Presented at 9:00 am in Independence on Thursday, November 20, 2025.
#41128Speaker(s)
- Rachel Kruzel, Strategic Customer Success Manager - Higher Education, Everway
Session Details
- Length of Session: 1-hr
- Format: Lecture
- Expertise Level: Beginner
- Type of session: General Conference
Summary
Adopting new edtech or assistive technology is only the first step, building awareness and driving usage is the real challenge. In this session, campus professionals will explore practical strategies for change management, scaling usage, and measuring impact through data. Attendees will leave with actionable steps to increase engagement and support successful implementation across their institutions.
Abstract
Adopting a new educational or assistive technology tool is an exciting step forward for any college or university. However, the real work begins after the contract is signed. Building awareness, scaling usage, and driving meaningful impact across campus can be challenging, especially when implementation and change management fall outside the day-to-day roles of most staff and faculty.
In an era where data is key to demonstrating the value of technology investments, institutions must find ways to go beyond adoption and foster real engagement with the tools they've chosen. Whether you’re working with faculty, student support services, IT, or directly with students, success often depends on your ability to guide others through change, build campus buy-in, and make the tools part of everyday workflows.
This session is designed for higher ed professionals who are navigating the messy middle of implementation and want to make their edtech investments truly count. We’ll explore real-world challenges and offer tangible, replicable strategies to:
Raise awareness and understanding of new tools
- Create momentum across departments and stakeholder groups - Use data to identify success stories and areas for growth - Support long-term usage to ensure equitable impact
Whether you're launching a new platform or trying to reinvigorate an underutilized tool, you'll leave with actionable next steps to take back to your campus. The goal: help more students benefit from the tools you’ve worked hard to adopt—and show the results that matter.
Keypoints
- Technology adoption doesn’t guarantee impact—scaling usage requires intentional outreach and support.
- Most campus professionals aren’t trained in change management, but small steps can drive meaningful cultural s
- Data can help tell the story of tool effectiveness—but only when paired with thoughtful implementation strateg
Disability Areas
Cognitive/Learning, Psychological
Topic Areas
Assistive Technology, Other, Uncategorized
Speaker Bio(s)
Rachel Kruzel
Rachel Kruzel, ATP, is the Strategic Customer Success Manager - Higher Education for Everway where she supports higher education institutions across the United States and Canada as they explore, adopt, and implement technology based literacy, STEM, and accessibility based solutions to help create more inclusive, equitable, and accessible campuses and learning spaces for all students and campus members. She is a RESNA Certified Assistive Technology Professional and spent over ten years working as an Assistive Technology and Accommodations Specialist in Disability Resource Offices prior to coming to Everway. During her time in higher ed, she built and developed assistive technology programs at both schools she worked at, as well as coordinated the provision of accommodations. Rachel is a national expert in the areas of assistive technology, digital accessibility, accessible course materials, and accommodation provision around testing and notetaking.