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			<title>From The Desk of Fred, Week of January 5 2026</title>
			<link>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2026&amp;amp;month=01&amp;amp;day=09&amp;amp;id=14:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-january-5-2026</link>
			<guid>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2026&amp;amp;month=01&amp;amp;day=09&amp;amp;id=14:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-january-5-2026</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Happy New Year! I share this greeting on behalf of the entire ITC Board of Directors AND your fellow ITC members! We are a community of Distance Learning and Ed Tech professionals and have a lot in common:

We recognize the importance of technology in higher education and see it as THE critical priority
Most of us had no real background in technology BUT gravitated to our current career track because of #1
We have chosen a career track with an insane workload – but we show up every day because of #1
We remain something of an enigma at our campuses – no one fully understands what we do
If asked, most of us would agree that we likely should have our heads examined – but we just don’t have the time to do so!

Said another way, misery love company – we have the opportunity to learn from each other – to help others when we can and to seek help when we need to. 
I encourage you in the New Year (2026) to reach out to the ITC community of professionals.  Take advantage of the various benefits of ITC membership; volunteer and become more involved in the ITC (yes, this sounds counter-intuitive as it would add to your workload BUT is can become an amazing learning and growth experience – and you can help others as well!!).  If you haven’t already, make this the year you attend the ITC National Conference (March 13-15 in Austin, Texas) and/or participate in the ITC Spring AI Summit (April) and/or the ITC National Leadership Academy (July in Eugene OR).  The resources and activities of the ITC are designed to help you – to prepare you for the tech-related changes ahead, to sharpen your leadership skills, enrich you through tailored professional development sessions and to engage with others (the ITC National AI Affinity Group) in helping our community colleges better understand and manage the AI juggernaut. You need this - - and we need you!
And again, Happy New Year!!
 Please let me know if you have any questions or I can be of any assistance.   flokken@tmcc.edu
Recommended Reading
A 4-Part Test For Teaching In An AI World, Inside Higher Ed
What knowledge do students need to have ready to access in their brains—and what knowledge can they store externally?
Where Are You On The Ed Tech Curve?, Campus Technology
Ed tech maturity models can help institutions map progress and make smarter tech decisions.
Newly Launched Agentic AI Foundation Brings Together Tech Giants For Open Source AI Development, Campus Technology
The Linux Foundation has announced the formation of the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF), bringing together Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and other major tech companies to advance open source development of autonomous AI systems.
13 Predictions About Ed Tech, Innovation and – yes  – AI in 2026, eCampus News
Higher education is balancing innovation with equity, student support, and pedagogical integrity as institutions reshape themselves for a new era of learning
Students Must Develop Durable Skills To Thrive In An AI-Dominated World, eCampus News
Durable skills are critical for success in college and beyond--and laying a strong foundation for these skills in K-12 learning is essential
AI In Higher Education:  A Guide For Teachers, EdTech Magazine
Discover how higher ed leaders are using AI in academia to boost engagement, efficiency and critical thinking.
Video Of The Week
How AI Is Reshaping College For Students And Professors, YouTube/PBS
As the technology improves, it's harder to distinguish from human work, and it’s shaking academia to its core.
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			<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2026 13:57:23 +0000</pubDate>
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			<title>From the Desk of Fred, Week of December 15 2026</title>
			<link>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=12&amp;amp;day=16&amp;amp;id=13:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-december-15-2026</link>
			<guid>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=12&amp;amp;day=16&amp;amp;id=13:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-december-15-2026</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[We have devoted a great deal of space to AI-related articles this past year.  AI is seemingly everywhere these days. Every week, we learn of a new application or adaptation of AI –and AI has been doing a lot of growing and becoming in the past year. AI is having a greater impact than ever – and is now coming to our online class LMS! I wanted to share a few recommendations to help you “move the needle” in addressing faculty/staff concerns as well as helping those learn how to effectively use AI.
AI Coming To Your LMS
There is an opinion piece this week that discusses the critical need to re-examine the traditional LMS in light of the arrival of AI. AI is – or at least should be – redefining what we teach and how we teach. This is true in the traditional classroom and needs to occur in the online classroom as well. I’d encourage checking out this article and then schedule a conversation with your LMS account representative to learn how your LMS is using/will be using AI and when these adaptations will occur. You need to plan and prepare – yes, your job and what you do is evolving as well. Ultimately, AI will help our faculty and instructional designers create ADA-compliant content, develop more engaging student material, provide assistance for your creation of content and for student projects and assignments, help create more complex course discussions, and will help faculty provide informed/detailed assessments of student work.  
Don’t Feel Like You Need To Do All Of This Alone
No one feels up to implementing AI – it is complex, complicated and evolving rapidly.  We are all digital immigrants in dealing with AI and will benefit from embracing a few key strategies:


 Join an organization that can help you. Luckily, you are a member of the ITC – we are an online learning/EdTech organization focused on community colleges. We offer regular AI webinar summits (the next one planned for April 2026), have a wonderful annual national conference – this year in Austin, Texas March 13-15 – which will have many sessions dealing with the topics of online learning and AI, have an AI affinity group with more than 30 members working on ways to help our members maximize the AI experience, and we also provide this weekly eNews digest/to share current information about topics like Distance Learning and AI. Tap into these resources to help to better understand these technologies as well as how to explore and implement them

Collaborate. Honesty, you can’t do this alone. Most campuses are lacking resources, and have colleagues with limited knowledge. By working with others (external to your campus), you can pool the talent you have and SHARE with each other. If you are not part of a system, you are a member of the ITC – let us know and we can connect you with a campus you can work with. 
Higher-level Collaboration.  As an example, my institution is part of a system – the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). We are a small system – just seven campuses – 3 universities and 4 community colleges. We reached out to the system office and now have a permanent committee representing all seven campuses. We are committed to working with each other and to SHARING.  Example:  my campus has now hosted two 3-day Professional Development AI summits; one last April and the most recent in October.  We included sessions from a few of our sister campuses as well as enlisting talent from within the ITC. Each summit featured 12 sessions – mostly webinars – but also a few in-person. We were able to register participants from the other six institutions – at no charge – to participate in our summits. We also recorded all sessions to create a stable of PD sessions that could be archived and accessed (hosted on our TMCC YouTube channel). 

 Please let me know if you have any questions or I can be of any assistance.   flokken@tmcc.edu
Recommended Reading
The LMS Is Dead; Long Live Online Teaching, Inside Higher Ed
Our online classes are built on outdated infrastructure.

How To Ensure Digital Accessibility In Online Learning, eCampus News
Online learning has become a central component of professional development, upskilling, and higher education, with 51 percent of professionals preferring part-time or online certifications for career changes. Yet, many online education programs still fail to meet basic accessibility standards, leaving many learners at a significant disadvantage.

Consensus Reached On Workforce Pell, Earnings Test Looms, Inside Higher Ed
The committee will now move on to how to hold all programs accountable, and ED officials say they plan to create a level playing field, hinting at an overhaul of gainful employment.

5 Essential Dimensions Of AI Literacy, eCampus News
The framework prioritizes the importance of human skills, including as critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence, and offers higher-ed institutions structured guidance around creating AI literacy approaches that will equip individuals with key foundational AI competencies and industry-specific applications.

7 In 10 Employers Have High Confidence In Higher Ed, Survey Finds, Education Dive
Seventy percent of employers nationwide said they have high confidence in higher education, according to a poll released Thursday from the American Association of Colleges and Universities and research firm Morning Consult. 

The Future Of Higher Ed:  Collaboration, Curiosity And Adopting A Lifelong Workforce Partner Identify, The Evolllution
Higher education stands at a defining moment—where the pace of technological advancement, shifting labor markets, and evolving learner expectations require institutions to rethink their role in society.. Today’s workforce needs continuous, flexible, relevant upskilling, and universities—especially continuing education units—are uniquely positioned to lead this transformation.
Video of the Week
Artificial Intelligence in 2025:  60 Minutes Full Episodes, You Tube
Compilation of AI Episodes Over The Past Year

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			<pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:03:09 +0000</pubDate>
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			<title>	From the Desk of Fred, Week of December 8, 2025</title>
			<link>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=12&amp;amp;day=10&amp;amp;id=12:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-december-8-2025</link>
			<guid>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=12&amp;amp;day=10&amp;amp;id=12:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-december-8-2025</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[‘Tis the Holiday Season – as your fall term rushes to the finish line, this is a great time of the year to let those you work with just how much you appreciate them! Certainly, you can do this anytime during the academic year, but the Holiday Season provides a wonderful backdrop to your efforts.
For years, our online program distributed an electronic greeting card at this time of year (usually a Jib-Jab primarily because it was fun-loving and we could include everyone from our department in the card. It can be a great way to express good wishes and appreciation to everyone you work with in a given year. There is a free version and also a subscription option.  Otherwise, there are also free ecard solutions to at least facilitate distribution.
If you have some time bandwidth, you can also create small candy presents to those you work with on campus. A small bag comprised of a few pieces of chocolates is always appreciated. My campus historically hosted an annual program called “random acts of chocolate.” It was coordinated by our PD office – you could identify up to 5 people you wanted to send a candy bar to ($1 per bar – it was a fundraiser for the PD office as well). They took care of the distribution and there was a label on the bar expressing appreciation and identifying the individual or department sending the candy. You could simply internalize this as a way to recognize those you work with/appreciate. We used the candy bars from Trader Joe’s (bundled in 3 bar packages)–very affordable Belgium chocolate. There are many options–and it is a very appreciated item.
I also like to bake–and have made homemade items to share. It is important to make a list of ingredients to be respectful of those with certain allergies. During the Holidays, I often make homemade “krumkake” (translates as “crumb cake” –a Norwegian “cookie.”  They also are very well-received and I have many that actually look forward to my sharing each year. When I first started at our campus, there was a colleague that made homemade rum balls–and would announce they were available. They would be gobbled up in minutes–and admittedly, they were extremely “flavorful” rum balls (read that as “a lot of rum in the recipe). The thing is, it was popular and really facilitated a culture of appreciation.
As is evident, this tends to be an “out of pocket” expense–but as an administrator–or colleague – you can manage the cost–and I encourage you to be creative.  The outcome is worth it.   A great way to maintain working relationships based on a positive act of appreciation. 
Recommended Reading
AI Literacy Through AI Bots In The Classroom  (ITC article submitted from ITC AI Affinity Group), CCDaily
We need AI literacy. We need to understand the impact, how to use AI to elevate our work, and how to recognize AI-generated content. This need falls into the hands of educators. 
Leadership Practices For Cultivating Values And Belonging In the Workplace, Educause
Cultivating a sense of value and belonging is critical for retaining talented staff and driving organizational success. Effective leaders foster a supportive culture by promoting adaptability, supporting professional growth, maintaining accountability, encouraging open communication, and celebrating both individual and team achievements.
The EdTech Blindspot:  Investing In Learning Technologies, Not Just Teaching, eCampus News
Buying technology for technology's sake helps no one--not students, not faculty, and certainly not institutional outcomes

Establishing ROI For EdTech Tools, Educause
ROI for technology solutions is an emerging practice in higher education that offers promise for helping institutions balance financial constraints with continued innovation.
Preparing For Generation Alpha:  What Colleges Need To Understand Now, eCampus News
Colleges that modernize infrastructure, adopt responsible AI, and build inclusive hybrid experiences can strengthen relevance
Higher Education Faces “Deteriorating” 2026 Outlook, Fitch Says, Higher Ed Dive
A shrinking pipeline of students, uncertainty about state and federal support, and rising expenses could all hurt college finances, according to analysts.
Video Of The Week: New NotebookLM Update Is Insane!, YouTube
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			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2025 22:03:49 +0000</pubDate>
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			<title>From the Desk of Fred, Week of December 1, 2025</title>
			<link>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=12&amp;amp;day=04&amp;amp;id=11:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-december-1-2025</link>
			<guid>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=12&amp;amp;day=04&amp;amp;id=11:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-december-1-2025</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[Hi everyone, if you have not already done so, PLEASE take a few minutes to complete the 2025 ITC National Survey—we have greatly reduced the number of questions—and will instead conduct several (smaller length) surveys throughout the year. The data generated will help you to compare your program to national trends and practices.  PLEASE participate!!
How can it already be early December??  The terms seem to fly by. Our roles are complicated and demanding. It can be very challenging to keep track of time, and I’ve often found I thought I had more time for a project—and didn’t. 
Time management is a theme of these musings. There is formal training available, and if your campus has a PD coordinator, you can likely arrange for campus-wide training on this topic. If you can add stress management as well as “me-time” training, you will have the trifecta necessary to make your job easier to deal with.
However, I know many of you feel like you are really out there alone—with no PD support and often little compassion and understanding about your workload. The reality is that our institutions have dealt with a lot of challenges and setbacks—the Great Recession, budget cuts and the Pandemic have in many instances devastated staffing. For the rest of us, it has meant an ever-increasing workload, especially as an administrator.  It takes its toll and burnout is inevitable. 
If you have a mentor, I encourage you to maximize that relationship. A mentor is often a good listener—and it can help just to vent on occasion.  A mentor can also provide meaningful advice and guidance. They know you and can provide informed opinions. If you don’t have a mentor, you should try to kindle that relationship with someone on campus that you have a relationship with OR someone from a previous position. The work element helps. Higher education is a very different animal—you need someone that is rooted there to provide relevant guidance. 
I also encourage you to consider any kind of stress reducing activity. Some can even be done while sitting at your desk/in your office. And regularly review your work/life balance. Find ways to help deflect and reduce the stress you deal with.
It’s A Good Time To Be An English Instructor (AI)  (Viewpoint), Inside Higher Ed
Actually, I think our jobs just got a whole lot easier, because our purpose is sharper than ever. Where others see AI as the end of our profession, I see a clarifying opportunity to recommit to who we are.
AI Giants Forge Major Alliance With Multibillion-Dollar Investment And Massive Azure Compute Deal, Campus Technology
Microsoft, Nvidia and Anthropic have formed a partnership that blends new investments with a large multiyear cloud commitment, tightening ties among three major players in artificial intelligence. The agreement expands the model choices available to enterprise customers while deepening the integration of Anthropic's Claude models across Microsoft's ecosystem.
AI Literacy In Higher Education:  Preparing Students For Human And Machine Collaboration, eCampus News
AI literacy goes beyond coding or data science--it means understanding how artificial intelligence functions, how it can be guided, and how it should be questioned
Are Young College Students Losing An Edge In The Job Market?, Higher Ed Dive
College graduates ages 22 to 27 are now spending more time looking for a job than those with only a high school diploma, according to a new analysis.
AI And The Future Of Learning:  Six Levers Transforming Higher Education, The Evolllution
The increasing complexity of knowledge, the accelerating convergence of disciplines and the use of AI to create efficiencies and accelerate tasks in the workplace demand reshaping what it means to learn, teach and discover. The changing nature of the workplace and the workforce also means that a significant number of degree programs aimed at entry-level jobs are either already obsolete or will be obsolete in an AI-enabled workplace.
Workforce Pell:  Here Are Five Big Challenges For Implementation, University Business Magazine
Strict accountability requirements, mixed with intensive data reporting required for implementation, tempered expectations for when most short-term workforce programs will be ready for the new stream of federal funding.
Video Of The Week: New Luggage Carry-On Rules For 2026, YouTube
We all travel – you need to know this!!
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			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2025 17:29:49 +0000</pubDate>
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			<title>From the Desk of Fred, Week of November 24, 2025</title>
			<link>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=11&amp;amp;day=25&amp;amp;id=10:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-november-24-2025</link>
			<guid>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=11&amp;amp;day=25&amp;amp;id=10:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-november-24-2025</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[The 2025 Fall term has raced by, AND you have never felt so overwhelmed with work, right? You are not alone. I hear from a surprising number of you. For some, it is the unexpected uptick in workload after a promotion. The surprising "7 days a week" attitude as you move up the administrative ladder is common. But the most common complaint is that the workload continues to increase – more online sections to serve more online students – and the need to train and support more online faculty, with no additional budget or staffing. Sadly, that too is VERY common.
We are, after all, unicorns. The administrative and staff roles of a Distance Learning program are still rather undefined. We don't really fit in the organizational chart either. We seemingly support everyone in academics and work with everyone in administration. We are NOT a silo operation; quite the contrary, we are everything, everywhere, all at once.
And yet, we stay with Distance Learning because of our passion and our belief that online education is the "present" and the "future" of higher education.
If this resonates with you, I have a few very important questions to ask you: "How are you doing"? And what are you doing to better manage the daily stress and developing burnout from working too hard for too long? It is very important that you take care of yourself – make "you" the priority and rethink current time commitments. I wanted to recommend a few ideas to help you:

You need to be honest with yourself – you have been dealing with the stress for some time now. You hoped it was temporary, but you need to realize it is not – it is your new post-pandemic normal
If you have a good relationship with your supervisor, you can discuss the workload openly. Your supervisor likely can't do anything immediately, but could start sharing up the chain to increase awareness – and perhaps additional staff at some point.
If you have some staff, is it possible to restructure and delegate some of your responsibilities and tasks? Over the years, I've seen this as one of the easiest things to do to better manage the workload, BUT it can be difficult to delegate when you have been doing everything by yourself for so long. Letting go of some duties and tasks can give you some breathing room, though, so it is worth considering this option.
Start saying "no" to additional commitments. For those of you who know me, this is my Achilles' Heel – I can never say no. I have a problem with this and likely need an intervention. Seriously. It can help you slow down the exponential expansion of commitments (and related commitment of talent and time).
I know you love what you do, but sometimes changing your career path can allow for a reset in terms of priorities and time management.

At any rate, remember you are not alone in feeling the stress and associated burnout from the tremendous workload you deal with day in and day out. Think about my suggestions, and please feel free to reach out to me if you need someone to talk to – or to listen.
Recommended Reading
Making Meetings Matter – Six Strategies For Campus Leaders, eCampus News
By treating meetings as living systems subject to reflection and refinement, campus leaders signal that time is a valued institutional resource
No, The Pre-AI Era Was Not That Great (Commentary), Inside Higher Ed
Faculty commentary about generative artificial intelligence often sounds like a lament for a fallen golden age when students wrote all their own papers, dutifully completed all the reading and set our classrooms buzzing with authentic engagement. Then along came ChatGPT, sending us into a new dark age. The problem with this sentiment is that it buries the truth that ChatGPT exposes: The problems in higher ed go back much further than generative AI.
Beyond The Hype – Transforming Academic Excellence And Leadership Culture In the Age Of AI, Campus Technology
While most higher education leaders focus on AI's operational benefits — and rightfully so — the deeper transformation lies in how artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping what it means to learn, teach, and lead in the 21st century.
Higher Ed Outlook Remains Negative For 2026, Moody Says, Education Dive
Enrollment, political and cost pressures abound and will stick around in the new year, analysts said in a recent report.
Immersive AI &amp; VR Experiences Bridge The Skills Gap In Higher Education, EdTech Magazine
Colleges and universities deploy immersive artificial intelligence and virtual reality learning environments that build student skills and scale innovation.
Remember Your Why – Community Colleges Are America’s Most Powerful Engine For Opportunity And Renewal, The Evolllution
Community colleges have always served as drivers of opportunity and mobility for students, and that mission has only increased in importance in the past few years.
Videos Of The Week 
Top 17 New Tech Trends for 2026  Part 1, YouTube
 
Top 15 New Tech Trends for 2026  Part 2, YouTube
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			<pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:32:49 +0000</pubDate>
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			<title>From The Desk Of Fred, Week of November 17, 2025</title>
			<link>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=11&amp;amp;day=17&amp;amp;id=9:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-november-17-2025</link>
			<guid>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=11&amp;amp;day=17&amp;amp;id=9:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-november-17-2025</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[As we cycle through the fall national conferences and meetings related to EdTech (chief among them being Educause and WCET), the emerging consensus regarding AI in higher education includes:

Generative AI is here to stay—as you will recall, I teach Political Science (Government) – I tell my students you may hate politics—you don’t have to like it, but you do need to understand it and get involved. The same is true for AI.
Faculty are exercising strong influence over the specifics of implementing AI on our campuses. There are debates over appropriate parameters amongst faculty, on the administrative side of the house, not so much. Administrators tend to accept the inevitability of AI.
Students want our colleges and universities to get our collective act together and help them to better prepare for the expectations and needs in the 21st Century workplace
AI will seemingly be everything, everywhere, all at once for the foreseeable future. Every software will eventually have an AI component.
Users do not like the excessive power needs of AI and expect the industry to find ways to greatly reduce the power drain
Effective, adaptive AI professional development training is needed for students, faculty and administrators

Given the rapidly changing nature of AI, attending a national edtech conference every year is highly recommended. If you are relatively new to attending a national conference. It is important to find the conference(s) that fit your specific needs. I remember attending a conference early in my career that was sponsored by a major brand—turned out to be a waste of time. It was excessively university-centric and solutions required a very large (40+) staff. I quickly learned that “right-sizing” was important to maximize the experience. For me, the ITC has always been my preferred annual conference.  It is community college focused, it is more affordable than the “big conference”, and I have been able to more effectively network. I also come back every year with great ideas, proven solutions and probably 15 new friends.  I hope you will consider joining us in Austin, T March 13-15. Take a minute to check out the specifics about the conference on our webpage.
A REMINDER: Please take a moment to complete the Fall 2025 ITC National Survey. It should only take 5-7 minutes to complete. Your participation is critical to the success of this project as well as its accuracy and validity.
2025 Faculty &amp; Administrator Survey: Online Learning &amp; Accessibility in Higher Education
Recommended Reading
Faculty Lead AI Usage Conversations On Campus, Inside Higher Ed
Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, higher education as a sector has grappled with the role large language models and generative artificial intelligence tools can and should play in students’ lives. A recent survey by Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab found that nearly all college students say they know how and when to use AI for their coursework, which they attribute largely to faculty instruction or syllabus language.
Preparing Workforce-Ready Graduates In The Age Of AI, Campus Technology
Artificial intelligence is transforming workplaces and emerging as an essential tool for employees across industries. But for students preparing to enter the workforce, a recent MIT study warns that those relying too heavily on AI in school may retain less and learn less, hindering essential skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and memory.
Students Think Universities Should Do More To Prepare Them For An AI-Driven Future, eCampus News
Academic institutions have an important role to play in providing concrete pathways to reinforce optimism and curiosity about AI.
Emerging Technology:  A Report on Trends in EdTech, Education Dive
Note:  to access the full report, you will need to provide your contact information.
Yet another new generation of digital technology — led by generative artificial intelligence — holds immense promise for instruction and operations in higher education, and its uses are as varied as the tools themselves.
Educause 2025:  Where Will Higher Ed Be In 10 Years, EdTech Magazine
What does the next decade hold for higher education? At the 2025 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, a panel of experts gave their predictions for the state of curriculum, workplace and leadership in higher ed by 2035.
Designing for HyFlex/Hybrid Spaces – A Strategic Priority, University Business Magazine
Note: Community colleges have had less success with this modality. Hybrid learning is here to stay—Gen Z demands flexible, tech-enabled education. Smart AV tools boost engagement and solve key challenges in hyflex classrooms.
Video Of The Week: GPT-6 Explained:  The Next AI Leap
OpenAI’s next flagship model, GPT-6, is already in development—and it might just redefine how AI works with you, not just for you.
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			<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2025 21:58:15 +0000</pubDate>
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			<title>From The Desk Of Fred, Week of November 10, 2025</title>
			<link>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=11&amp;amp;day=12&amp;amp;id=7:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-november-10-2025</link>
			<guid>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=11&amp;amp;day=12&amp;amp;id=7:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-november-10-2025</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[
Have you submitted a session proposal for ITC’s 2026 Annual eLearning Conference – to be held in Austin, TX. March 13-15 and hosted by Austin Community College? If you haven’t attended for a while, this is the year to join us! Think of all of the changes we have been dealing with – AI is everywhere in higher education – and certainly expanding into online education as you read this.  Enrollment is growing again at community colleges, but our demographic is changing. We are dealing with the rise of dual-credit, which has become the source for much of the growth in our enrollments. 
The ITC national conference is right-sized – big enough to provide great keynotes and sessions but small enough to make friends and to network. Austin is a fabulous place to have a conference. Recently, ITC shifted to holding its annual conference on community college campuses, and we’ve shifted the conference days to Friday-Sunday which works very well for minimizing disruption to your class schedule/regular work week. 
I have always enjoyed attending the ITC conference – I have made so many friends over the years – always nice to connect and catch up. The sessions are SO relevant, and the information and ideas are SO useful. We have also had a good selection of exhibitors – and the time to do a deeper dive with vendors. The Grand Debate will be returning this year as well – with a great topic. The debate has always been an opportunity to learn more about a hot topic as well as to be engaged and entertained in the process. 
We support a wide range of session topics – you could present on a successful implementation or even a recent “fail”. We all can learn from success as well as failure.  Session proposals will be accepted until this Friday, November 14th. Session presenters receive a conference registration discount as well.  And the lodging cost this year is only $129/night (plus taxes).  All of us on the ITC Board of Directors are looking forward to seeing you in Austin!!
Recommended Reading
Does AI Face A Double Standard In Higher Ed?, eCampus News
Nearly seven in 10 educators across the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand are limiting how students can use AI tools in class, according to a new survey by Litero AI, an academic writing copilot. The study highlights the red lines teachers won’t cross–and the ethical and pedagogical guardrails they want before embracing AI in education.
Agentic AI Invading The LMS And Other Things We Should Know, Inside Higher Ed
 We now have agentic AI that completes tasks using your computer for you; multimodal AI that can see and interact with you using a computer voice; machine reasoning models that take simple prompts and run them in loops repeatedly to guess what a sophisticated response might look like; browser-based AI that can scan any webpage and perform tasks for you.
AI Is An Iceberg – We Can’t Ignore Its Unseen Potential, eCampus News
Educators should embrace the massive, powerful new presence of AI in learning environments. 
How To Power The Future Workforce With Integrated Classroom Design, University Business Magazine
Institutions need to rethink buildings as cross-functional spaces that maximize the student experience, learning outcomes and their budget. The solution lies in an integrated classroom design—a future-focused approach that leverages flexible, multi-use spaces that can evolve with changing needs while supporting team-based learning and workplace simulation.
Data Points:  Recent Enrollment Trends, CCDaily
The U.S. Education Department (ED) recently released new data on full-year enrollments and credentials awarded by postsecondary institutions. This DataPoints examines the trends in these data for community colleges starting with the first year of the Covid pandemic.
At Community Colleges, Online Classes Remain Popular Years After Pandemic, EdSource
During the pandemic five years ago, a significant majority of California community classes shifted online. Despite some early confusion and bumps in adapting to online education, distance education has firmly taken hold in the years since.
Video Of The Week:  2026:  The Year Quantum AI Changes Everything, YouTube
]]></description>
			<pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:46:28 +0000</pubDate>
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			<title>From The Desk Of Fred, Week of November 3, 2025</title>
			<link>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=11&amp;amp;day=07&amp;amp;id=6:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-november-3-2025</link>
			<guid>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=11&amp;amp;day=07&amp;amp;id=6:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-november-3-2025</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[All campuses have been dealing with the ADA Title II compliance requirements effective April 24, 2026 campuses with more than 50,000 enrollments) or April 27, 2027 (for campuses with fewer than 50,000 enrollments). Specifically, covered institutions must meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards by the appropriate April deadline. 
I serve as a member of my campus’ taskforce, and we have been discussing what is encompassed by the DOJ directive. In the meetings we have had to date, it has felt a bit like “déjà vu” as we have had similar conversations over the years—attempts to organize, coordinate, track, and inventory the array of technologies (hardware/software) that have been adopted, licensed, or contracted. I think some campuses have had better luck than others, but there has historically been an inherent risk–and ability–for individual departments and colleagues to go rogue when procuring a new technology solution. 
Oddly, the new edict offers an opportunity to finally get in front of this issue – a “hammer” if you will, to help structure the exploration, procurement, and implementation of technologies that not only ensure ADA compliance but also meet other institutional requirements and expectations. The result? Purchases that are compatible with your institution’s networking, hardware, and staff capacities while also allowing you to shop for the best price. 
The additional benefit—which I personally favor—is a comprehensive up-to-date listing of edtech hardware and software. This centralized solution can help your professional development training staff better determine what sessions to offer and can also encourage greater cooperation and connection among departments interested in using the same technology solution.
If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to address the pending ADA compliance by taking a far more comprehensive approach to the issue. You have the opportunity to fix a much larger chronic problem on your campus–seize the day!!
Recommended Reading
The AI Tsunami Is Here:  Reinventing Education In The Age Of AI, EDUCAUSE
 In the age of artificial intelligence, higher education must move beyond content delivery toward interactionalism—a human-centered approach to learning that fosters collaboration, creativity, adaptability, feedback, and well-being
Higher Ed Tech Leaders Pursue Consolidation And Savings, Inside Higher Ed
Educause’s latest Top 10 survey shows economic and political uncertainty are putting pressure on colleges to streamline their tech environments while keeping up with AI’s evolution.
The Human Edge Of AI, EDUCAUSE
Increasingly, artificial intelligence is becoming a competency that rests in the hands of each individual person—an individual capability rather than just, or even primarily, an institutional one. 
Colleges and Universities Offer Faculty Development For Use In the Classroom, EdTech Magazine
Workshops, websites and other resources are helping educators enhance students’ learning experience.
How To Power Workforce With Integrated Classroom Design, University Business Magazine
With the demand for expertise in AI, data science, engineering and health sciences, job growth in the STEM fields is outpacing non-STEM careers by 2X, with nearly 12 million positions expected to be available by 2030.
ATE Open Ed Materials Now Available, CCDaily
The open education materials developed by Advanced Technological Education (ATE) centers and projects are now available through the free STEMLink service for easy uploading to community colleges’ learning management systems.
Video Of The Week
How Stanford Teaches AI-Powered Creativity, YouTube
Key Insights: 

How treating AI as a teammate rather than just a tool can dramatically improve outcomes
Why you should have AI ask you questions instead of just answering yours
How non-technical professionals can leverage AI to achieve extraordinary results
The difference between treating AI as a tool versus as a teammate

]]></description>
			<pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2025 15:22:26 +0000</pubDate>
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			<title>From The Desk Of Fred, Week of October 27 2025</title>
			<link>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=10&amp;amp;day=29&amp;amp;id=5:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-october-27-2025</link>
			<guid>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=10&amp;amp;day=29&amp;amp;id=5:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-october-27-2025</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[This week, the ITC is launching the ITC Faculty &amp; Administrator Survey with a focus on online learning and accessibility topics. The very first ITC survey was launched in 2004 – and has been conducted annually (save for 2020 – we all know why). From its inception, the survey has been the only survey that focused on Distance Learning at community colleges. For years, we produced a substantive report and discussion of the results. Just as distance learning has evolved in the past 20 years, so has the ITC survey. We abandoned the substantive report prior to the pandemic and pivoted to a very useful infographic and more of an executive summary of major findings. We have also been trying to reduce the sheer number of questions. We know – and you know – that it had just gotten out of hand.  We meant well. For many of our members, certain data has great relevance and value for their programs. Unfortunately, all of us have less bandwidth than we used to, and completing a lengthy survey became a very real disincentive.
This year, we are initiating a number of important changes to the survey. We’ve decided to break up the survey into several SHORTER/MORE FOCUSED efforts – which will ensure it only takes a few minutes to complete each one. We are starting with faculty and administrator questions but will be doing a student-centered survey in the spring as well as a survey that focuses on programmatic issues and concerns later next year. 
I am also extremely happy to welcome ITC board member Ian Coronado – Division Dean for Academic Support and Innovation at Lane Community College (Eugene, OR) – as co-director of the ITC Survey Project going forward. A fresh perspective has really made a difference in rethinking and revitalizing the survey – but we always appreciate your feedback and ideas as well.  The survey has always been an ITC community project. I have heard so many stories of how the data helped make a difference, restructure priorities, or change a senior administrator’s mind. Data is the basis for effective and convincing planning and decision-making. With the revisions to this year’s survey process, the ITC survey will continue to be a valuable resource and instrument for change. This year’s data results will also be used to support a special “Future of Distance Learning” article series in the CC Daily beginning in January.
We will be sending out a notice to members BUT you can simply use the link I’ve provided. I have so appreciated your support over the past years, and hope you can continue to play your very important part in completing the survey again this year!!   
Share your thoughts and participate in this year's 2025 Faculty &amp; Administrator Survey:  Online Learning &amp; Accessibility in Higher Education.
Recommended Readings
Building The Online Learning Ecosystem Institutions Need and Students Deserve, The Evolllution
Today’s online learners expect more, and they have more choices than ever before in an increasingly competitive online marketplace. To meet this moment, colleges and universities must move beyond piecemeal growth and build something more durable: a coordinated learning ecosystem designed to support student success, institutional sustainability and long-term impact. 
How To Keep Your Career Ghosts From Haunting You, eCampus News
 Too many of us have embarrassing experiences in our professional life that can have negative effects on our careers.  It's important to take ownership of career missteps to banish lingering ghosts and clear up misunderstandings
Dialog At Scale:  AI, Soft Skills, And The Future Of Assessment, Educause
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) can transform higher education by enabling guided engagement at scale, fostering active and dialogic learning, and expanding access to personalized tutoring. Institutions that harness these capabilities can redesign teaching and assessment to thrive in the age of AI.
How To Shift AI From A Shortcut To A Learning Partner, University Business Magazine
The solution is not simply adding AI tools to coursework. Instead, institutions need a clear strategy, strong governance and ongoing faculty development to guide how AI is used in the classroom.
Building Trust And Rigor In Microcredentials:  Synthesizing Standards, Taxonomy and Frameworks, Educuase
By integrating rigorous standards, a unified taxonomy, and an established and trusted framework, microcredentials can be designed and implemented as credible, transparent, and valuable indicators of learners' skills and competencies across various sector
A College Degree Is An Afterthought Among High Schoolers, University Business Magazine
In 2022, only 44% of high school students said they anticipate earning a bachelor’s degree, a decline of nearly 30% over two decades, according to a research brief from the Pell Institute. The researchers argue that this is a sign of growing uncertainty among our youth about postsecondary attainability.
 Video Of The Week
OpenAI Just Dropped A New AI Browser, YouTube
This week, OpenAI just flipped the internet upside down with the launch of ChatGPT Atlas — a full AI-powered browser that acts, thinks, and browses for you.
 ]]></description>
			<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2025 17:34:37 +0000</pubDate>
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			<title>From the Desk of Fred, Week of October 20, 2025</title>
			<link>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=10&amp;amp;day=22&amp;amp;id=4:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-october-20-2025</link>
			<guid>https://www.itcnetwork.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&amp;amp;view=entry&amp;amp;year=2025&amp;amp;month=10&amp;amp;day=22&amp;amp;id=4:from-the-desk-of-fred-week-of-october-20-2025</guid>
			<description><![CDATA[We’ve discussed before the profound impact of The Pandemic on our community college online programs. I’ve had numerous conversations with administrators, designers and faculty – all have shared the trauma of the rapid full shift to online, the lack of staff and training to facilitate this, and the overwhelming day-after-day workload this represented. 
We are now “years” away from The Pandemic, but a variety of stress points are still present in our online programs. Specifically, the shift to fully online led to an increase in the number of faculty that wanted to teach online (it also increased the number of students as well). This fostered greater demand BUT our programs have not experienced increases in staffing, and especially have not been able to increase the number of instructional designers needed to address chronic issues with our online classes. Chronic issues????  Yes, for most of use, our online classes lack consistency, often are not compliance checked (ADA), are woefully lacking the benefits of professional design, and many of our faculty lack the training needed to create a learning experience that is engaging and embraces the unique needs of learning online. As a result, we have actually witnessed a decline in online student learning experience and completions.
Another chronic issue: the stress level within our online programs is significant – and increasing. This leads to staff burnout and turnover which adversely impacts efforts to stabilize and grow our online programs. I always felt like I was pressing the reset button with each new VPAA or President. But if the DL program itself experiences turnover, it can have lasting damaging repercussions since the DL administrator is the key advocate for this type of instruction on a campus.  To add insult to injury, most campuses don’t really have a vision for their online program nor do they have an action plan for addressing the chronic issues I’ve identified.
It is important to acknowledge the challenges since online enrollments at community colleges will need to grow to meet increasing demands. Community colleges will be at the forefront of serving active adult learners working full-time jobs but needing recurring training, certificates and degrees. We need to address the quality issues of online learning now so we will be positioned for the future workforce demands – and  the inevitable increased competition for students!! 
Recommended Reading
Rethinking Education In A Changing World – The Power Of Online Learning Platforms, eCampus NewsSkills-focused online learning platforms are powerful tools that meet the complexity of the current moment
Students Who Lack Academic Confidence More Likely To Use AI For School, Inside Higher EdNew survey data also finds that students with robust peer support and strong internet search skills are less likely to rely on AI tools for academic help. Recentering Discovery As The Core Of Learning Through AI, eCampus NewsLearning, rather than teaching, must once again become the heartbeat of education An AI Plateau?, EducauseLarge language models (LLMs) may be nearing their limits, challenging assumptions about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence.
Report:  AI Adoption Leads To Retraining, Not Replacing, Workers, Campus TechnologyDespite fears that artificial intelligence will lead to major workforce reductions, a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York suggests that's not happening happening ... yet.  Hand-In-Hand With AI, CCDailyThis article is part of a “Focus on AI” series sponsored by the ITC AI Affinity Group and discusses ways to utilize AI in your courses.  Additional articles from the series can be found by going to www.ccdaily.com Video Of The WeekThis AI App Has Tripled My Productivity
 ]]></description>
			<pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 21:21:07 +0000</pubDate>
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