LIVE From South College - Dean's List with Dr Persis Young for CBE and AI Accountability

Join host Kathleen Stockham as she delves into the impact of Competency Based Education (CBE) on college education with Dr. Persis Young. Discover how CBE is reshaping learning experiences, offering personalized support, and the lifestyle  considerations that come with it. CBE and all of its programs offer unique and individualized learning experiences. Later, Kathleen discusses ethical use of AI;  from enhancing student engagement to addressing challenges like data privacy and academic integrity, this episode covers it all.

Key Takeaways:

AI's role in personalized learning and 24/7 student support. Ethical concerns: plagiarism, data privacy, and AI bias. The importance of responsible AI use and developing AI literacy. Insights from Dr. Young on supporting students in a digital age.

Guest: Dr. Persis Young, Dean of Academic and Student Services, South College

Call to Action: Enjoyed the episode? Rate us and share your feedback at southcollegepodcast.south.edu. Stay tuned for more discussions on the future of education at South College

Got a question? Have some feedback? Email us at SouthCollegePodcast@south.edu or come visit us at www.south.edu.  Follow us on social media too.  The Live from South College Podcast is your source for all South College activity including new student information, deeps dive’s into our 100+ programs, and concentrations,  “Tools of the Trade,” and even Live on location from all of our campuses! Great interviews with Faculty, Staff, Deans and hear from South College students and alumni in their own words. From Certificates all the way to Doctoral degrees, catch up with “Live from South College” for the lighter side of helping your dreams find direction. 

Transcript

TRANSCRIPT – Dean’s List with Dr Persis Young and CBE and AI Accountability

Kathleen Stockham (00:36)

Welcome to the Live From South College podcast. I'm your host Kathleen Stockham. The Live From South College podcast is your source for all South College activity, including new student information, deep dives into our 100 plus programs and concentration, tools of the trade, and even live on location from all of our campuses. Great interviews with faculty, staff, deans, and hear from South College students and alumni in their own words.

from certificates all the way to doctoral degrees, catch up with live from South College for the lighter side of helping your dreams find direction. Well, if you've ever wanted to work on, ⁓ I don't know, a rocket ship or runaway train or maybe just being strapped to a cheetah, then you might know how my next guest feels. As part of this monster meteor called CBE, the students are signing up fast.

and the work with the students themselves is always ongoing along with the development of new programs. My guest is right in the middle of educated thinkers with big plans. And I'm sure she's probably tired of reading dissertations, maybe. I am pleased to welcome the Dean of Academic and Student Services for CBE, Dr. Persis Young. Hi, Dr. Young.

Persis Young (01:57)

Thank you so much for having me.

Kathleen Stockham (01:59)

Yay. I am so excited you're here and I feel like I talk about CBE more than any other set of programs because it is so exciting and you get to live it each and every day. What do you think?

Persis Young (02:12)

Oh, I love it. I love it. I mean, it is such an honor and a privilege to be on the front lines of innovation in higher education. Just like you were saying, we're growing so quickly. know, South CBE has truly changed lives of students through their flexibility and that really student-centered learning. And we really meet students where they are. So being part of that is incredible. I start work every day grateful to be part of something so amazing.

Kathleen Stockham (02:37)

I love that. That's awesome. Well, CBE is obviously one of the fastest growing areas for South College and it is literally mushroomed overnight. How exciting has it been to be a part of this rocket ship?

Persis Young (02:49)

It's been incredible. mean, honestly, I'll say I start every day just ready to get started serving students. Our entire campus shares that enthusiasm and that excitement. We love seeing student success. We love the growth. We love everything about what we do here.

Kathleen Stockham (03:05)

I love that. You know, it's funny, I have been watching this from the sidelines and you can't help but get caught up because it is infectious. As you learn about CBE and you see all of these professionals coming through the door, literally, figuratively, the door to get more information about how to achieve these higher level, graduate level.

programs and they can do it on their own time and they can do it at their own pace. It's really exciting. So as the Dean of Academic Success, how challenging is it to mentor students and work with them when they are asynchronous and spread out across the entire country?

Persis Young (03:43)

Great question. So there's definitely unique challenges that come with supporting students who are asynchronous and geographically dispersed, right? You don't have the luxury of walking down a hallway to check in and see how things are going. But you know, with those challenges come really great opportunities. So here at South, we've been able to embrace technology, proactive communication strategies to build relationships, you know, in those virtual environments.

And I think it's really about being intentional, right? We meet students with empathy, we listen actively, and we ensure that they know that we're here for them. And so even if we're not in the same zip code, they know those things and they feel that wraparound support from us.

Kathleen Stockham (04:23)

⁓ that's got to be really awesome and most importantly, very reassuring to them. So this begs a question. When do students need you in your opinion on their journey? And what can you do for them as dean?

Persis Young (04:38)

Yeah, of course, we think about this continually, right? Because it's part of meeting students where they're at and serving them, you know, where they need us the most. So I would say students often need us the most during times of transition, you know, when they're first entering the program, when life throws unexpected challenges their way, or when they begin to lose motivation, right? So in those moments, we're here to offer guidance, encouragement, and practical tools.

So sometimes it could be a strategic plan, other times it's simply reminding them of why they started, know, refining that why. Our role really is to help them stay grounded and empowered. And we all work together as a campus towards that same vision of student success.

Kathleen Stockham (05:20)

That's so cool. And again, it's got to be rewarding when you do get to go back and remind these students, know, hey, remember, here's why you're doing this. Here is the end goal. Here are all the reasons that you're making this sacrifice, which I think is really awesome. What has been your favorite part of being the Dean of Academic Success for CBE?

Persis Young (05:40)

My favorite part is seeing the transformation. So watching a student come in that may be a little bit uncertain, maybe they're a little bit hesitant, and then we watch them grow, transform, and change into a confident thought leader. So there's nothing more rewarding than that, I would say. And I also love the collaboration with our faculty, mentors, and our leadership. And everyone is so invested in student success and that

shared mission that we have makes every challenge we solve together worth it and then you know at the end of the day we walk away feeling just like we've accomplished so much. It's amazing.

Kathleen Stockham (06:17)

Yeah, and you get to accomplish it together, which I think is even more amazing. So you get to work with student favorite Dr. Michael Patrick, who is a very frequent guest on this podcast, and you get to work with him on a daily basis. And Dr. Patrick is credited with essentially creating CBE for South College. What has he taught you that you find the most valuable?

Persis Young (06:40)

Yes, so I always make the comment that Dr. Patrick is basically the Steve Jobs of CBE. He's such an innovator. He's really taught me the importance of visionary leadership, that visionary leadership that stays grounded in compassion, right? So he's a big thinker.

He's someone who sees what's possible before the rest of us do, but he never loses sight of that individual student experience. So that balance between innovation and empathy is something that I've tried to emulate in my own work because it's amazing. It's incredible. It's profound. He's the most effective leader that I've had, the most inspiring leader that I've had. And that sentiment is widely shared across our entire campus community.

Kathleen Stockham (07:21)

Yeah, that's actually really incredible. I work with him pretty closely and have really grown to not only understand and respect CVE, but I agree with you, bringing something like this to a traditional, campus level learning environments like South College and bringing something that's completely new, completely different, and something that I think in the initial early days, people had a lot of skepticism about.

But here we are three plus years, four years later, and it's 1,500 students. There's so much excitement going on. And you've now been able to push these graduates out there into the workforce who have come through this program and to your point have grown and evolved. And that's got to be so exciting to watch. And I guess for you, mean, you can't help but feel that.

continued to your point earlier, that excitement, that enthusiasm. And again, you're kind of watching, you know, magic happen almost on a daily basis. Tell me about that.

Persis Young (08:26)

I mean it really is like watching magic happen. So seeing students succeed, being part of that, I mean we're creating an environment where students are, know, we're very student-centered and they're able to thrive. So I love the term of, magic. It really is like watching magic happen.

Kathleen Stockham (08:45)

that's great. Well, so if you had a key piece of advice for someone currently in CBE and, well, struggling a little to find the time and the motivation because it is a lot of work, what would that be?

Persis Young (08:58)

Yeah, so I love this and I really do hope we have perspective or current students listening because this I think is really important advice. So remember your why. When your motivation wavers, go back to the reason you started this journey. Is it for your family? Is it a career goal? Is it for personal growth? Let that feel you. Rediscover that why when you're in those moments where motivation may be lacking.

And don't try and do it alone. That's my next piece of advice there. So reach out to faculty, your mentor, to your program leader. We are absolutely here to support you with structure, encouragement, accountability, time management, really anything that you need. You know, we're there and we'll meet you where you are to help you along your journey to success.

Kathleen Stockham (09:47)

man, where were you when I was in graduate school? I needed this pep talk course, that was a long time ago. on the other side of all this, you just got a chance to meet some of your own students at the recent hooding and graduation ceremonies that we had very recently. How cool was that?

Persis Young (10:09)

graduation is one of our favorite moments in the student journey. So we talked earlier about that transformation and watching students just grow and become. So graduation is really a continuation of that transformational experience for us. So hearing students' stories, meeting their families, sharing of the joy and celebration, it really brings the impact of the work that we do full circle.

So I'll just say that graduation is just always a powerful reminder that behind every student, it's a journey, right? And so that person, their life has been impacted in a positive way by our wraparound support and services. And that graduation moment is where we really get to see the student become.

Kathleen Stockham (10:55)

Yeah, I had a chance during the Knoxville CBE online and graduation. I went around and interviewed for a podcast episode and it was awesome to meet, these Doctor of Business Administration, Doctor of Education, MBA, Executive MBA, I mean, just so many graduates that were there and you are correct.

They all had a proud spouse or parents or other family members and friends that were there. And I got a chance to talk to these family members and they were excited. They talked about all the hard work that, they're a very proud graduate put in and the hours and one family I met, the woman had pretty major full-time job as an executive. She was earning her DBA. Her teenage kids were there.

So she's a full-time mom, she's a full-time employee, and she completed her DBA in about, she said about 24 to 26 months, and she was exhausted for sure. But just seeing all of their entire family, so proud, so excited. But I also got a chance to speak to a young man, well, young, because he's younger than me, but it was a young man who was, he is a college professor at a different institution,

and it was so exciting to talk to him because he said that this was the road for him in order to complete not only a personal goal but a major professional goal that he had had other degrees from other schools for other things that he's earned.

But he said this is one that he's wanted for like three or four years. And he was so excited. He was there by himself. And I even asked him, said, well, gosh, you know, you don't have any family here. And you know, you're here by yourself. He goes, yeah, they've been to so many graduations. He's like, they know what's going to happen. But I love the fact that he set, you know, a benchmark out there for himself. And he was there to reap the rewards. And it was amazing. And I'm sure you hear stories like that all the time, right?

Persis Young (12:57)

Absolutely, and I love that. love hearing them. I never get tired of the stories. It's what fuels us.

Kathleen Stockham (13:03)

Yeah, I agree. All right. So knowing what you know about CBE, if you had the chance to do it all over again, what program would you choose in CBE and why?

Persis Young (13:14)

So that's a tough one because there are so many great programs here at South. So if I had to choose just one, I think it would probably be our executive MBA. It aligns really well with real world skills that are needed to lead effectively, especially in our fast paced environment. But also the CBE portion of it allows learners to apply those skills in real time. And that blend of flexibility and relevance is really hard to beat.

Kathleen Stockham (13:41)

No, agree. It's funny, I ask a lot of my guests on the podcast if you had it to do all over again. I think for me, I started in television and marketing and found myself in the middle of the online revolution in the mid 90s. There you are. You know how old I am if you're doing math. But if I had to do all over again, I really like surgical technology.

I just loved it. I say that in a lot of different episodes, but Surge Tech for me was just awesome. So fascinating, the precision and everything else. And it's always interesting when I interview guests and I ask them about, what program would you do? And so the fact that you chose EMBA, first of all, not surprising, but second of all, you know, I love your thinking about it because it's a totally different way to reimagine.

the executive MBA, because they have it at a lot of other schools, but ours through CVE is very different. So I love that. Alrighty. So let's talk about you for a minute. What has been your journey at South College and how did you get here?

Persis Young (14:44)

Yeah, that's a great question. So CBE at the doctoral level is what really brought me to South College over three years ago. So CBE, I've been in the CBE space for over a decade, right? But doctoral level programs and graduate programs are, at the time they were not really offered, right? So there's that gap that Dr. Patrick saw and he filled it here at South College. So.

I came over, I started as an adjunct with the CBE campus and our EDD program. And once the program grew, I became the program director over education, again, at the CBE campus. And then I moved into the associate dean of education role and really grew up into my current role of dean of academic and student services from there. And honestly, it's a great place to work. So the journey that went into, you know, starting in CBE over a decade ago, and then jumping into CBE at a doctoral level, I mean,

It was amazing. so glad that I did all of this because it brought me here and I'll be here forever.

Kathleen Stockham (15:47)

⁓ Well, we hope so. ⁓ Well, what about in your past? So tell us a little bit about how you grew up and kind of how you found yourself in this particular line of work.

Persis Young (15:59)

Yeah, so I definitely have an educational background. I mean, I'm a first generation American. My parents are from Iran. They came here for college when they were 18. And so I kind of grew up just with a thirst for knowledge. And I always, you I wanted to go into teaching. I wanted to impact people. I'm very heart centered that way. I want to change lives. I want to, you know, I want to make those around me. I want to lift them.

so I went into K through 12 initially, and I always had the vision to jump up into higher education. And when I experienced CBE for the first time, I knew that that was essentially my calling and where I needed to stay because it really does offer students such an incredible opportunity with its flexibility, with the student center piece of it. And it's, you know, it's really what kind of brought me here.

Kathleen Stockham (16:53)

That's so cool. love that. All right. So I bet I know the answer and I have a pretty good feeling I do. But what kind of student were you in school?

Persis Young (17:03)

So I think traditional learning always came naturally to me. But I always had the recognition that there shouldn't just be one way of learning, right? People learn in all kinds of different ways. So I was very much, I was a studious person.

But that's because that model worked for me, right? So I think if CBE existed when I was younger, that model also would have worked for me. And it works for so many others as well. What I love about South College is they also recognize that there's different learning styles that work for different students. And so South College is probably the only place that I have seen that they offer traditional.

So on-ground, campus you can walk in, you can touch your seat. They offer online, which is, you've got certain times and deadlines that you have to meet. And then they also offer, CVE, which is really, really flexible. And I love that about SELF.

Kathleen Stockham (17:58)

Yeah. You know, it's funny in all of the years that I've been here at South College, I love asking those kind of questions because every answer feels a little bit different. Everyone has their reason into the word you used earlier, their why of why they're here. But I find it's really interesting that when I ask what kind of student

all of you have the exact same answer. You were all excellent students. You were all very focused on education and quality. You were absolutely focused on the details. So if nothing else, we are very consistent across the board for our campus leadership. I love that. All right. So what do you do in your spare time when you have some? What do you like to do?

Persis Young (18:40)

So I'll say my favorite thing to do honestly is to think about how we can serve our students. So I am constantly thinking about students.

about our campus, my colleagues, our staff, our faculty, our mentors. And that's just something I love so much. I'm so passionate about it. If I have to, you know, kind of branch out, also like gardening. I would say currently I'm trying to reimagine my backyard into a cottage garden. I'm not sure if I'll be successful there. I'd say that I'm probably more of a... ⁓

mastery at education than I am at gardening at this point, but I do believe I can grow into mastery over the years.

Kathleen Stockham (19:17)

I'm a total fail for that. ⁓ I just threw away my basil plant. I love basil and I had this beautiful basil plant and I believe I'm on my third one now and I had to throw it away because I have a lovely brown thumb. right, so besides gardening, is there anything else that you do to de-stress or, because you're thinking about work and that worries me. You shouldn't be thinking about work on the weekend.

Persis Young (19:43)

I love it. I love it

though. I the level of passion I have is there. I spend time with my family. I have two daughters. I have a husband. We have lots of pets, love animals as well. But truly, I'm open to trying all kinds of hobbies. I think just my passion is South College and CDE.

Kathleen Stockham (20:07)

I love that. Well, I think that'll make Chancellor and many others very happy to hear that. I love it. Well, this has been amazing. And I feel like I've learned a few things about you, most importantly, you garden and I don't. So.

Persis Young (20:22)

Well, it's

bi-directional. I've learned so many things about you too. And I just, you know, I want to take a moment to really thank you Kathleen. I mean, anytime we've collaborated together, it's been such a wonderful experience and you always bring so much joy to everything you do.

Kathleen Stockham (20:36)

well, thank you. Goodness. Well, blushing podcast host, but thank you so much. we have a lot of fun together. I enjoy working with the entire CBE team and, the growth has been phenomenal. And I'm always happy to talk about it outside of South College. Whenever the subject comes up, I talk about it. If I meet somebody in the grocery line and they're talking about, you know, their education or we get on the subject, I'm always like, have you heard about CBE at South College? So I feel like kind of like you. I definitely

Persis Young (21:02)

Yes, yes.

Kathleen Stockham (21:05)

⁓ Well, listen, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate it. This has been fun.

Persis Young (21:15)

I appreciate you as well. Thank you so much.

Kathleen Stockham (21:17)

Yay! All right, that's Dr. Persis Young, Dean of Academic and Student Services for CBE. Coming up after the break, is it me or is it AI? You make the call. Stay tuned, we'll be right back.

[South College Radio Ad Spot]

Kathleen Stockham (23:08)

Welcome back. We had to talk about this. Artificial intelligence or AI has become a popular and impactful tool for college students, transforming various aspects of their academic journey.

But here are some benefits of AI for college students. It's enhanced learning, personalized learning paths. AI platforms can tailor educational content and activities to individual student needs, learning styles, and adapting the difficult level and learning pace that education provides. This promotes deeper understanding and engagement. It's 24-7 support.

AI tutors and chat bots provide readily available assistance, offering explanations, answering questions, and providing feedback on assignments. It's study assistance. AI can aid in learning new concepts, exploring topics, revising content, and practicing problem-solving skills. AI tools can help students find relevant information.

summarize and paraphrase documents and even generate research ideas. And writing assistants. AI powered writing assistants can improve grammar, style, clarity and help students produce more polished work. But AI does have its potential challenges and concerns that is widely shared in the educational community.

Academic integrity and cheating is one of them. Plagiarism is a big factor. The ease in which AI can generate content raises concerns about students submitting AI-generated work as their own or over-reliance. Excessive dependence on AI may hinder the development of essential skills like critical thinking and problem solving. Data and security.

AI tools may require access to personal and even sensitive data, raising concerns about data privacy and overall security. There is bias in AI as well. AI systems trained on biased data can perpetuate existing societal biases, potentially leading to unfair or inaccurate outcomes.

Lack of human interaction. Overreliance on AI may reduce potential opportunities for meaningful human interaction, impacting social and emotional development. Inaccuracy and limitations. AI can sometimes provide inaccurate or even outdated information requiring students to critically evaluate AI-generated content.

There are so-called responsible and ethical uses of AI as well. If you use AI as a tool, not as a replacement, you can use AI to enhance learning, but not bypass academic responsibilities. Be transparent, be clear about how AI tools were used in your work, and adhere to institutional guidelines.

Fact check and verify. Always verify the accuracy of AI generated information using credible sources. Understand its limitations. Recognize that AI tools have limitations and don't rely solely on them for critical thinking and problem solving. Develop your AI literacy. Learn how AI works, its capabilities, its ethical implications,

and make informed and smart decisions about its use.

In conclusion, AI offers significant benefits to college students by providing personalized learning experiences, improving efficiency, increasing accessibility, and fostering skill development. However, it's crucial for students to use AI responsibly and ethically, being mindful of potential pitfalls like plagiarism, over-reliance, and bias.

By striking a balance between embracing AI's advantages and addressing its challenges, college students can leverage these tools to enhance their academic journey and prepare for a future that will truly be shaped by AI. So what do you think? Are you using AI for school or work? Are you using it responsibly? Are you sure?

At South College, we are embracing responsible AI and we look forward to discovering even more with and for our students. And yes, I did use AI to write part of this show. Can you tell? With 10 campuses and seven states plus online and CBE, there's a pathway for you at South College. Hope you enjoyed this latest episode of the Live From South College podcast.

The live from South College podcast is a production from South College Marketing. Thanks for joining me. If you love it, give it some stars and you can always send us feedback by emailing us at southcollegepodcast.south.edu. And yes, I do read all of them. Have an awesome day and let your dreams find direction. See you next time.