Leaders in Online and Professional Continuing Education

Developing Partnerships, Programs, and Pathways for Community Engagement and Opportunity - August 2025

Includes Multiple Live Events. The next is on 08/12/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)

Faculty Member 

Angie Kamath, Dean at NYU School of Professional Studies

Cost

Members: $459.00

Non-Members: $599.00

Description: 

This course offers a pragmatic approach to the strategic development and implementation of online and professional continuing education initiatives aimed at expanding access and opportunity across communities. It will explore how institutions can address the educational needs of historically underserved populations through thoughtful program design, stakeholder collaboration, and targeted outreach. Taking both comparative and national perspectives, the course investigates how higher education can bridge workforce gaps through career exploration, upskilling, apprenticeship models, and credential pathways.

Participants will examine the influential role of professional and online education units in advancing initiatives that support both community impact and institutional sustainability. Through peer exchange and collaborative exploration, students will gain insights into effective practices in program planning, audience engagement, and partner development.

Topics Covered

  • Determining key priorities and metrics to align equity and inclusion goals of the academic institution with online and professional continuing education strategy
  • Maximizing community and stakeholder engagement in planning and identifying opportunities
  • Developing research strategies on target market and potential student demographics
  • Balancing revenue pressures with mission
  • Communicating successes thoughtfully and inclusively 

 Learning Objectives

  • Assess social/community perspectives important and unique to learners’ institutions  
  • Assess, develop, and build programs responsive to underrepresented groups and their education/training needs
  • Develop plans for student outreach and educational experiences sensitive to costs, scheduling flexibility, and accessibility
  • Identify implementation strategies for online and professional continuing education units for managing a diverse classroom, student orientation and advising, communications, fundraising, and partnerships.

Who should take this course? 

This course is designed for early-to-mid career higher education administrators, particularly those in online and professional continuing education units who seek a deeper understanding of the responsibilities and opportunities involved in expanding and diversifying programs to better serve learners of all ages. 

Format and Schedule

This is a five-week course consisting of approximately five hours of weekly coursework made up of readings, asynchronous activities, and a weekly one hour live class meeting via Zoom. The schedule for these meetings will be shared soon. 

Angie Kamath

Dean - NYU School of Professional Studies

NYU School of Professional Studies Dean Angie Kamath has had a distinguished career in government and higher education. Amplified by her deep expertise in partnering with industries on skills-based education and workforce development, Kamath is a champion for fostering equal opportunities through higher education and workforce programs that provide immediately applicable skills in hospitality, real estate, and functional business leadership, among other growing and emerging fields.

Kamath is an expert on workforce development and skills-based training, providing foresight with grounded research expertise in the future of work. Passionate about developing programs with industry leaders, she has created partnerships with national and local organizations to advance access to education.

While in her role as dean at the nation’s largest urban public university, City University of New York (CUNY), Kamath was responsible for continuing education and workforce development programs. In addition, she oversaw grant-funded opportunities that sought to improve the skills, career prospects, and outcomes of targeted industries such as IT, finance, healthcare, and municipal government. Kamath also led several workforce development and training programs that addressed the future of work in New York City and beyond.

Before her role at CUNY, Kamath served as an executive vice president and executive director at Per Scholas, a national IT job training nonprofit in South Bronx. There, she was responsible for launching the social enterprise team, which was tasked with generating fee-for-service revenues. In addition, she oversaw the New York training operation that trained and placed over 500 individuals each year in middle-skills jobs in the IT field. 

Prior to Per Scholas, Kamath worked as deputy commissioner at the NYC Department of Small Business Services for seven years, overseeing adult workforce programs that served more than 100,000 New Yorkers each year during the Bloomberg administration. 

Kamath holds a BS in Business Management from Cornell University and an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Key:

Complete
Failed
Available
Locked
Getting Started (for first-time participants)
Quick Start Guide
Read
Read Overview of course navigation, technology, and support.
List of Assignments and Due Dates
Agree to terms to continue.
Agree to terms to continue. In this course you will submit the following assignments that comprise your grade for the program: 1. Self-identity exercise (8/11) 2. SWOT analysis for community/partner programming at your school/unit (8/11) 3. Landscape map for partnerships (8/18) 4. Proposal for new or revised programming in your school or unit (final project) (9/1 initial; 9/16 final) 5. Final reflection on key takeaways from the class (9/16) Additionally, we request that you engage with the discussion board each week to reflect on learnings, ideas, questions that arise in class.
Week 1 (08/04 - 08/10): Course Overview
Course Description
Click here to read the description
Click here to read the description
Learning Objectives
Click here to read the Objectives
Click here to read the Objectives
Instructor Contact & Course Support
Click here to read the Instructor Contact info
Click here to read the Instructor Contact info
Week 1: Live Video Conference Meeting: Course Welcome and Overview - Tuesday, August 5th 1:00-2:00 ET
08/05/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes
08/05/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes Join Class 1: https://upcea.zoom.us/j/87142629304?pwd=7WDAgS2ovWmg7yNy4JK3KI0dt5Sd0m.1 Agenda: 1. Introductions 2. Class objectives 3. Participants share their goals for course 4. Discuss landscape of DEI programs in 2025
Week 1 Overview
Click here to read the weekly overview
Click here to read the weekly overview We will use our first live session to orient all of us to the course goals, and learn about the goals and opportunities participants hope to develop through the course. After the first live session we will post weekly assignments, and prompts for the discussion board. Note: we will not have any written assignments or written reflections needed in advance of the first live session. We will have some readings to review.
Week 1 Slides
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Week 1 Video: Nora Lewis, University of Pennsylvania
Open to view video.
Open to view video.
Week 1 Discussion Board Topic - post 8/5 class
Enter Discussion
Enter Discussion Participate in the discussion board activity - post discussion prior to live class session #2
Week 2 (08/11 - 08/17): Trends in Higher Ed and Community Partnerships
Week 2: Live Video Conference Meeting - Tuesday, August 12 1:00-2:00 ET
08/12/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes
08/12/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes Join Zoom Meeting: https://upcea.zoom.us/j/87142629304?pwd=7WDAgS2ovWmg7yNy4JK3KI0dt5Sd0m.1
Week 2 Slides
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource. Review slides prior to class. We will discuss partnership opportunities.
Week 2 Reading: 2025 Higher Education Trends - Deloitte report
Read the content to continue.
Read the content to continue. A look at the challenges and opportunities shaping America’s higher education sector. Read the report and highlight 2-3 trends that are affecting your school or unit and how community partnerships can address or help mitigate the issues. https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/articles-on-higher-education/2025-us-higher-education-trends.html
Week 2 Discussion: Self Identity Exercise & SWOT Analysis (due 8/11)
Graded as Pass/Fail | Due Date: 08/11/2025 at 8:50 PM (EDT)
Graded as Pass/Fail | Due Date: 08/11/2025 at 8:50 PM (EDT) Use the provided Social Identity Reflection worksheet to name and reflect on your lived experiences as related to various social identities. Create a Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats inventory for your institution/unit/area as it relates to community and inclusion programming.
Week 3 (08/18 - 08/24): Partnerships and Pathway programs
Week 3: Live Video Conference Meeting - Tuesday, August 19th 1:00-2:00 ET
08/19/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes
08/19/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes Join Zoom Meeting: https://upcea.zoom.us/j/87142629304?pwd=7WDAgS2ovWmg7yNy4JK3KI0dt5Sd0m.1
Week 3 Slides
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource. for the 8/19 class
Week 3 Reading & Discussion: Role of Community Partners in Higher Education
Agree to terms to continue.
Agree to terms to continue.
Week 3 Video: Richard Novak, Rutgers
Open to view video.
Open to view video.
Week 3 Activity: Mapping the Partnership Landscape (due 8/18)
Graded as Pass/Fail
Graded as Pass/Fail Depending on your interests please assess your partner landscape via one of the following tools: - Stakeholder map - create a listing of all partners, allies, and possibly detractors to better understand who can be helpful to your cause (or can stand in the way) or - SWOT - what are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for your idea that need to be considered or - Landscape scan - what programs exist that meet DEI needs? what are gaps? Where is there energy/interest? Where is there support and lack of support?
Week 4 (09/01 - 09/07): Risk, Goals, and Evaluation
Week 4 Live Video Conference Meeting - Tuesday, September 2 1:00-2:00 ET
09/02/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes
09/02/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes Join Zoom Meeting: https://upcea.zoom.us/j/87142629304?pwd=7WDAgS2ovWmg7yNy4JK3KI0dt5Sd0m.1
Week 4 Slides
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Week 4 Reading: Cultivating Partnerships
Click here to read the weekly overview
Click here to read the weekly overview Read these three articles and come prepared to class to discuss: https://rcp.umn.edu/whats-new/cultivating-university-and-community-partnerships https://www.aacsb.edu/insights/articles/2025/04/the-power-of-partnerships-in-experiential-learning https://www.americanprogress.org/article/5-ways-community-colleges-drive-workforce-development/
Week 4: Ideation Worksheet (due by 9/1)
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Week 4 Discussion: Let’s Ideate!
Use breakout room time to discuss your project ideas and gather feedback from peers.
Week 5 (09/08 - 09/14): Final Projects and Takeaways
Week 5 Live Session: Course Wrap Up - Tuesday, September 9 1:00-2:00 ET
09/09/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes
09/09/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes Join Zoom Meeting: https://upcea.zoom.us/j/87142629304?pwd=7WDAgS2ovWmg7yNy4JK3KI0dt5Sd0m.1
Week 5 Slides
Open to download resource.
Open to download resource.
Week 5 Discussion: Finalize and Share Project Ideas
Graded as Pass/Fail
Graded as Pass/Fail
Week 5 Final Assignment - Final project (due 9/16)
Passing Grade: A | Due Date: 09/16/2025 at 8:59 PM (EDT)
Passing Grade: A | Due Date: 09/16/2025 at 8:59 PM (EDT) Please hand in a final refined project proposal based on feedback and vetting.
Week 5: Final Reflection on Discussion Board (due by 9/16)
Upload 1 files to pass. | Due Date: 09/16/2025 at 9:06 PM (EDT)
Upload 1 files to pass. | Due Date: 09/16/2025 at 9:06 PM (EDT) Take a moment to reflect on your learning experience and post key learnings to the discussion board
Community Partnerships Resource Guide - open source list of programs
Select the "View On-Demand Recording" button to begin.
Select the "View On-Demand Recording" button to begin. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TG1G7_kzdlTMxCmaPW-cy60Ofm1KhGtgPvhe4xscgx8/edit#gid=0