In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Shonda Gibson and Dr. Mary Liz Brooks to explore how the Texas A&M University System is preparing students for a rapidly changing job market. Across its 11 campuses, Texas A&M is embedding industry-aligned credentials into degree programs to bridge academic learning and workforce needs—at scale.
Shonda, who leads academic transformation for the entire system, shares how a community-of-practice model has driven adoption from the ground up, allowing each campus to tailor implementation while staying aligned to a shared vision. Mary Liz brings the classroom perspective, highlighting how students are engaging with Coursera’s Career Academy to build confidence, gain real-world skills, and shape their professional identities—before graduation.
This conversation offers a powerful look at what’s possible when system-level innovation meets faculty-led experimentation, and how higher education can support student success far beyond the classroom.
We also cover:
🎓 What “career readiness” means in the age of automation and AI
🔧 How Texas A&M embedded Career Academy directly into curriculum
📊 The impact of over 20,000 learning hours and 4,700+ course completions
🌍 Strategies for equity and access across rural and urban campuses
🧩 What public universities can do to rethink ROI and lifelong learning
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Explore Coursera Career Academy and learn how institutions are embedding real-world learning into their degree programs: coursera.org/campus