APC Colleges

🌟APC Member Spotlight 🌟

Founded in 1931, Berkeley College offers career-focused degrees and certificate programs across its campuses and online. Berkeley College focuses on real-world preparation with programs ranging from Healthcare and Business to Design and many more. There are over 1,900 students across the campus and 750 faculty members, who are all excited to welcome new students each semester!

Want to know more about Berkeley College? Check out the link below! https://loom.ly/RyBgfYA

Thank you to our generous sponsors who helped make the 2026 APC Innovation Summit a great success! We greatly appreciate your continued support and the services you offer to APC members and the students that they serve.
🌟TFC Tuition
🌟The Wright Companies
🌟McGraw Hill
🌟 CONEXT
🌟CSPEN

💬 This afternoon, we had three more incredible sessions on Cybersecurity, AI, and Middle States Accreditation.

➡️Howard Leslie TIV Consultant and John McCormick of Monroe University covered the emerging risks, internal control vulnerabilities and best practices for prevention detection, and response to ensure the protection of sensitive data, financial resources, and institutional reputation.

➡️Dr. Scott Carnz and Dr. Peter E. Zirogiannis of LIM College explored how LIM College implemented AI across academic support services, classrooms, and administrative operations.

➡️David Cohen of Five Towns College moderated a panel of Dr. Erica Schacht of the College of Westchester, Dr. Scott Carnz of LIM College, Anne Loria and Christopher Keaton of Bryant & Stratton College, and Christopher Barto of Monroe University. They covered effective approaches to self-study development, organizing evidence, engaging campus stakeholders, and preparing for site visits to position institutions for a successful outcome with the Middle States Accreditation.

Thank you to all who participated in the Innovation Summit. We hope everyone that joined us the past two days walked away with something new to take back to their schools!

This morning we heard from three amazing speakers and an incredibly thoughtful panel. They covered topics from employment to keeping students engaged in the classroom. 🚀

First, we heard from Michael Hatten of NYADI The College of Transportation Technology and Trey Wright, Managing Director of the Recruits Wright Group. Their session explored how a strategic partnership between a hiring firm and a career college resulted in 16 successful placements with a retention rate that is above industry norms.

Next, we heard from Cara Ruggiero of Berkeley College. Her session covered course design as product development by showing how to help solve issues that most higher education institutions are facing – student disengagement and chronic absenteeism. She drew on principles of user research, rapid iteration, and feedback-driven design and went over practical strategies for building courses that students feel genuinely invested in.

Our first panel of the day covered the topic of meeting students where they are with practical strategies for holistic support. Moderator Maria Gangi, of the College of Westchester, led the conversation with
➡️Alex Canals and Saafia Del-LLano of Monroe University
➡️Michael Cavalli of Five Towns College
➡️Will Moya of Berkeley College

The group highlighted actionable strategies and real-world approaches that institutions can use to connect students with critical resources, strengthen support systems, and create more inclusive learning environments.

We are looking forward to hearing more from our amazing speakers later in the day!