In this episode of Telling Our Story, Leticia chats with five guests from California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). They share the story behind the Computing Talent Initiative and CSin3, a collaborative cohort program with Hartnell College that allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science in three years. The initiative focuses on preparing students for high-tech careers through a shared learning model.

Guests include:

• Vanya Quiñones, president, CSUMB
• Sathya Narayanan, professor, School of Computing and Design, CSUMB
• Leslie Maxwell, associate director, Computing Talent Initiative, CSUMB
• Noe Lomeli, CSUMB alumnus and co-founder and software engineer, Nurbli
• Benito Sanchez, CSUMB alumnus and founder and software engineer, Nurbli

Read more about CSin3: www.computingtalentinitiative.org/csin3 

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In this episode of Telling Our Story, Leticia chats with five guests from Lehman College in the Bronx, New York. They share the story behind the institution’s Credit for Prior Learning initiative, which allows students to earn elective credits through various approved programs. The initiative aims to boost graduation rates by addressing issues such as unmet liberal arts credit requirements and delayed credit transfers, especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Guests include:

• Fernando Delgado, president
• Richard Finger, vice president, enrollment management
• Alisa Cooper-Spain, coordinator, Credit for Prior Learning
• Luis Mendez, alumnus
• Viridiana Coyt, alumna

Read Lehman College’s Promising Practice article: www.aascutellingourstory.org/promising-practice/accelerating-graduation-with-expanded-credit-initiative 

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In this episode of Telling Our Story, Leticia chats with three guests from California State University, Stanislaus, also known as Stan State. They share the story behind Project Rebound, a longstanding initiative that offers special services and support for formerly incarcerated individuals as they pursue postsecondary education opportunities.

Guests include:

• Britt Rios-Ellis, president
• Jennifer Sturtevant, associate vice president of coordinated access, retention, and equity services
• Cervando Avalos, current student and student employee in the Project Rebound office

Read Stan State’s Promising Practice article here: www.aascutellingourstory.org/promising-practice/creating-a-revolving-door-of-opportunity 

This episode was recorded in April, which is Second Chance Month, a nationally recognized initiative that focuses on supporting individuals returning to their communities after incarceration.

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In this bonus episode of Telling Our Story, Leticia chats with three presidents from Mexican postsecondary institutions. Together, they discuss the importance of binational higher education collaborations between Mexico and the U.S., the mutual benefits of those collaborations for students and communities in both countries, and promising practices that Mexican institutions are implementing that increase access to postsecondary education and enhance workforce development. The session was recorded at AASCU’s 2024 Annual Conference for Presidents and Chancellors in Puerto Rico.

Guests include:

• Arturo Cherbowski Lask, director of Universia México and executive director of Santander Universidades
• Luis Enrique Palafox Maestre, president of Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
• Martha Aguilar Trejo, president of la Universidad de Celaya

This is an English translation of our recent Spanish-language episode, "Superando Barreras en la Educación Superior más allá de las Fronteras."

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En este episodio de Telling Our Story, Leticia conversa con tres líderes de educación superior en México. Juntos, discuten la importancia de las colaboraciones binacionales en educación universitaria entre México y los Estados Unidos, los beneficios mutuos de estas colaboraciones tanto para los estudiantes y para las comunidades en ambos países, así como las prácticas prometedoras que las instituciones mexicanas están implementando para aumentar el acceso a la educación superior y mejorar el desarrollo de la fuerza laboral. La sesión fue grabada en Puerto Rico durante la Conferencia Anual 2024 de AASCU para rectores y directores de sistemas universitarios.

Los líderes incluyen:

• Arturo Cherbowski Lask, director de Universia México y director ejecutivo de Santander Universidades
• Luis Enrique Palafox Maestre, rector de la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
• Martha Aguilar Trejo, rectora de la Universidad de Celaya

This discussion is entirely in Spanish. To download a transcript of the episode
in English, visit www.aascutellingourstory.org/podcast-2. 

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In this bonus episode of Telling Our Story, we share a portion of the opening plenary of the AASCU 2024 Annual Conference for Presidents and Chancellors in Puerto Rico, Nov. 16–19. The session, occurring on Sunday, Nov. 18, highlighted the unique challenges presidents and chancellors of regional public colleges and universities face as they lead transformation on their campuses. It followed an address from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

Panelists included:

• Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, chancellor, City University of New York system (session moderator)
• Mildred Garcia, chancellor, The California State University system
• John B. King Jr., chancellor, State University of New York system
• Brian McCall, chancellor, Texas State University System

Keep an eye out for key AASCU events throughout 2025 at www.aascu.org/events. 

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In this episode of Telling Our Story, Leticia chats with three guests from Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. They share how ECSU overcame declining enrollment and the threat of shutting down a decade ago, on its way to being recognized in Third Way's Economic Mobility Index as one of the most outstanding historically black universities in the country.

Guests include:

• Farrah J. Ward, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs
• Dana Poole, executive director of the Office of Student Success and Retention
• Omar Richardson, alumnus (2023, aviation science) and current graduate student

Read ECSU’s Promising Practice article here: www.aascutellingourstory.org/promising-practice/reviving-enrollment-and-ensuring-stability-through-bold-planning

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In this episode of Telling Our Story, Leticia chats with three outstanding guests from Central Connecticut State University about its Success Central program, an innovative peer-coaching initiative that’s helped students achieve academic and personal success for 10 years running.

Guests include:

• Zulma R. Toro, president, Central Connecticut State University 
• Reginald Simmons, professor and chair, Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, and supervisor, Success Central, Central Connecticut State University
• Tori Wallington, student, former mentee, mentor, and now mentor coordinator, Success Central, Central Connecticut State University

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In this episode of Telling Our Story, Leticia chats with two leaders from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore about the institution’s Men of Color in Education program. The program seeks to attract, retain, and form a community for male educators of color, who comprise 2% of the U.S. public school teaching workforce.

Guests include:

• Richard H. Warren Jr., Richard F. Hazel professor of education and director of the Men of Color in Education program, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
• Todd Nock, financial aid counselor, University of Maryland Eastern Shore; former North Dorchester High School teacher under the Men of Color in Education program; current mayor, Pocomoke City, Maryland

Contact Richard H. Warren Jr. at [email protected].

View the UMES Promising Practices article and video here.

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In this episode of Telling Our Story, host Leticia Maldonado chats with leaders from Colorado State University Pueblo about the institution’s University Track Centers, how they’re helping to promote postsecondary culture, create pathways for underrepresented students to pursue higher education, and much more.

Guests include:

• Timothy Mottet, president, CSU Pueblo
• Kristyn White Davis, vice president for enrollment management and extended studies, CSU Pueblo
• Mikayla Lerch, alumna and current admissions counselor, CSU Pueblo

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Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay