

The EdUp Experience
YOUR Higher Education Podcast
We welcome YOU to America’s leading higher education podcast! Hosted by Dr. Joe Sallustio, whose down-to-Earth approach & industry experience helps to make dry & complicated educational topics more fun & engaging to discuss. Elvin Freytes, Producer, brings YOU the most innovative leaders in higher education to the microphone. The EdUp Experience team brings over 40 years of experience in higher education - YOU will feel refreshed, upskilled, & reskilled after listening to this podcast.
LEARN MORE:
edupexperience.com
We make education YOUR business!
LEARN MORE:
edupexperience.com
We make education YOUR business!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 19, 2026 • 53min
They Called It High School With Cigarettes. Now It's Training America's Workforce - with Dr. Bonny Ball Copenhaver, President, New River Community & Technical College
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Bonny Ball Copenhaver, President, New River Community & Technical CollegeIn this episode, President Series #458, powered by Ellucian, sponsored by the ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, the HigherEd PodCon II happening July 16 & 17, & the 2026 AcOps Conference July 29-31 by CoursedogYOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does a West Virginia community college serving 10 counties in coal field Appalachia retrain workers, combat generational cultural barriers to education & address the highest substance use disorder rates in the nation?Why must community colleges stop being the best kept secret & fight against being dismissed as high school with cigarettes or 13th grade when they're the driving economic force training technical workers America desperately needs?What makes AI implementation require freeing employees from manual processes for more face to face student contact while teaching students to use AI to help their thinking not replace their thinking?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? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!

Mar 18, 2026 • 48min
This University Ditched 'Admissions' From Their Website & Enrollment Soared - with Dr. Kathy Humphrey, President, Carlow University
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Kathy Humphrey, President, Carlow UniversityIn this episode, President Series #457, powered by Ellucian, sponsored by the ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, the HigherEd PodCon II happening July 16 & 17, & the 2026 AcOps Conference July 29-31 by CoursedogYOUR cohost is Bridget Moran, Senior Content Marketing Manager, CoursedogYOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does a 95 year old Catholic university founded by 5 Sisters of Mercy from Ireland continue serving those who wouldn't have opportunities through values driven education?Why does Carlow's website replace typical silos with healing, expression, discovery, leadership & service to speak directly to student interests?What makes AI readiness require campus wide integration from chatbots to finance while using AI like a presidential chief of staff to do more with existing people?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? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!

Mar 17, 2026 • 49min
Don't Know What Job You'll Have in 10 Years? Congratulations, Get a Liberal Arts Degree! - with Andrea Talentino, President, Augustana College
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Andrea Talentino, President, Augustana CollegeIn this episode, President Series #456, powered by Ellucian, sponsored by the ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, the HigherEd PodCon II happening July 16 & 17, & the 2026 AcOps Conference July 29-31 by CoursedogYOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does a 165 year old top 100 liberal arts college with 2,500 students in the Quad Cities produce 2 Nobel laureates & an NFL MVP while proving ROI isn't about the first job but 40 years of career adaptability?Why are employers demanding the exact power skills that liberal arts teach like critical thinking, creativity & adaptability while higher ed debates ditching liberal arts programs?What makes liberal arts the perfect preparation when we don't know what jobs will exist in 10 years because students learn how to learn rather than training for 1 specific role?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? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!

Mar 15, 2026 • 49min
What Happens When You Require Career Readiness for Credit? - with Dr. Richanne Mankey, President, Defiance College
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Richanne Mankey, President, Defiance CollegeIn this episode, President Series #455, powered by Ellucian, sponsored by the ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, the HigherEd PodCon II happening July 16 & 17, & the 2026 AcOps Conference July 29-31 by CoursedogYOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does a 175 year old Ohio college increase first year enrollment by 80% through Jacket Journey, a nationally unique required for credit career readiness program co designed with Fortune 500 employers?Why does the 1850 Promise program serve 11 contiguous counties offering free tuition to commuting students with 3.0 GPAs who qualify for Ohio Collegiate Opportunity Grant?What makes transformative learning the institutional why when faculty, staff & coaches reach inside students to pull out potential they can't see while integrating workforce skills into liberal arts education?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? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!

Mar 13, 2026 • 17min
LIVE from the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference - with Mark Milliron, President, National University
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Mark Milliron, President, National UniversityIn this episode, recorded Live from the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does a 50,000 student nonprofit serve "ANDers", students who are also parents, employed & deployed, through 4 week single courses, a 1 to 1 Oxford graduate model & world class student experiences?Why do 70% of prospective students now go straight to AI summaries never clicking links requiring institutions to have authentic real content that surfaces before anyone searches?What makes the goal not to be big but to be great by clearing nonsense from pathways so hard working Anders can finish strong & launch effectively into careers?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? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!

Mar 12, 2026 • 55min
The Divot in the Stone: Why This University President Looks Down Before Leading Up - Dr. Chuck Seifert, President, Siena University
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Chuck Seifert, President, Siena UniversityIn this episode, President Series #454, powered by Ellucian, sponsored by the ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, the HigherEd PodCon II happening July 16 & 17, & the 2026 AcOps Conference July 29-31 by CoursedogYOUR cohost is Page Keller, VP of Academic Relations, KnackYOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow did Siena University successfully transition from a college to a university after 87 years, maintaining its commitment to personalized student experiences & servant leadership while expanding graduate programs & becoming the #1 school in New York State for job placement after graduation 3 years in a row?How is Siena preparing students for the future by ensuring that 40% of current students are enrolled in majors that didn't exist just 10 years ago, while integrating AI literacy & ethical technology use into the curriculum to meet evolving workforce demands?How does Siena's approach to collaboration over competition among higher education institutions, combined with its focus on student outcomes, family centered culture, & adaptability to changing demographics & economic realities, position the university to thrive through the challenges facing higher ed today?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? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!

Mar 11, 2026 • 51min
How to Build Workforce Pathways That Actually Lead to Jobs - with Dr. Stephanie Fujii, President, Arapaho Community College
Dr. Stephanie Fujii, president of a suburban community college focused on workforce partnerships and student success with 30+ years in community college leadership. She discusses suburban growth and enrollment resilience. She outlines aligning programs to livable-wage outcomes and building K–12 and industry pipelines. She critiques regulatory burdens on short-term Pell and highlights community college impact.

Mar 10, 2026 • 52min
If Strategic Plans Ignore Employee Health, Are They Even Strategic? - with Dr. Kyle Dalpe, President, Western Nevada College
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Kyle Dalpe, President, Western Nevada CollegeIn this episode, President Series #452, powered by Ellucian, sponsored by the ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, the HigherEd PodCon II happening July 16 & 17, & the 2026 AcOps Conference July 29-31 by Coursedog YOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does a rural community college with 3 campuses across 6 counties serve 4k students with 160 full time employees while building enrollment & infrastructure?Why does employee wellbeing need to be central to strategic planning where leadership balance & support flows down to create student success?What drives a college president with 30 years in higher ed to become a certified yoga instructor as a model for lifelong learning & authentic campus culture?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? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!

Mar 8, 2026 • 18min
LIVE from the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference - with LIVE from the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference - with Alex Minot, Client Partner, Snapchat
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Alex Minot, Client Partner, SnapchatIn this episode, recorded Live from the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does Snapchat reach 9 out of 10 13 to 24 year olds while 1 in 3 users are now over 35 making it the only platform that can target under 18 for undergraduate enrollment?Why do lead generation forms that auto fill within the app create frictionless conversions when users never leave the platform to submit their information?Why are schools driving undergraduate enrollment at costs less than other social platforms while reaching audiences they're not getting anywhere else?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? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!

Mar 7, 2026 • 52min
Maybe We Should Stop Competing & Start Collaborating - with Deborah E. Preston, President, Mercer County Community College
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Deborah E. Preston, President, Mercer County Community CollegeIn this episode, President Series #451, powered by Ellucian, & sponsored by the ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the HigherEd PodCon II happening July 16 & 17YOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does a 6,000 student New Jersey college serve 2 different populations across West Windsor near Princeton & economically depressed downtown Trenton?Why are 5 Mercer County colleges finally collaborating to create pathways from workforce training to Princeton PhD instead of competing?What makes AI frustrating when everyone says streamline operations but nobody explains which program, what prompt or how to implement it?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? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!


