In this episode of the Campus Changemakers Podcast, Ben Hallett sits down with Adam Klepetar, Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management at Berkshire Community College, to explore the power of community colleges, holistic student support, and the human side of student success. Adam shares how his own transformational college experience shaped a career dedicated to creating access and opportunity for students. Together, Ben and Adam discuss Berkshire’s remarkable recent growth, the impact of Massachusetts’ free community college initiative, and why investing in advising, mental health, and essential needs support is critical to improving student outcomes. The conversation also dives into leadership, student development theory, AI in higher education, and the importance of preserving human connection in an increasingly digital world. At the heart of the episode is a simple but powerful idea: higher education works best when students feel seen, supported, and connected to a community that believes in their potential.
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Professor Mark Hoffman is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and a Vice-President of the University of Newcastle. In this role he is responsible for the academic activities of the University including its education programs, encompassing: enabling and pathways programs; the Wollotuka Institute for advancement and leadership of Indigenous education; and education innovation and technology.
Ben sits down with Jodie Davis from the University of Newcastle. Jodie is the associate director of student engagement at the University. She has over two decades of experience in higher education working in a broad range of roles.
Ben sits down with David Morales from Western Governors University. He is the Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President at the University, where he is responsible for all technology aspects of the Institution. He is passionate about solving business problems with the right technology.
In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Chris Baker-Brown sits down with Caroline Tolond. Caroline is the Head of Careers and Employability at Arden University. She is passionate about creating institutional-wide strategies for delivering excellence in employability and careers, building innovative and creative teams, and implementing technology to enable career information, advice, and guidance accessible to all students, regardless of their background and circumstances.
In this episode of the Champions Coffee Podcast, Vygo’s Co-Founder Ben Hallet sits down with Sukhwant Jhaj, Vice Provost for Academic Innovation and Student Achievement at Arizona State University. In his role as vice provost, Jhaj pursues ways to create greater levels of student success for all learners across all degree types.
