Degrees of Change

California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy

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Education

A podcast from California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy that explores how smart higher education and workforce policies can help Californians learn, contribute, and thrive. Through candid conversations with thought leaders, policymakers, and practitioners, this podcast brings bold ideas and practical solutions to address some of the state’s most pressing challenges.

Oct 22

Building Adult-Ready Institutions with the California Partnership for Adult Learner Success

“It’s not you. It was never you. It was us. Our institutions were not built to meet people where they are.” — Dr. Jenni Murphy Adult learners rarely take a straight path through college. They step away for work, caregiving, finances, or a layoff, and when they come back, they often find institutions still built around 18-year-olds on a four-year schedule. For the more than 6 million working-age Californians with a high school diploma but no postsecondary degree, those mismatches can mean the difference between finishing and leaving again. Dr. Su Jin Jez talks with Dr. Jenni Murphy of Sacramento State and Dr. Kate Mahar of Shasta College, longtime partners in the California Partnership for Adult Learner Success (C-PALS). They explain how student voice has reshaped practices on their campuses, why the value of a degree for adults reaches beyond just a paycheck, and what it will take to make sure adult learners have a place in the future of California higher education. Key Topics Why adult learners’ interrupted college journeys are often a reflection of institutional design not an individual issueHow listening to learners has prompted campuses to rethink their institutional practices around course schedules to the language used in academic communicationsWhat it means to move beyond a narrow focus on earnings for college return on investment and recognize the benefits for families, communities, and California’s economyHow C-PALS is connecting research, campus innovation, policy change, and student partnerships to help build a higher education system where adults can return, complete, and thriveOur Guests Dr. Jenni Murphy is the Dean of the College of Continuing Education at Sacramento State, where she provides executive leadership for programs, partnerships, and strategies that respond to the educational and workforce needs of adult learners, employers, public agencies, and communities. She previously served as Senior Innovation Fellow for Workforce and Education Partnerships and Vice President of Enrollment & Engagement. Her research on Californians who have earned college credit but not a credential has informed regional and statewide initiatives, including Degrees When Due and the California Partnership for Adult Learner Success. She also helped catalyze the Sacramento K-16 Collaborative, an eight-county partnership strengthening education-to-career pathways across the Capital Region. She holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Sacramento State. Dr. Kate Mahar is the Associate Vice President of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives at Shasta College, where she leads institutional efforts to advance equity, innovation, and workforce-aligned education. As Executive Director of the Shasta College Attainment and Innovation Lab for Equity (SCAILE), she collaborates with partners to develop, implement, and evaluate promising practices for rural community colleges. She also leads the North State Together Talent Hub through CivicLab, part of a 10-county collective impact partnership serving California’s far north. Kate has 20 years of experience in community colleges and holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California. In This Episode The California Partnership for Adult Learner Success (C-PALS)Shasta College Attainment and Innovation Lab for Equity (SCAILE)Sacramento State College of Continuing EducationCalifornia Community Colleges academic notice regulationsCalifornia Competes research on comebacker students and academic probationCalifornia Competes research on comebacker students and a multidimensional view of ROICalifornia Competes Research about the Shasta College Accelerated College Education (ACE)California Competes research on student-centered schedulingStay Connected Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Sign up to receive updates.Follow California Competes on LinkedIn.
Sep 17

Advancing Student Parent Success with Dr. Tina Cheuk

"The more diversity we have in classrooms, we all benefit from that in terms of innovation, creativity, and generating prosperity for all of California."— Dr. Tina Cheuk Student parents make up one in eight students in California’s postsecondary system. They bring rich perspectives, strong motivation, and lived experience that enrich their classrooms and communities, yet many still navigate policies, classrooms, and campuses that were not designed with their realities in mind. Supporting student parents is essential not only to their own or their children’s success, but also to building a more innovative, inclusive California. In this episode of Degrees of Change, California Competes CEO Su Jin Jez connects with Dr. Tina Cheuk, an associate professor of elementary science education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and director of #StudentParentJoy, to explore how institutions can recognize student parents' strengths, reduce barriers to success, and ensure their perspectives help shape higher education's future. Key Topics What Tina's own experience as a student parent revealed about how higher education sees and too often fails to see students raising childrenWhy student parents' perspectives make classrooms stronger and enrich California's innovation, creativity, and prosperityHow #StudentParentJoy challenges stereotypes by centering student parents' strengths, aspirations, and perspectivesThe evolution of the statewide student parent movement and The California Alliance for Student Parent Success's role in moving policy from passage to implementationHow recent state legislation has centered student parent needs through priority registration, stronger data collection, improved financial aid access, and greater institutional accountabilityOur Guest Dr. Tina Cheuk is an associate professor of elementary science education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and director of #StudentParentJoy, a media and policy research initiative working to redefine what it means to be a pregnant or parenting student in the California State University system. Drawing on her experience as a student parent and her work as an educator, researcher, and advocate, she works to make student parents more visible and better supported. She is a 2025 recipient of the Stanford Graduate School of Education Alumni Excellence in Education Award and has served on The California Alliance for Student Parent Success's advisory committee. In This Episode #StudentParentJoy: https://www.studentparentjoy.org/ The California Alliance for Student Parent Success: https://castudentparentalliance.org/ The Student Parent Almanac: https://castudentparentalliance.org/resources/ca-student-parents-almanac/ Making the Invisible Visible: Taking Stock of How the California State University Collects and Uses Data About Parenting Students: https://castudentparentalliance.org/resources/csu-parenting-students-report/ Advocates Amplified Spotlight: Dr. Tina Cheuk: https://castudentparentalliance.org/resources/advocates-amplified-spotlight-2-cheuk/ AB 2881: https://thepregnantscholar.org/california-ab-2881-new-rights-for-parenting-students-in-ca/ The GAINS for Student Parents Act: https://castudentparentalliance.org/resources/ab-2458-berman-greater-accessibility-information-notice-and-support-gains-for-student-parents-act/ Stay Connected Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Sign up to receive updates.Follow California Competes on LinkedIn.
Aug 13

The Role of Local Leadership in Higher Education with Libby Schaaf

"Education is not just the responsibility of educators. It is everyone's responsibility." When we talk about transforming higher education, the focus is often on colleges and state policymakers. But many of the forces that shape student success, from workforce opportunities to housing affordability, are deeply local. In a state as large and diverse as California, student needs and regional conditions vary widely within and across communities. In this episode of Degrees of Change, California Competes CEO Su Jin Jez connects with president and CEO of the Bay Area Council and former Oakland mayor, Libby Schaaf, to explore the role local and regional leaders play in strengthening higher education through cross-sector collaboration. Key Topics The Oakland Promise and its role as proof of concept for Cal Kids, now the nation's largest college savings programWhy higher education must move past the idea that learning ends in your 20s, and why listening closely and often to employers is essential as needs rapidly evolveApprenticeships as a proven path to a future-ready workforceWhy community systems must operate as one continuum to support children from cradle to careerOur Guest Libby Schaaf is the president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, a policy organization representing employers and focused on strengthening the region's economic competitiveness and long-term prosperity. With decades of public service and executive leadership experience, Libby is a fierce advocate for education with a strong track record of building public-private partnerships and driving economic transformation. As Oakland's 50th mayor, she helped establish the Oakland Promise, a cradle-to-career initiative to increase the number of Oakland students graduating from college. She is also a long-term member of California Competes's board of directors and has continued to shape conversations on leadership, equity, and economic development through fellowships and teaching roles at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Harvard University. In This Episode Bay Area Council: https://www.bayareacouncil.org/ Oakland Promise: https://www.oaklandpromise.org/ Cal Kids: https://calkids.org/Medi-Cal: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/medi-cal/San Francisco’s K2C Program: https://www.sfgov.org/k2cTrump Accounts: https://trumpaccounts.gov/Northern California Apprenticeship Network: https://www.norcalapprenticeshipnetwork.com/Harvard’s EdRedesign Lab: https://edredesign.org/Harlem Children’s Zone: https://hcz.org/Promise Neighborhoods: https://promiseneighborhoods.ed.gov/ Stay Connected Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Sign up to receive updates.Follow California Competes on LinkedIn.
Jul 14

AI and the Future of Learning with Isabelle Hau

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how we work, learn, and connect. But what should that mean for higher education? In this episode of Degrees of Change, California Competes CEO Su Jin Jez sits down with sits down with one of education’s leading thinkers on AI, Isabelle Hau, Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, to explore how AI could transform learning and why the most important questions may have less to do with technology and more to do with human development. Their conversation explores the promise and risks of AI in education, including personalized learning, student supports, critical thinking, creativity, ethics, and the growing importance of what Hau calls "relational intelligence." Key Topics How AI could reshape teaching, learning, assessment, and student supportWhy the concept of the "Turing Trap" is relevant for AI and educationWhy relational intelligence may become one of the most valuable skills in an AI-driven economyHow AI can help reduce barriers for student parentsThe emerging divide between AI creators and AI usersOur Guest Isabelle Hau is Executive Director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, where she leads efforts to connect learning science, technology, and innovation to improve outcomes for learners around the world. She is also the author of Love to Learn: The Transformative Power of Care and Connection in Early Education and a leading voice on the future of learning, human development, and equitable educational opportunity. In This Episode Stanford Accelerator for Learning: https://acceleratelearning.stanford.edu/Love to Learn: The Transformative Power of Care and Connection in Early Education by Isabelle C. Hau: https://isabellehau.com/book-love-to-learn/Erik Brynjolfsson's work on the Turing Trap: https://www.technologyreview.com/2017/12/18/241341/the-turing-trap-the-promise-peril-of-human-like-artificial-intelligence/David Deming's research on social skills and the labor market: https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/ddeming/files/deming_socialskills_aug16.pdfStanford Center for Teaching and Learning: https://ctl.stanford.edu/Stanford Accelerator for Learning's work on AI and learning: https://acceleratelearning.stanford.edu/artificial-intelligence-and-learning/Stay Connected Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Sign up to receive updates.Follow California Competes on LinkedIn.
May 28

Innovation in Higher Education with Maria Anguiano

California’s higher education system has served millions of students. But it was built as a rigid, one-time credential system that does not meet the needs of all learners. In this episode, California Competes CEO Dr. Su Jin Jez speaks with College Futures Foundation’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence Maria Anguiano about how to redesign higher education to be more flexible, more equitable, and more responsive to how people actually learn. Drawing on her experience leading large-scale efforts at Arizona State University, Maria outlines a set of design principles and practical strategies for change. Key Topics Designing higher education around learners rather than institutionsModular, stackable pathways and competency-based learningThe role of digital infrastructure in expanding access and improving qualityMoving beyond modality to focus on better student outcomes Our Guest Maria Anguiano is Entrepreneur-in-Residence at College Futures Foundation and former Executive Vice President of Arizona State University’s Learning Enterprise. At ASU, she led the development of a lifelong learning model that reached more than one million learners across more than 140 countries. She is a first-generation college graduate and serves as Vice Chair of the University of California Board of Regents and on the boards of the James Irvine Foundation and the KIPP Foundation. In This Episode Maria Anguiano’s Blog Series: https://collegefutures.org/tag/maria-anguianos-blog-series-on-transforming-education-for-a-changing-economy/Rewriting Education’s Design Principles: https://collegefutures.org/rewriting-educations-design-principles/California Competes Convening at the ASU+GSV Summit: panel-on-california-higher-education-innovation-at-the-asugsv-summitReimagining Online Education: https://californiacompetes.org/resources/reimagining-online-ed/Redesigning Higher Education for Today’s Students: https://cahybridcollege.com/ASU Local: https://asulocal.asu.edu/California Learning Lab: https://calearninglab.org/ATAIN (AI Transfer and Articulation Infrastructure Network), UC Berkeley: https://www.atainnetwork.org/Building a Shared Vision for California Higher Ed’s Future: building-a-shared-vision-for-californias-higher-ed-future Stay Connected Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Sign up to receive updates.Follow California Competes on LinkedIn.
Apr 23

The Basic Needs Movement in Higher Education with Dr. Rashida Crutchfield

When students can't meet their basic needs, academic success becomes exponentially harder. That reality shapes whether they enroll, persist, or graduate. For our third episode, California Competes CEO Su Jin Jez speaks with Dr. Rashida Crutchfield, a leading researcher and advocate whose work has helped spark a basic needs movement in higher education. They dig into what the evidence demands of institutions, policymakers, and communities, and what it will actually take to meet students where they are. Key Topics How the basic needs movement has evolved over two decades, and why rising costs and stubborn misconceptions mean the work is far from overWhy short-term fixes only go so far, and why cross-sector partnerships are essential to winning deeper investments in student basic needsWhy housing affordability is quietly shaping who enrolls in college at allOur Guest Dr. Rashida Crutchfield is a professor in the School of Social Work at California State University, Long Beach, and executive director of the Center for Equitable Higher Education, a research center dedicated to studying and promoting economic, food, and housing justice. A leading researcher and advocate, Rashida's work as principal investigator for the CSU system-wide study on food and housing security helped shape basic needs programs across all 23 CSU campuses. She is co-author of Addressing Homelessness and Housing Insecurity in Higher Education: Strategies for Educational Leaders, a widely used resource for institutions developing basic needs programs and services. Dr. Crutchfield is an advisory board member for California ASPIRES, a coalition California Competes recently launched to streamline public benefits for student success. In This Episode College Focused Rapid Rehousing ProgramCalifornia Alliance for Streamlining Public Investments and Resources for Every Student (California ASPIRES)Higher Ed Research Informing Solutions for Excellence (Higher Ed RISE) initiativeImproving College Affordability by Streamlining Access to Public BenefitsStay Connected Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Sign up to receive updates.Follow California Competes on LinkedIn.
Mar 25

Aligning Education and Work with Paul Fain

California Competes CEO Su Jin Jez speaks with journalist Paul Fain about aligning higher education and workforce systems to build a strong, inclusive economy. Together, they explore what system alignment looks like in practice, the opportunities and risks of Workforce Pell, how AI is reshaping education and work, and what it will take to build an inclusive economy for all Californians. Key Topics What aligning higher education and workforce systems actually means in practice, and where California stands relative to the rest of the countryWorkforce Pell's opportunities and risks, and why tuition is only part of the affordability equationHow AI is reshaping education and work, and the need to cut through the hype to focus on what students and institutions need to prepare forOur Guest Paul Fain is a journalist who covers the connections between education and work. He is co-founder of Work Shift, editor of the newsletter The Job, and host of The Cusp podcast, which explores how AI is changing the ways we learn and work. A veteran higher education reporter, Paul spent a decade at Inside Higher Ed as a senior reporter and news editor, where he led coverage of low-income and first-generation students, college completion, community colleges, and federal policy. In This Episode California Competes report, Insights from the Field: Barriers & Opportunities for Building Higher Education–Employer PartnershipsCalifornia Cradle-to-Career Data SystemCalifornia Alliance for Streamlining Public Investments and Resources for Every Student (California ASPIRES)Georgetown Center on Education and Workforce report, Missed Opportunities: Credential Shortages in Programs Aligned with High-Paying Middle-Skills Jobs in 55 US Metro AreasPew Research report, Interest Surging in Nondegree Credentials but How Do Students Finance Them?Harvard's Project on WorkforceCalifornia Competes report, From Institutions to Individuals: A Paradigm Shift for California’s Master Plan for Higher Education Stay Connected Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Sign up to receive updates.Follow California Competes on LinkedIn.
Feb 12

A Data System for All Californians with Mary Ann Bates

A Data System for All Californians with Mary Ann Bates We’re excited to bring you Crystal Clear: A Vision for the Future of California Higher Ed, a new season of Degrees of Change marking our organization’s 15th anniversary—our crystal anniversary. Throughout this season, we'll delve into some of the toughest issues facing higher education: college affordability, artificial intelligence, the pathways between education and work, supporting underserved students and prospective students like those with children, workers in low-wage jobs, and other underserved and often unseen populations, along with using data to drive equitable outcomes and more. For our first episode, California Competes CEO Su Jin Jez sits down with Mary Ann Bates, Executive Director of California's Office of Cradle-to-Career Data (C2C)—an initiative linking data across education, workforce, and social services to reveal pathways, outcomes, and opportunity gaps across the state. Key Topics What California's data landscape looked like before C2C—and the vision for something betterReal examples of how linked data helps answer questions that were previously impossible to tackleWhy a community co-design approach, rooted in a "listen first, then build" mentality, has been foundational to creating a truly useful resourceWhere the C2C data system is headed and its potential to transform education and workforce outcomes Our Guest Mary Ann Bates is the Executive Director of California's Office of Cradle-to-Career Data (C2C). C2C links data across California's education, workforce, and social service agencies to provide a clearer picture of pathways, outcomes, and equity gaps. It offers transparent, actionable insights that help policymakers, educators, and communities understand what works—and importantly, for whom. Prior to leading C2C, Mary Ann served as a senior fellow in the White House Office of Management and Budget, and prior to that served as the Executive Director of the North America Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which aims to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. In This Episode Higher Ed RISE (Higher Education Research Informing Solutions for Excellence): https://californiacompetes.org/higher-ed-rise/ CalKIDS College Savings Program: https://calkids.org/California Labor & Workforce Development Agency: https://www.labor.ca.gov/CalFresh (California SNAP Program): https://www.cdss.ca.gov/calfreshMedi-Cal (California Medicaid Program): https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-calStay Connected Subscribe to Degrees of Change on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Sign up to receive updates.Follow California Competes on LinkedIn.

A podcast from California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy that explores how smart higher education and workforce policies can help Californians learn, contribute, and thrive. Through candid conversations with thought leaders, policymakers, and practitioners, this podcast brings bold ideas and practical solutions to address some of the state’s most pressing challenges.

Creator

California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

14
Rating

Clean
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© 2026 Degrees of Change
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