LIVE from the InsightsEDU 2025 Conference - with Carmin Chan, Vice Provost, NAU Online, Northern Arizona University
It's YOUR time to #EdUp
In this episode, recorded LIVE from the InsightsEDU 2025 Conference in New Orleans
YOUR guest is Carmin Chan, Vice Provost, NAU Online, Northern Arizona University
YOUR host is Dr. Joe Sallustio
In this compelling episode, Dr. Chan shares valuable insights about NAU Online's transformation & how they're evolving to better serve the modern learner.
Speaking from the InsightsEDU conference, Dr. Chan reveals how NAU is reimagining their online education approach after 25 years of experience, creating what she calls "NAU Online 2.0."
With extensive experience in online education & previous work at University of Arizona, Dr. Chan brings deep knowledge in building online education from within existing institutional infrastructure.
She makes a powerful case for why institutions need to develop their online capabilities organically rather than through acquisitions, fostering internal buy-in & sustainable growth.
The conversation explores how today's online learners need student-centered policies & systems that accommodate their unique circumstances, rather than traditional structures that create barriers.
Dr. Chan shares practical insights about using data-driven approaches to provide targeted student support, while emphasizing the importance of human connection in the online experience.
Most intriguingly, she discusses NAU's focus on increasing entry points for students, recognizing that adult learners make decisions to pursue education at various times throughout the year.
Her perspective on creating community for online students & improving Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) policies provides valuable context for understanding today's recruitment landscape.
For anyone interested in online education's future, this episode delivers actionable insights from an expert working to transform institutional approaches to serving modern learners.
Dr. Chan's combination of academic leadership & student-centered philosophy makes this a must-listen conversation about effective online education in today's competitive landscape.
Listen in to #EdUp
Do YOU want to accelerate YOUR professional development?
Do YOU want to get exclusive early access to ad-free episodes, extended episodes, bonus episodes, original content, invites to special events, & more?
Then BECOME AN #EdUp PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER TODAY - $19.99/month or $199.99/year (Save 17%)!
Want YOUR org to cover costs? Email: EdUp@edupexperience.com
Thank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!
Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - Elvin Freytes & Dr. Joe Sallustio
● Join YOUR EdUp community at The EdUp Experience!
We make education YOUR business!
America's Leading Higher Education Podcast
America's Leading Higher Education Podcast Network
The EdUp Experience: NAU Online's Transformation
Interview with Dr. Carmen Chan, Vice Provost at Northern Arizona University Online
Episode Summary
In this episode of The EdUp Experience podcast, recorded live from the Insights EDU conference in New Orleans, host Dr. Joe Sallustio interviews Dr. Carmen Chan, Vice Provost at Northern Arizona University Online, about transforming online education to better serve today's modern learners.
About Dr. Carmen Chan and NAU Online
Dr. Chan joined Northern Arizona University (NAU) a year prior to the interview to help reimagine what she calls "NAU Online 2.0." With over 25 years of experience in online education, NAU is now at a pivotal moment to transform its approach to better serve online students. Dr. Chan previously worked at the University of Arizona, bringing valuable experience to her role at NAU.
Key Insights:
Building from Within vs. Acquisition
Unlike some universities that acquire existing online institutions (such as University of Arizona's acquisition of Ashford University), NAU is taking an organic approach:
"To build for longevity, you build intentionally from within your ecosystem," Dr. Chan explains. While this approach involves more change management and shifting hearts and minds, it integrates online education more deeply into the university's fabric rather than creating a separate entity.
Student-Centered Policy Reform
Dr. Chan emphasizes the importance of reviewing university policies through the lens of online learners:
"If you know there's a common pain point or an area where students are being funneled out because our systems aren't working for them or our rules aren't working for them, then asking those hard questions about why, rather than blaming the student."
Her team conducted a comprehensive gap analysis by interviewing every major student-facing department to identify barriers for online students and collaboratively develop solutions.
Data-Driven Human Interactions
One of the most significant trends Dr. Chan identifies is using data to enhance human interactions with students:
"So much of the future is really driven by data-driven insights helping to drive the human interaction that we can have with our online students."
This approach allows institutions to target interventions based on student needs rather than applying a one-size-fits-all support model, enabling staff to have "maximum impact when they reach out."
Flexible Entry Points
NAU is working to increase entry points for students throughout the year:
"Students arrive whenever they're ready to arrive," Dr. Chan notes, explaining that increasing intake periods is a practical way to better serve adult learners who make education decisions on their own timelines rather than following traditional academic calendars.
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
Dr. Chan advocates for more user-friendly prior learning assessment policies that truly benefit students:
"So often our institutions don't actually either give them the credit for those experiences or we give them general elective credit that can't actually be applied to their degree."
NAU is forming task forces with faculty and academic partners to improve the application of transfer credit and prior learning experiences to help students complete their degrees more efficiently.
Building Community for Online Students
Creating a sense of belonging is crucial for online learners:
"Helping them to build a sense of self that's associated with your institution and some of your institutional traditions... makes them more likely to persist in their current program and feel a sense of community to potentially want to re-enroll in other programming in the future."
Conclusion
Under the leadership of President Jose Luis Cruz Rivera and Dr. Chan, NAU Online is positioning itself as "an engine of opportunity" for learners in Arizona and beyond. Their approach focuses on building from within the university ecosystem while modernizing practices to meet the needs of today's online students through data-driven insights, flexible entry points, improved prior learning assessment, and a strong sense of community.
The EdUp Experience is a podcast that makes education your business, hosted by Dr. Joe Sallustio and Produced by Elvin Freytes.