LIVE from EdTech Week 2024 - Leveraging a Network Approach to Expand Academic Offerings

About the Episode: 

In this special episode recorded live at EdTech Week 2024 in New York City, Kevin Harrington from Rize Education discusses the evolution of higher education, emphasizing the importance of collaboration among institutions, the integration of AI in curricula, and the need to adapt to changing student demands. He shares insights on how Rize Education aims to provide a high-quality educational experience while addressing the challenges faced by smaller regional colleges. The discussion highlights the significance of networking at events like EdTech Week and the potential for innovative partnerships to enhance educational offerings.

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Key Takeaways

• Rize Education focuses on empowering smaller regional colleges through shared academic programs.
• The platform helps institutions lower costs and expand course offerings in high-demand fields.
• Rize’s approach supports institutions in addressing challenges like transfer credits and scaling new programs, such as AI literacy.
• Collaboration between institutions is essential to thriving in today’s higher education landscape.
• Events like EdTech Week provide vital opportunities for networking, partnerships, and innovation in education.

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Episode Summary

What is Rize Education and how did it begin?
Kevin Harrington, co-founder of Rise Education, shares the origin story of the company, which started in collaboration with Adrian College, a small liberal arts college in Michigan. He and his co-founder were inspired to help smaller institutions by improving access to academic programs, lowering costs, and expanding opportunities for students in key fields like business, healthcare, and technology. Their core vision has remained consistent, even as the methods and details have evolved. At the heart of their mission is helping smaller colleges stay competitive by sharing resources and creating innovative academic programming.

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How does Rize address the challenges faced by smaller colleges?
Rize Education is tackling a major issue faced by smaller regional colleges—offering relevant, in-demand courses without the resources of larger institutions. By pooling students into shared online classes, Rise allows these schools to offer competitive programs in high-demand areas like AI and business without the need for massive investments in new faculty or infrastructure. The cost of delivering these programs is reduced with each institution that joins, and this collaborative model enables even the smallest colleges to offer a breadth of career-oriented courses on par with larger universities.

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How does Rize solve the problem of transfer credits and student mobility?
Kevin highlights that Rize helps simplify the transfer process by creating programs that are shared across multiple institutions. This eliminates the traditional transfer credit headache, as students can move between institutions seamlessly while still gaining access to the same high-quality courses. Furthermore, Rize's model makes it easier for students who want to stay close to home or remain involved in their local communities while pursuing a degree in fields that may not have been available at their home institution. This flexibility provides students with the “best of both worlds”—a residential campus experience combined with access to specialized courses.

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What role does technology, particularly AI, play in Rize's offerings?
AI is a rapidly emerging field that many colleges struggle to address due to the high costs of hiring specialized faculty and developing curriculum. Rize Education has stepped in by collaborating with top AI experts to create a centralized AI literacy curriculum. This curriculum is shared across 20 colleges, providing students with affordable access to courses that will equip them with essential AI skills. This partnership also allows schools to stay current with advancements in the field while offering students valuable opportunities that would be otherwise inaccessible in smaller, more rural institutions.

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Why is collaboration key in higher education, and how does Rize foster it?
Kevin emphasizes the importance of collaboration in higher education, particularly for smaller institutions that can benefit from pooled resources. Rize Education’s platform is built on this idea—colleges can share academic programs, lower costs, and ensure they remain relevant in an increasingly competitive landscape. Events like EdTech Week provide an excellent opportunity to meet new partners, build relationships, and discover innovative ways to support institutions and students alike. Kevin believes that the future of higher education lies in these collaborative efforts, which allow institutions to thrive rather than compete in isolation.

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About the Show: The Higher Ed Geek Podcast explores the impact of edtech on the student experience by speaking with diverse leaders from institutions, companies, and nonprofit organizations. Each week we aim to provide an engaging, fun, and relevant dose of professional development that honors the wide range of work happening all across the higher ed ecosystem. Come geek out with us! The Higher Ed Geek Podcast is hosted by Dustin Ramsdell and is a proud member of the Enrollify Podcast Network.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell‍

https://twitter.com/HigherEd_Geek

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About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Some of our favorites include Generation AI and  I Wanna Work There. 

Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

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