University of Phoenix Leadership present at EDUCAUSE Event

Marc Booker, Justin Hallock, Kelly Hermann and Doris Savron join industry leaders to discuss IT best practices and innovation in higher education

University of Phoenix is pleased to share that four members of its leadership team presented at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, held, October 9-12 in Chicago, IL. Vice Provost, Strategy, Marc Booker, Ph.D.; Senior Director, Change Management, Justin Hallock; Vice President, Accessibility, Equity and Inclusion, Kelly Hermann; and Vice Provost, Academic Colleges, Doris Savron, joined the proceedings to share insights and best practices around IT and higher education. The three-day event focuses on bringing together technology leaders from around the world to share best practices for higher education and technology, focusing on innovative solutions in the field.

Booker and Hallock’s panel session, titled “Leveraging Change Management to Foster Institutional Innovation,” focuses on best practices in change management to help spur institutional innovation. The panel discussion also highlighted the ways in which change management can be leveraged to reach successful outcomes for a Learning Management System transition and competency-based education program implementation.

“I am honored to present at EDUCAUSE and discuss how University of Phoenix has leveraged change management and made it part of its DNA when pursuing large scale initiatives,” shared Booker. “From our successful transition shifting over 80,000 students to a new learning platform, to standing up our award-winning Competency-Based Education programs, University of Phoenix has relied on agile and innovative change management practices. Good change management is a differentiator of success and innovation in higher education, so I am happy to be sharing our journey with such an esteemed group this week.”

"Change management is critical to achieving our desired outcomes in today's rapidly evolving higher education landscape,” shared Hallock. “In fact, those who follow Prosci's research know there is a direct correlation between successfully achieving project results and effective change management. In Prosci's recent benchmarking survey, for organizations that met or exceeded project objectives, almost 90% of respondents rated change management as excellent. This speaks to the value of investing in the people side of change."

Hermann presented a poster session focused on inclusive learning environments titled, “Equity in Edtech: Ensuring Inclusive Digital Learning Environments.” The session explored the power of collaboration to create truly accessible digital products. Hermann’s session also highlighted her work as Accessibility Task Force Chair for 1EdTech, where she is focused on developing an accessibility vetting rubric to help institutions improve access for students with disabilities. The rubric aims to improve trust in providing an equitable and accessible learning environment by evaluating the non-technical aspects of accessibility that can impact purchasing decisions and helping to establish a common tool evaluation framework.

Hermann says the work she is doing with 1EdTech is a natural extension of the University of Phoenix’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). “We take great pride in our longstanding commitment to DEIB at the University of Phoenix,” Hermann shares. “We also understand that implementing effective DEIB programs hinges upon effective use of technology, and that’s why efforts to standardize evaluation tools like this rubric are critical to our work. I am thrilled to work alongside such dedicated and knowledgeable professionals at this event with 1Ed Tech and continue to leverage technology to bolster our efforts and serve our diverse student population in meaningful ways.”

Savron’s panel discussion, titled “Embracing Future Models of Learning for Tomorrow’s Learners,” examined the role of innovation in design and delivery of online education and the role of technology in shaping future models of learning. In addition, the session explored how institutions can take the next step toward future models of learning to help improve both student and institution success. 

“The EDUCAUSE event offers an opportunity to gather with other thought leaders and examine the ways in which technology impacts the rapidly changing landscape of higher education,” shares Savron. “University of Phoenix is deeply invested in future models of learning, as we’ve shown with initiatives like our skills-mapped programs and our commitment to platforms that support the alignment of programs, courses and skills to continue to prepare students to achieve their career goals.”

As Vice Provost for Strategy at the University of Phoenix, Booker oversees critical path academic initiatives to improve the student experience such as learning platform implementations. Along with Savron, he is responsible for curricular enhancements, and developing empathetic solutions to drive improved student outcomes through data. Booker also serves as dean of the Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (PACRAO) Leadership Development Institute and was President of PACRAO in 2016. In 2020, Booker received a Hall of Fame recognition from Blackboard for his contributions in providing thought leadership and innovation in education.

A veteran of University of Phoenix or 25 years, Hallock is a Senior Director of Change Management and Prosci Certified Change Practitioner. Since the inception of CBE at University of Phoenix in 2020, Justin has supported the growth of 4 credit-based programs and, recently, 3 direct assessment programs, with the credit-based programs exceeding 1,000 graduates within the first 3 years of offering. In addition to his experience supporting CBE programs, Hallock has experience leading LMS transitions, HR system implementations, and legal and regulatory initiatives for the institution. Before his current role, Hallock served in leadership roles for the University’s local campus locations in Florida and various Board of Director roles in the Central Florida community. 

Hermann is the Vice President of Accessibility, Equity and Inclusion for the University of Phoenix. She has oversight of the university’s accessibility initiative, including the evaluation and remediation of curricular resources, the Student Accommodations office, which provides accommodations to students with disabilities and the Office of Educational Equity, which works with University stakeholders, community partners and corporate sponsors to create an inclusive educational environment for the students, faculty, and staff. Hermann also chairs the Accessibility Innovation Learning Network and the Accessibility Taskforce for 1EDTech and was awarded the IMS Global award for Higher Ed Leadership in 2020.

Savron's career spans 30 years in healthcare, information technology and academia. In her role as vice provost of University of Phoenix, she oversees strategy for degree, certificate and course offerings, design of curriculum and student learning outcomes for the University. She works collaboratively with her team members to innovate academic solutions that enable the University to provide exceptional student experiences and learning environments to support student success. Savron serves on the Career Connectors Board of Directors and several committees and advisory councils, including the DEI professionals committee for the Greater Phoenix Chamber. She was recently appointed to the advisory council for UPCEAs and AACRAO’s new Converge Conference in 2023 focused on the emerging field of alternative credentials in Higher Education.

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association that helps higher education optimize the impact of IT. Membership is comprised of more than 2,300 colleges, universities, and educational organizations, including over 300 corporations, with more than 68,000 individual participants around the world, including chief information officers, IT managers and directors, academic deans, university librarians, teaching and learning professionals, and faculty members.

Learn more here about EDUCAUSE.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and a Career Services for Life® commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.