Beth Hargrave-Thomas

Save time and stay connected with your learners by automating reminders and feedback that drive engagement and success. Dr. Elizabeth Pearsall, Ph.D., Assistant Provost for Teaching and Learning at The American College of Financial Services, designed Intelligent Agents that help learners reconnect with their courses and stay on track. As a result, 70% of learners re-engaged with their course, with one-third submitting work within seven days. Watch the video below to learn why Intelligent Agents are helpful in your day-to-day and take the course to learn how to set up your own. Modules 1–3 are now live in D2L Academy, with more to come. ➡️ https://ow.ly/q57a30sQMsY

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Continuing my series on program management on this chilly Tuesday in Atlanta. This week, I’d like to provide examples of the types of programs that program managers own in L&D. 📋 Mentor Programs - Many organizations run a pairing program to match mentors and mentees to develop careers and build relationships across the organization. 📋 Certification Programs - Credentialing programs are especially popular in fast-paced tech as nontraditional education pathways can launch faster than traditional education. 📋 Skills Programs - Many companies want to identify, train, and map skills amongst resources in their organizations. 📋 Leadership Development Programs - Things like manager training and emerging leader programs are important to succession planning and staffing pipelines. 📋 Onboarding and New Hire Programs - Someone has got to chart the experience for people who join a company, and that someone is a program manager. Each of these can be quite different. Program managers often specialize in one of these niches rather than trying to do it all. Which do you have experience with? #ProgramManagement #ProjectManagement #LearningAndDevelopment #TransitioningTeachers Image Description: A group of young people in a corporate session face the speaker and raise their hands.

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Micro-credentials and digital badges at FGCU are transforming the way for adult learners to be recognized across key industry sectors. These flexible, skills-based credentials provide new pathways to upskill, reskill, and complement traditional degrees through stackable learning opportunities. Join us this week as we explore the evolving landscape of micro-credentials in higher education and their growing role in meeting workforce demands. Register today: https://lnkd.in/d7j42w22

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NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, NC State Extension, and the NC Digital Futures Program https://lnkd.in/e6JN3-9F are honored to have contributed to the development of these new digital skills standards. Our shared vision is simple yet powerful: that every individual in North Carolina—on the farm, in the home, and in the workplace—will have the digital skills needed to EARN, LEARN, BE WELL, and LIVE WELL. These standards are an important step toward making that vision a reality across our state. #NCDigitalFutures #NCExtension #WorkforceDevelopment #DigitalSkills

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Most of you know that for the last 8 years I’ve been working with the Leadership Development Program for teens, Extreme Teen Leaders (XTL) Exteme Teen Leaders is coming back to South Florida May 1. We help teens discover their potential and transform their lives through social and emotional learning (SEL) training. Teens learn how to be confident, resilient, and creative in any situation. Check out Exteme Teen Leaders at https://lnkd.in/dkDCQkFJ #leadership #teen #teens #teenager #teenagers #teenchoice #leadershipcoach #leadershipskills #teenleadership #leadershiplessons

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Just visited Clark Atlanta University with the NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF BLACK SCHOOL EDUCATORS (NABSE) NTI team—and I’m inspired! Their Graduate School of Education is doing some truly innovative work to prepare the next generation of educators. One highlight: a teacher simulator designed to train aspiring teachers in real-time classroom scenarios. What a powerful tool to build confidence, skill, and cultural responsiveness before stepping into a real classroom. This is what it looks like when institutions invest in practice, purpose, and innovation. Kudos to Dean Turner and Dr. Bennett for their leadership! Grateful for the visit—and excited about what’s ahead for the future of teacher preparation. Yourway Learning NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF BLACK SCHOOL EDUCATORS (NABSE) #TeacherTraining #InnovationInEducation #GraduateEducation #NTI

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🚨 I didn't just study AI in higher education. I built a framework to transform how we THINK about it. As a 2025–2026 Practitioner Fellow at the Center for HBCU Research, Leadership, and Policy — and as Senior Executive Director of the Tennessee State University Smart Innovation Technology Center — I had a mandate: produce scholarship that MOVES the needle. Today, I'm proud to introduce the world to the V.A.L.I.D. Spectrum (also known as the HASSELL-AI Model. 🔬 Verification Assessment Levels for Intelligent Discernment A five-level framework for evaluating AI-generated content in higher education — built from the ground up at one of the most innovative applied AI research centers in the nation, @TSU SMART Innovation Technology Center. Here's the problem V.A.L.I.D. solves: Generative AI can produce hallucinated facts, fabricated citations, and embedded bias — and most students have never been taught how to catch it. Detection tools alone aren't enough. We needed a framework that builds COMPETENCY, not just compliance. So I built one. 📊 Five levels. From Unverified 🔴 to New Research-Ideation Excellence 🟢. Anchored in Bloom's Taxonomy. Grounded in Vygotsky's scaffolding. Aligned with ACRL standards, SACSCOC outcomes, and Tennessee state AI policy. This isn't theoretical. This is institutional infrastructure for the AI age. V.A.L.I.D. is already being positioned for: ✅ Faculty development workshops ✅ Program-level assessment integration ✅ Quality Enhancement Plan alignment ✅ National AI literacy leadership across HBCUs and MSIs Why HBCUs? Because equity demands it. Our students deserve transparent criteria and scaffolded support to compete — and LEAD — in an AI-driven workforce. This work was produced with diligence, precision, and a deep sense of responsibility to the students and institutions I serve. I'm not just keeping up with the future of education. I'm helping build it. 🏗️ 📍 Presented at the HCRN Annual Conference 2026 | Howard University 🏛️ Tennessee State University SMART Innovation Technology Center 🎓 Center for HBCU Research, Leadership & Policy | Howard University #VALIDSpectrum #AIinEducation #HBCUExcellence #ArtificialIntelligence #HigherEducation #AILiteracy #TennesseeStateUniversity #HowardUniversity #ResearchPractitioner #AcademicInnovation #EdTech #ResponsibleAI #BlackScholarsMatter #SmartCenter #AIFramework #HBCUProud #Innovation #Scholarship #DrRobertOHassell

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This is what student-centered collaboration looks like. By strengthening transfer pathways between TCSG and Mercer University, we’re creating clearer, more accessible routes to bachelor’s degrees, and real opportunity, for Georgia students and families.

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So great to see TN teachers helping students embrace the potential for AI by modeling creation themselves and connecting learners to those in the field to help address challenges . Looking forward to seeing our state continue to lead the way in developing AI literacy for future citizens and workers contributing to a better Tennessee! Tennessee STEM Innovation Network

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Excited to see East Tennessee State University continue its partnership with Ellucian as they move forward with Ellucian Student powered by Banner. This next step supports a more connected, student-first experience, bringing greater flexibility and insight to better serve students and staff. Learn more about Ellucian Student: https://lnkd.in/eVwDaxYq #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #HigherEdTech #EllucianStudent

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Why Investing in Non-Instructional Staff Matters In every educational organization, there’s a dedicated network of non-instructional staff who keep things running smoothly and create the conditions where learning can thrive. From HR professionals and custodians to IT teams, administrative assistants, and cafeteria workers, these individuals play a vital role in shaping the culture and success of our schools and districts. ✅ Culture: When non-instructional staff feel valued, respected, and supported, it creates a ripple effect. A positive school culture isn’t built in one office or one classroom—it’s built across the entire ecosystem. Students thrive when every adult they encounter demonstrates care and professionalism. ✅ Return on Investment: Investing in training, development, and recognition for non-instructional staff isn’t a cost—it’s a strategy. It reduces turnover, builds institutional knowledge, and drives efficiency. Every dollar invested in people multiplies when it improves operations, morale, and community trust. ✅ Leadership Impact: True educational leadership recognizes that culture isn’t shaped by instruction alone. Leaders who prioritize all staff send a clear message: every role matters. That perspective creates loyalty, fosters innovation, and ensures the mission of education is carried out seamlessly, from the classroom to the community. When all staff rise, the entire organization rises with them. Powerful initiative.

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Truly the best method I've ever seen for teaching math formulas! If I'd had Mr. Williams as a math teacher, maybe I wouldn't have been an English major 😉

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Elon University and Queens University of Charlotte announce intent to merge The private North Carolina institutions said the combination would help meet the educational and workforce needs of Charlotte, the state’s biggest city. https://lnkd.in/grjqPjcN

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Understanding the impact of access to technology at home can help educators advocate for the needs of their students. Knowing about community partners like Kramden Institute, who can help bridge the divide is empowering for educators. #digitaldivide

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Honored to have participated in the Rise of Randolph panel discussion, presented by Duke Energy. It was a strong conversation about Randolph County’s trajectory from economic growth to the talent pipeline strategies needed to sustain it and a reminder that real progress happens when business, K-12, economic development, and higher education stay aligned. At Randolph Community College, our focus remains clear: • Align programs with regional industry demand • Strengthen K-12 to workforce pathways • Expand short-term, credential-based training • Support employers with agile, responsive solutions Economic development doesn’t move far without workforce development moving first intentionally and in partnership. Grateful to Archdale-Trinity Chamber of Commerce for convening the discussion and to Duke Energy for sponsoring. I appreciated the chance to share how RCC is building scalable pathways in skilled trades, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies. #WorkforceDevelopment #EconomicDevelopment #CommunityCollegeLeadership #TalentPipeline #RandolphCounty #RiseOfRandolph

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The LEARN Commission’s new report on Learning Evaluation for the 21st Century deserves serious attention from higher education leaders. For decades, we have treated transfer credit and prior learning evaluation as administrative processes. In reality, they are infrastructure decisions that shape whether learners move forward or give up entirely. The report highlights what many institutions quietly know: 1) Learning evaluation is still largely manual, decentralized, and inconsistent. 2) Decisions about prior learning often require staff to review transcripts, syllabi, portfolios, and credentials one case at a time. 3) The result is slow decisions, unclear rules, and unnecessary repetition of work. Meanwhile, learner mobility has exploded. Students move between institutions, workforce training programs, military education, dual enrollment, online providers, and employer-based learning. The traditional course-by-course transfer model was never designed for this level of complexity. The LEARN Commission proposes an important shift in mindset: Instead of asking “Should we accept this learning?” Institutions should begin by asking, “Is the learner prepared to continue?” This is a subtle but powerful change. But implementing this vision requires something the report only hints at: data infrastructure. Today, most learning evidence still lives in PDFs, transcripts, syllabi, and course catalogs. These artifacts were built for humans to read, not for systems to compare or evaluate. If institutions want faster, fairer, and more transparent learning evaluation, we will need to move toward machine-readable learning data, including: • course learning outcomes • program competencies • credential metadata • skills mappings • machine-readable transcripts When learning data becomes structured and interoperable, several things become possible: • automated outcome alignment across institutions • AI-assisted credit evaluation • real-time transfer guidance for students • transparent credential pathways • stronger connections between education and workforce skills In other words, the real transformation is not simply policy reform. It is the creation of a national learning mobility infrastructure. The LEARN Commission report opens the door to that conversation. The next step is building the systems that make it real. The question for higher education leaders is simple: Are we redesigning transfer processes…Or finally redesigning the learning system itself?

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🚀 New Resource Live! — Financial Literacy LibGuide for FTCC Students I’m excited to share the launch of our new Financial Literacy LibGuide at Fayetteville Technical Community College: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ekU8fbz4 This guide was designed to help students build practical money skills — from budgeting basics to understanding credit, income, and financial decision-making. One of my goals was to move beyond static lists of links and create something more engaging. With the help of ChatGPT, I added interactive features such as: ✨ Budget Simulator — allowing students to experiment with income and expenses in a hands-on way ✨ Hourly ↔ Salary Wage Converter — helping students better understand how pay translates across different work structures Interactive widgets encourage students to linger, explore, and learn actively rather than just clicking the first relevant link they see and moving on. By making financial concepts interactive, we can support deeper understanding and more intentional engagement with library resources. We’ll be promoting the guide more broadly in April for Financial Literacy Month, including programming and displays to highlight financial wellness resources for our students. I’m excited to continue evolving this guide and exploring how AI tools can help libraries create more dynamic learning experiences. #FinancialLiteracy #StudentSuccess #HigherEd #AcademicLibraries #LibGuides #EdTech #ChatGPT

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Proud to highlight the powerful partnership between MECK Pre-K and Read Charlotte as we continue to strengthen early literacy across our community. Through the VIP Read-Aloud Model, our youngest learners are not just listening to stories; they are engaging in meaningful, high-level conversations. Our students are building strong foundations in vocabulary, inferencing, and perspective-taking. These skills prepare them to think critically and deeply about what they read long before they enter elementary school. This work is intentional. It’s about ensuring that every child has access to rich language experiences and the opportunity to make sense of complex ideas through shared reading. Because of this partnership, our classrooms are filled with purposeful interactions that elevate both teaching and learning. We’re excited to see the continued impact of this work and proud that our students are developing the skills needed to become confident readers and thinkers. Take a look at Read Charlotte’s latest impact report to learn more about how this model is making a difference across our community. https://lnkd.in/eqyrrFiP #EarlyLiteracy #PreK #ReadCharlotte #MECKPreK #EducationMatters #LiteracyLeaders #EquityInEducation #CharlotteNC

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