Welcome to Episode 150 of the Think UDL podcast: Programmatic UDL in Professional Studies with Erin Lewis. Dr. Erin Lewis is the Director of Professional Studies at Appalachian State University and a trusted colleague on our newly opened Hickory campus. She is also one of the only women I actually feel short around since she and I are right around 6 feet tall and she can still rock the high heels that i gave up on in my youth! For that, and for many other ways she is a dynamo on our campus and for our university, she has attained hero status in my eyes. The professional Studies major is available to all students (traditional and non-traditional, in-person and online) at App State in Boone, Hickory and online. In this episode we will discuss the ways that this major and program have adopted many UDL design aspects to lower barriers for students both on the macro level to degree completion, and in the micro level in some of the courses that comprise the major. It is a discussion of how a university can lower barriers to learning without reducing rigor and by providing a path for learner agency to degree completion and student success. I think you’ll really enjoy listening to the success stories at the end of our discussion as well!