of Lindenwood Global at Lindenwood University and was formerly Chief Operating Officer at Claremont Lincoln University. Dr. Sallustio is a senior consultant to the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, Executive Director and Board Member at The Association for the Advancement of the College Admissions Profession, and contributing writer for Fierce Education and The EvoLLLution. He is a frequent speaker, moderator, and panelist at higher-education conferences. Dr. Sallustio is co-founder and host of America’s leading higher-education podcast, The EdUp Experience. He has interviewed more than 140 college and university presidents, ed-tech CEOs, and business and industry executives domestically and globally. Episodes of The EdUp Experience Podcast have been downloaded more than 125,000 times, making Joe one of the world’s most recognizable and impactful higher-education voices influencing higher education today.

About Commencement: ​First, there was the podcast; then there was the book; now there is a revolution. The EdUp Experience Podcast, co-founded by Elvin Freytes and Dr. Joe Sallustio in 2020, quickly became the nation’s #1 higher-education podcast, where the industry’s brightest and most influential minds stepped up to the microphone to talk about the pressing issues faced by colleges and universities and the students they serve. As hundreds of academic leaders offered their candid insights on air, it became clear that a deep analysis of the emerging themes from those conversations – coupled with additional research about the future of higher education, alongside unfiltered perspectives from industry thought leaders Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, EdD – could become a book that the industry needs and deserves. So, on Thanksgiving 2022, Colbert and Sallustio released the book born from interviews with 100+ college and university presidents, welcoming readers into a conversation like no other.

Commencement debuted as Amazon’s #1 New Release in the higher-education administration category and remains atop several category bestseller lists. Fierce Education heralded the book as this year’s “must-read book for higher education’s winter break” and Dr. Bill Pepicello, Former President, University of Phoenix, calls Commencement “A torch to be passed in the long relay race of higher education.” Higher education is a time-honored tradition … but traditions change. Commencement challenges readers – from within higher education as well as from places of influence in ed-tech, K-12 education, industry, educational consulting, public policy, and elsewhere – to discard the status quo and to answer the call of modern learners to bring new-and-improved value to post-secondary learning experiences. Higher-education leaders and authors Kate Colbert and Dr. Joe Sallustio offer a rare glimpse into the inner sanctums of decision-making in American higher education, with stories and quotes that will shock and delight you, alongside practical tips from book contributor Elvin Freytes, workbook-style exercises, “pop quizzes,” and bold predictions that make Commencement the one book that could change the face of higher education forever.

Click here to buy the book!

Don’t miss an episode of the Distance Learning Roundtable: Podcasts DistanceLearningRoundtable.com • TV series DistanceLearningRoundtable.tv

About the Show: Join us monthly to learn about the future of online education in this powerful podcast series hosted by Pat Cassella, executive director of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA), and Dean Hoke, managing partner Edu Alliance.

Meet the Hosts

About Pat: Pat Cassella has been a presence within the high-tech industry for more than 30 years with leadership roles in Sales, Marketing, Product Development, and Engineering. He has been involved with the USDLA for more than 15 years and is the Executive Director of the association. Pursuing his passion for engineering, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Bridgeport and a Master’s of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of New Haven. He has spent the past 20+ years within the IP video communications market as a sales, marketing and product architect within the Government, Education, Corporate and Medical markets. Click here to learn more: USDLA.org.

About Dean: As the Managing Partner of Edu Alliance Group located in Bloomington, Indiana, and the United Arab Emirates, Dean has decades of progressively responsible and visionary leadership roles in higher education, communications and online learning. He began his career in 1975 with Bellarmine University working in various roles, including admissions and external relations. In 1983 he entered the broadcasting field, serving as a senior executive for Public Broadcasting System stations. In 1998, he co-founded The Connected Learning Network and, in 2009, moved to the United Arab Emirates, serving in senior positions at Higher Colleges of Technology and Khalifa University before co-founding Edu Alliance in 2014. Click here to connect with Dean on LinkedIn.

Previous Episodes
Saturday, July 1st, 2023

July 2023: Episode 10 of the Distance Learning Roundtable stars Freedom Writers Founder Erin Gruwell

July 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Freedom Writers Founder Erin Gruwell Today’s Topic: The Power and Impact of Freedom Writers About our Guest: ​Freedom Writers Founder Erin Gruwell — A teacher, author, and activist fighting for socialClick here to listen to the podcast!

Thursday, June 1st, 2023

June 2023: Episode 9 of the Distance Learning Roundtable features a Q&A with Dr. Robert A. Alsop of Waldorf University

June 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Dr. Robert A. Alsop, president of Waldorf University Today’s Topic: Waldorf University’s Master of Education in Social-Emotional Learning About this episode: Waldorf has become a pioneer in online education for educators,Click here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, April 18th, 2023

May 2023: Episode 8 of the Distance Learning Roundtable stars Amrit Ahluwalia, editor-in-chief at The EvoLLLution: A Modern Campus Illumination

May 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Amrit Ahluwalia, editor-in-chief at The EvoLLLution: A Modern Campus Illumination Today’s Topic: Bucking Enrollment Trends to Grow in a Challenging Environment About this episode: The higher education space has experienced significantClick here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

April 2023: Episode 7 of the Distance Learning Roundtable features Jennifer Williams, Executive Director, Take Action Global and Transformational Leader in Education

April 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for episode 7 of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Jennifer Williams, Executive Director, Take Action Global and Transformational Leader in Education Today’s Topic: Get Ready for Change – Instructional Design Practices Through Meaningful Uses of Technology About this episode: At the heart of innovationClick here to listen to the podcast!

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

March 2023: Join us for episode 6 of the Distance Learning Roundtable — Meet Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, authors of the hottest book to hit higher ed, Commencement

March 1, 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for episode 6 of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet this month’s guests — Kate Colbert and Joe Sallustio, authors of the hottest book to hit higher ed, Commencement Today’s Topic: The New Era of Education Dean and Pat ask the authors:  Dean: Let’s startClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, January 24th, 2023

February 2023: Dr. Peter Noonan, superintendent Falls Church City Public Schools, VA, stars in Episode 5 of the Distance Learning Roundtable

A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke— We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, industry experts come together to discuss the future of online education. Today’s Topic: How K-12 educators dealt with the pandemic and what the future of learning looks like for America’s superintendents Dean and Pat ask Peter:  Dean: Tell our viewers and listeners about theClick here to listen to the podcast!

Sunday, January 1st, 2023

Happy New Year! January 2023: In Episode 4 of the Distance Learning Roundtable meet our truly amazing guest — Lee Gambol, Distance Learning Coordinator at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

January 2023: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Lee Gambol, Distance Learning Coordinator at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Today’s Topic: How Lee is embracing the idea of “Backslash Forward” by celebrating the past and embracing the future of distanceClick here to listen to the podcast!

Thursday, December 1st, 2022

December 2022: Don’t miss Episode 3 of the Distance Learning Roundtable starring Dr. Jennie Sanders, Vice President of Faculty Experience and Academic Services at Western Governors University

December 2022: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Meet our guest: Dr. Jennie Sanders, Vice President of Faculty Experience and Academic Services at Western Governors University based in Salt Lake City, Utah Today’s Topic: How Western Governors University was ahead of the PandemicClick here to listen to the podcast!

Tuesday, November 1st, 2022

November 2022: On Episode 2 of the Distance Learning Roundtable meet Elliott Masie, the man who coined the phrase e-Learning

November 2022: A Note from USDLA executive director Pat Cassella and Edu Alliance Group exec Dean Hoke — We invite you to tune in for this month’s episode of our podcast and video show, Distance Learning Roundtable, where for 30 minutes, we gain insights from industry experts. Hello and welcome to the November episode of our monthly podcast and video show starring Elliott Masie, the founder of MASIE Innovations. Based in Saratoga Springs, NY, Elliott focused on how organizations can support learning and knowledgeClick here to listen to the podcast!

Saturday, October 1st, 2022

October 2022: Check out Episode 1 of the newest Inkandescent Radio Show — Distance Learning Roundtable, where experts gather to discuss the future of online education

October 2022: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, producer, Inkandescent Radio — Hello and welcome to the first episode of the Distance Learning Roundtable show on the Inkandescent Radio Network. As the show’s producer, I am thrilled to introduce you to the hosts of our newest program — Distance Learning Roundtable, the podcast and video show where experts gather to discuss the future of online education. Today you will meet the show’s hosts: Pat Cassella, the executive director of the United StatesClick here to listen to the podcast!