

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 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!

Mar 6, 2026 • 1h 1min
This Is What Happens When a College Actually Believes in Its Students - with Dr. Chris Domes, President, Neumann University
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Chris Domes, President, Neumann UniversityIn this episode, President Series #450, powered by Ellucian, & sponsored by the ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the HigherEd PodCon II happening July 16 & 17YOUR cohost is Brent Ramdin, CEO, EducationDynamicsYOUR host is Elvin FreytesHow does a Nashville university with 12 colleges & 9k students achieve highest enrollment ever with applications up 20% while hosting Dolly Parton musicals & American Idol filming?Why does focusing on jobs that will exist in 2040 not 1995 require intrinsic partnerships where nursing students get into clinics in year 1 not year 3 & industry learns advances from academia?What makes the future learner range from 12 to 75 not 18 to 22 requiring certificate programs, subscription models & partnerships between universities & community colleges for film industry workforce?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 5, 2026 • 44min
How to Improve Student Experience & Cut Costs at the Same Time - with Shadi Figuli, CEO & Co-Founder, & Aaron P
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Shadi Figuli, CEO & Co-Founder, & Aaron Paxton, Co-Founder, NemonxIn this episode, 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 do 2 higher ed veterans with 20 plus years of combined experience in operations, admissions & regulatory compliance create a platform that improves institutional efficiency while enhancing student experience?What happens when you bridge the communication gaps between departments & create better data collection systems that help institutions operate smarter, save money & support staff more effectively?How does a platform built by higher ed professionals for higher ed make career outcomes measurable & reportable, giving career services teams visibility into what's working while helping students achieve better post graduation success?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 4, 2026 • 37min
Why Does This German University Stop Classes Every Term for Industry Week? - with Professor Dr. Ramon O’Callaghan, President, Gisma University of Applied Sciences
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Professor Dr. Ramon O’Callaghan, President, Gisma University of Applied SciencesIn this episode, President Series #449, powered by Ellucian, & part of our EdUp Innovators Series, sponsored by MindBank AIYOUR cohost is Thomas Fetsch, CEO, Integrity4EducationYOUR host is Elvin FreytesHow does a 5 year old German private university scale to 3k students from 100 countries by combining business & computer science with required industry faculty experience?Why does Gisma dedicate 1 week every term to Industry Week where companies present real challenges & students solve actual business problems through hackathons?What makes scaling from startup to 3k students require digital infrastructure while maintaining human connection that technology cannot replace in 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 3, 2026 • 39min
From 11,000 to 32,000 Applicants: How a 256 Year Old University Tripled Demand - with Andrew Hsu, President, College of Charleston
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Andrew Hsu, President, College of CharlestonIn this episode, President Series #448, powered by Ellucian, & sponsored by the ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the HigherEd PodCon II happening July 16 & 17YOUR cohost is Samyr Qureshi, Executive Chairman, KnackYOUR host is Elvin FreytesHow does a 256 year old public university grow from 11,000 to 32,000 applicants, launch doctoral programs, & achieve record enrollment by focusing on undergraduate education & student success in a city where Boeing, Volvo & the hospitality industry create the perfect real world lab?What happens when you spend an entire academic year developing a strategic plan with campus wide buy in, use it like a GPS to stay on course, & find your niche instead of trying to be everything to everyone?How does an AI integrated campus become the first in the country to close an AI developed donation, train faculty to incorporate AI into curriculum, & prepare students for future workforce needs through intentional AI as its 10 year Quality Enhancement Program?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 2, 2026 • 53min
Talent Is Universal. Opportunity Is Not. (This College Fixes That) - with Madeline Pumariega, President, Miami Dade College
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Madeline Pumariega, President, Miami Dade CollegeIn this episode, President Series #447, powered by Ellucian, & sponsored by the ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the HigherEdPodCon II happening July 16 & 17YOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does democracy's college serve 125k students across 8 campuses with 2.5 million alumni by removing every point of friction to create belonging?Why does turf, tradition & trust create change when confronting turf protectors, respecting tradition while challenging it & building trust through transparency stops creative narratives?What makes students need 3 skill sets including academic foundations, work based learning employability skills & digital skills with AI, cybersecurity & ethical use?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!

Feb 24, 2026 • 41min
Why Your Campus & Online Programs Are Dying Because They Don't Talk to Each Other - with Dr. Evan Kropp, Executive Director, College of Journalism & Communications, University of Florida
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Evan Kropp, Executive Director, College of Journalism & Communications, University of FloridaIn this episode, brought to you by Career-Bond,YOUR co-host is Darius Goldman, Founder & CEO, Career-BondYOUR host is Elvin Freytes Why is hybrid learning where students choose to attend in person, watch recordings, or go fully online the real solution to declining enrollment instead of running separate campus & online operations?How does holistic admissions with unlimited digital seats let University of Florida see real potential beyond GPA cutlines & give opportunities to students traditional programs would reject?What's missing when universities train professors to be researchers instead of teachers, leaving them without fundamental knowledge about how people actually learn & how to design effective classes?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!

Feb 23, 2026 • 52min
This HBCU Teaches Students to CREATE Jobs, Not Find Them (Here's How) - with Dr. Aminta H. Breaux, President, Bowie State University
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Dr. Aminta H. Breaux, President, Bowie State UniversityIn this episode, President Series #446, powered by Ellucian, & sponsored by the ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22 YOUR cohost is Dr. Jodi Blinco, Vice President for Enrollment Management Consulting, EducationDynamicsYOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does Maryland's oldest HBCU founded in 1865 serve 6k students through 65 programs with employer partnerships from Oregon to Texas?Why does Bowie State's location near DC & Baltimore enable experiential education while the Entrepreneurship Innovation Center prepares students to create not just find opportunities?What makes AI system transitions require over 1 year while demanding celebration & recognition of faculty & staff who stayed through the change?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!

Feb 19, 2026 • 22min
LIVE from InsightsEDU 2026 - w/ Karolyn Pearson, Sr. Exec. VP, Operations, EducationDynamics, Matt Harris Sr. Dir. of Comms, & Scott Bacon, Sr. VP, External Affairs, Jacksonville University
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Karolyn Pearson, Senior Executive Vice President Operations, EducationDynamics, Matt Harris, Sr. Director of Communications, & Scott Bacon, Senior Vice President for External Affairs, Jacksonville UniversityIn this episode, recorded Live from the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR host is Dr. Joe SallustioHow does AI create feedback loops for crisis comms by writing coverage in both positive & negative light to prepare for multiple scenarios?Why use AI as thought partner to craft narratives around financial challenges when media members are using AI too?What makes strategic PR shift narrative from lazy financial challenge coverage to addressing workforce needs with Mayo Clinic & Baptist Health 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? Become an #EdUp Premium Member today!

Feb 18, 2026 • 21min
LIVE from the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference - with David A. Armstrong, President, St. Thomas University
It's YOUR time to #EdUp with David A. Armstrong, President, St. Thomas 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 Catholic university serving 75% students of color, 61% Pell & 47% first gen grow from 3,800 to 8,700 students while building the largest JD program in Florida?Why do the 4 most impactful words yes, no, can, can't determine if you keep admissions counselors when walking into financially failing institutions?What makes the poverty pie require presidents to take control of every penny until revenue momentum starts when you can't cut your way to prosperity?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!


