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The Rant PodcastAuthor: Eloy Ortiz Oakley
A bi-weekly podcast focused on pulling back the curtain on the American higher education system and breaking down the people, the policies and the politics. The podcast host, Eloy Ortiz Oakley, is a known innovator and leader in higher education. The podcast will not pull any punches as it delves into tough questions about the culture, politics and policies of our higher education system. Language: en-us Genres: Education, News, News Commentary Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Embracing Innovation with Anne Kress
Episode 13
Tuesday, 14 April, 2026
Send us Fan MailThe fastest changes in higher education are hitting the students with the least margin for error and community colleges are the ones standing in the middle of it. I sit down with Dr Anne Kress, President of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), to get specific about what student success looks like when you serve 76,000 learners across six campuses, including thousands of high school dual enrollment students and working adults balancing jobs, childcare, and long commutes.We dig into the hard question families keep asking: is college worth it? Anne explains how community colleges can earn trust through higher education accountability, clear return on investment (ROI), and transparent outcomes like transfer savings and wage gains. We also unpack the confusing credential economy and what “market value credentials” should actually mean: industry-recognized credentials tied to real hiring demand, tracked results, and stackable pathways that turn short-term training into college credit so there is no wrong door.Then we move into generative AI in education and the AI-powered economy growing around Northern Virginia’s data centers. Anne makes the case that students do not always need an AI degree, but they do need AI skill sets inside programs like healthcare, cybersecurity, skilled trades, and IT. On the operations side, we talk about using data and AI to deliver a more personalized learning experience, from smarter transcript evaluation to coaching and career support that helps students stay on track and finish.If you care about community college leadership, workforce credentials, transfer pathways, and AI for student success, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.eloy@4leggedmedia.com
