The Education Beyond Degrees Podcast
The Education Beyond Degrees Podcast
Meni Sarris
The Education Beyond Degrees Podcast features Meni Sarris, founder of The Spur Group discussing the people, trends and ideas that are shaping the continuing education industry.
S2E8: The State of Education and Generative AI
In this season finale episode, we speak with Dr. Asim Ali of Auburn University, to talk about the constantly-changing higher education and continuing ed environment and the impact generative AI will have to students, faculty, and administrators. Dr. Ali leads an amazing team as the Executive Director of the Biggio Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning. His degrees in software engineering, information systems management, and adult education have made him a great person to lead the charge in discussing generative AI in education and its future uses.   This episode will bring Education Beyond Degree Podcast season 2 to an end! But don’t worry, we will be back later this year with new episodes and we will pop in to add some new research, findings, and updates before then. So come and join us for this dive into generative AI in education with Dr. Asim Ali.
Mar 25, 2024
36 min
S2E6: Continuing Education, Higher Education and the Future of Education
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Peter Bahr of the University of Michigan, discuss the cross-section of higher education and serving our communities through various programs, including Continuing Education. As an Associate Professor of the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education. His research focuses on the role of colleges and universities in creating and advancing educational and economic opportunities for individuals who are facing the greatest obstacles.   An Education Beyond Degree Podcast first, we discuss faculty’s role in the “non-traditional” space and how we serve our communities. Come and join us for this dive into academia with Dr. Peter Bahr!
Feb 22, 2024
37 min
S2E5: Making Career Services a Prominent Resource on your Campus
Dive into the latest episode as we sit down with the incredible Dr. Carey Monroe, our go-to expert in the world of career services for Higher Ed and Continuing and Professional Education. With a wealth of experience as a former Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing, Dr. Monroe unravels the intricacies of the entire student journey, emphasizing the significance of every step beyond just the marketing stage. Join us as Dr. Monroe shares her invaluable insights on the podcast, shedding light on the pivotal role of assisting students early in their educational journey to navigate their future. Discover the cutting-edge technologies that can revolutionize our approach, making our work not just easier but more impactful. Tune in now and let Dr. Monroe guide you through the essential nuances of shaping the educational path! 
Jan 29, 2024
31 min
S2E4: LIVE at MEMS23 - Small Team or No Team? Learn to Create Team Efficiencies and CRM Automations
In this episode, Clare Van Ness, Dean of Professional and Continuing Education at California State University, Chico and Meni go LIVE at the UPCEA Marketing, Enrollment Management, and Student Success conference to discuss how to successfully turn a small marketing team into a future powerhouse using process workflows and CRM automations.
Dec 11, 2023
31 min
S2E3: Marketing and Recruitment Strategies in Education with Dr. Amanda Holdsworth
In this episode, we spoke to Dr. Amanda Holdsworth, a 22+ year superstar in marketing and recruitment for all levels of education about what it takes for educational institutions to be successful in their marketing. Dr. Holdsworth's researched-backed strategies have proven to be immensely successful around the world and she continues to innovate in all areas of marketing. Dr. Holdsworth is a former assistant professor of PR and marketing in Canada and the U.S., and her post-doc research in organizational culture, burnout and employee engagement has been featured in multiple global publications.
Nov 27, 2023
37 min
S2E2: Badges, Micro-credentials, and Alternative Revenue Sources with Kim McNutt
In this episode, we spoke to California State University, Dominguez Hill's Dean of the College of Continuing and Professional Education. Kim pioneered the adoption of alternative credentials and digital badges for learners, enabling them easily share skills and competencies with employers and add them to their lifelong digital backpacks as a Comprehensive Lifelong Learner Record (CLLR). Kim is a 1st generation college graduate. This drives his passion to expand access to underserved populations, including adult, returning and non-traditional learners. Over a 30-year career, he has worked for public and private universities, all in the professional, online and continuing education domain.
Nov 13, 2023
40 min
S2E1: The Evolving World of Continuing and Higher Education with Dr. Melissa Lubin
Today we spoke to University of Virginia's Dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Dr. Melissa Lubin. At UVA, she oversees a continuum of learning that serves the workforce development needs of adult learners, including the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Bachelor of Professional and Healthcare Management degree completion programs; Master of Public Safety degree; Online and off-Grounds graduate, undergraduate and non-credit certificate programs and customized training and educational programming for Business, Government and Education. Melissa serves as a university champion for linking the needs of business, government, community and education through expanding collaboration and public-private partnerships. She is a “practitioner-scholar” who infuses an entrepreneurial spirit to her work in the academy. On Episode 1 of Season 2 of the Education Beyond Degrees Podcast 🚀, you'll in Continuing and Professional Education: ✅ We can work with anyone on campus.✅ We can build programs with any on-campus partner.✅ We are the place to go when the institution doesn’t know how or where to innovate.
Oct 30, 2023
24 min
10: Trailer for Season 2 of the Education Beyond Degrees podcast
After a busy year with Spur (see https://spur.group/tg/ for more info), the Education Beyond Degrees podcast is back with Season 2! This season, we are excited to bring more friends and colleagues on to talk about Continuing Education and the higher ed space in general. We are also bringing in others who support our organizations with their perspectives on the work we do and how to take it to the next level. Join us as we chat with... ⭐  Dr. Melissa Lubin talks about the changing landscape of higher education and how CE plays an integral role; ⭐ Kim McNutt dives deep into badges and micro-credentials while sharing a unique method of revenue generation at CSUDH; ⭐ Dr. Amanda Holdsworth about how marketing, recruitment, and storytelling is changing and how we need to prepare our programs; And more this season!  New episodes will come out every other week so make sure to follow on anywhere you find your podcasts. Follow Meni on LinkedIn here: www.linkedin.com/in/menisarris or stay in touch on our website: https://spur.group
Oct 13, 2023
1 min
09: How to Deploy a Successful Organizational Structure in Higher Education with Jarrod Shappell
Today we spoke to Navalent’s Jarrod Shappell. As a Partner at the organizational and leadership development consulting firm, he has done dozens of organizational development projects — and between the two of us, we didn’t hold back on talking details. On Episode 09 of The Education Beyond Degrees Podcast 🚀, you'll learn all about: Why there’s a giant elephant in the room with any organizational design — people fearing they’ll be losing their jobs — and why that’s misplaced How to avoid designing around individual people by mapping to the categories of work you’re accountable for Specific case studies in organizational development from Jarrod and Meni How to ensure the ongoing, long-term success of a newly reorganized team
May 27, 2021
37 min
08: Reflecting Your Community In Your Continuing Education Portfolio with Melissa Peraino
On today's episode, I had the pleasure of being joined by Melissa Peraino is Director of Educational Outreach within the Center for Adult and Continuing Studies at Grand Valley State University. On this episode, you’ll learn: How a more thoughtful approach to programming —  not quickly rushing into where the demand is — has worked out really well for Grand Valley State. Why your continuing education portfolio should be in near “constant flux” (unlike the rest of the institution, which was designed to be slow and incremental). Why so many learners have struggled during COVID without support and how CE can fill in the gaps. How to meet the needs of the community while balancing the comfort level at the institution for change. Follow Meni on LinkedIn or stay in touch at spurcg.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter to get alerts about new episodes.
May 19, 2021
32 min
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