March 6, 2026

#224: There's Nothing at a Four-Year University You Can't Learn on YouTube

The player is loading ...
#224: There's Nothing at a Four-Year University You Can't Learn on YouTube
Apple Podcasts podcast player badge
Spotify podcast player badge
YouTube podcast player badge
RSS Feed podcast player badge
Apple Podcasts podcast player iconSpotify podcast player iconYouTube podcast player iconRSS Feed podcast player icon

#224: There's Nothing at a Four-Year University You Can't Learn on YouTube

Featuring: UCLA's Joe Way, Vanderbilt's BC Hatchett & Ericsson's Ben Moebes

There's nothing at a four-year university you can't learn on YouTube. That's UCLA's Joe Way's argument — and before you close the tab, that's actually his case for college. If information is free, universities have to become something YouTube never can: the place where you learn to synthesize, debate, and collaborate around everything you already know.

In this episode Joe Toste sits down with UCLA’s Joe Way, Vanderbilt's BC Hatchett, and Ericsson's Ben Moebes at EDUCAUSE 2025 to talk about how they each found their way into higher ed AV, what keeps them here, and what a modern campus experience actually has to feel like to work.

Joe Way is the Executive Director of Digital Spaces at UCLA and co-founder of HETMA. BC Hatchett is the Director of Classroom Technology at Vanderbilt University and co-founder of HETMA, twenty years in and still solving problems nobody saw coming. Ben Moebes is a Director of Public Sector at Ericsson who thought he was going to fly fighter planes — and ended up spending 30 years connecting campuses instead.

Timestamps

(1:00) Why 5G isn’t replacing wifi — it’s filling the places wifi was never designed to reach

(4:15) Vanderbilt’s satellite campus challenge — same experience, 2,000 miles away

(9:00) Joe's hot take — and why he actually makes the case FOR college

(11:30) The day in the life of a UCLA student — and how it became the AI blueprint

(13:30) Faculty as catalysts, not content deliverers

(17:15) One cable, one button — and why that’s worth millions in tuition dollars

(19:30) The blue light problem nobody talks about — 20 to 60% may not be working right now

(22:00) Why you can’t have someone watching every camera — and what AI does instead

(27:00) UCLA, the Olympic Village, and why connectivity thinking can’t stop at the classroom

Listen now: YouTube x Apple x Spotify

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter

Thanks for reading TechTables! Get early access to new episodes, insights, upcoming events, and more — straight to your inbox.

Join now: https://www.techtables.com/

2. 🤝 TechTables CIO Communities for Local Government

Join us at our next retreat April 1st-3rd in San Antonio, TX

The Exclusive Peer Group for Local Government CIOs. A peer group for 15 city and county CIOs navigating council politics, budget battles, security theater, legacy disasters.

Our local government customer advisory board is led by following CIOs:

Craig Hopkins, CIO, City of San Antonio & Retreat Chair

Chris Chirgwin, CIO, Santa Barbara County

Justin Fair, CIO, City of Garland

Facilitated by: Executive Partners at Info-Tech & Gartner

Learn more: https://techtables.com/communities-local-government

3. 🤝 The Better Together Virtual Series

The narrative-driven series bringing together industry partners and public sector CXOs. Discover the compelling stories that unfold when we stop working in silos and start building together.

Why Better Together?

Your customers aren’t just buying a product — they’re navigating some of the most complex technology challenges in state, government and higher education. Better Together gives your organization a platform to sit alongside those leaders and be part of that conversation at the highest level.

Each episode brings together 1-2 senior public sector CXOs and a subject matter expert from your team for a narrative-driven conversation that goes beyond the sales pitch. It’s thought leadership that actually sounds like thought leadership - not a vendor webinar.

What the partner gets:

Branded episodes featuring senior public sector CXOs from TechTables’ network

3 micro-video clips per episode - ready for LinkedIn, email campaigns, and sales enablement

Distribution across 250,000+ views worth of digital assets. This is an audience that found us — senior technology leaders in state, local government, and higher education who show up because they trust the content (not a bought list).

Email newsletter feature to an audience of state, local government, and higher education technology leaders

A consistent presence in front of the decision makers who matter most

Why it works:

The guests are real. The conversations are real. And the audience - senior technology leaders across state and local government and higher education - shows up because TechTables has earned their trust over hundreds of episodes. The partner isn’t buying an ad. They’re buying a seat at the table.

“TechTables has built an exceptional platform that connects directly with the very leaders we strive to serve — the CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives driving modernization across government.” — Hannes Scheidegger, Chief Global Services Officer, Info-Tech Research Group

“TechTables provides a trusted space for technology leaders to speak authentically about the challenges and opportunities shaping their mission.” — Tom Zehren, CEO, Info-Tech Research Group

ps: 👉 check out the big news: Info-Tech Research Group Partners With TechTables to Elevate Public Sector IT Conversations Across North America

Grow with TechTables

For organizations committed to building a long-term partnership in the public sector technology community, Better Together is just the beginning. The Grow with TechTables program is designed for partners who want to show up consistently, build real recognition, and become a trusted name in the community over time.

»»» Email joe@techtables.com to learn more.

Platinum Newsletter Sponsor:

Missed out on Info-Tech LIVE in New Orleans? No worries, you can join TechTables & Info-Tech Research Group at Info-Tech LIVE 2026 - Las Vegas (June 9 - 11, 2026)!

Gold Newsletter Sponsor:

SentinelOne - Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon Frontline -The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft - The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit techtables.substack.com