Cultivating Accessibility: Ensuring Compliance and Fostering Inclusion in Higher Education
Workshop ( $150 fee for non-members) | October 21 from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
As higher education leaders and administrators, we are responsible for fostering an accessible learning environment. Join us for a preconference workshop that addresses the critical changes brought about by the civil rights division of the Department of Justice regulations effective June 2024. These regulations mandate that all web and mobile content must comply with WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards, highlighting the importance of accessibility in the digital age.
In this interactive workshop, participants will:
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of new regulations and their implications for higher education.
- Learn practical steps towards achieving compliance.
- Identify necessary tools and resources to evaluate current digital content.
- Explore effective strategies for enhancing overall accessibility on campus.
Beyond compliance, we will explore effective strategies for cultivating a culture of accessibility across your institution. By embedding accessibility principles into the content development process, we can shift from a reactive approach—fixing issues post-development—to a proactive one that ensures all materials are accessible from the outset.
Join us to engage with peers, share best practices, and leave with actionable insights that will empower your institution to not only meet legal obligations but also champion inclusivity for all students, faculty, and staff.
Speakers:
- Kelly Hermann, VP, Accessibility, Equity and Inclusion , University of Phoenix
- Kelly Hoyland, Director, Post-Secondary Education & Workforce Programs, 1EdTech Consortium
- Tessa Wolf, Student Intern, Every Learner Everywhere , WCET
Why AI Strategy Matters (and Why Not Having One is Risky)
Breakout Session | Date & Time TBD
AI is rapidly transforming higher education, but institutions with no clear AI strategy risk falling behind in areas such as student success, operational efficiency, and ethical implementation.
- A well-defined AI strategy ensures alignment with institutional goals, helping universities leverage AI for learning, research, and administrative improvements while maintaining governance and compliance.
- Universities without an AI strategy risk fragmented adoption, which can lead to disjointed policies, privacy concerns, faculty resistance, and inequitable access to AI tools.
- Institutions with AI roadmaps can proactively shape policies and best practices rather than reacting to AI’s rapid evolution in an unstructured way.
In this session, we’ll share insights on AI strategy, governance, institutional priorities, and challenges.
Presenters:
- Sanjoosh Akkineni, Lead Academic Data Scientist, Kennesaw State University
- Suzanne Carbonaro, Vice President, Postsecondary Education & Workforce Programs, 1EdTech Consortium
- Dana Scott, Associate Professor, Thomas Jefferson University
Six Steps for a Successful Credentialing Program
Spark Session | October 23 from 9:00 AM-9:45 AM
1EdTech Consortium reached out to community members and thought leaders in digital credentials to provide case studies on their successful microcredential programs. Twelve organizations responded, representing K-12, primary, secondary, postsecondary, and workforce educational organizations from all over the world.
While each program's scope, audience, and purpose are different, six steps were consistently recommended.
- Create an Internal Committee or Council
- Involve External Stakeholders
- Create a Taxonomy
- Start Small
- Focus on Ideation and Continuous Improvement
- Choose a Platform that Aligns with Standards
In this Spark session, we'll review the report—how these six steps worked in each case study, lessons learned from their implementations, and their impact on credential earners—and discuss and share best practices for credentialing programs in education.
Presenters:
- Kelly Hoyland, Director, Post-Secondary Education & Workforce Programs, 1EdTech Consortium