Newstate University: Engineering the "Un‑College" for an AI‑Driven Economy
This webinar is a part of an Innovative Universities Webinar Series.
Newstate University is the first AI‑founded and AI‑focused postsecondary institution in the US. It operates as a cloud‑native “Un‑College” registered in Utah. Newstate University delivers scalable pathways to bridge the gap between rapid workforce upskilling and long‑term academic credentials. Driven by a stackable, “Lego‑block” competency‑based model, the university replaces rigid semester systems with friction‑free, continuous enrollments, and real‑time AI coaching. Newstate University has intentionally opted out of federal Title IV aid to eliminate administrative overhead, passing the savings back to the student through an all‑inclusive, flat‑rate $300/month subscription model. What does "AI-founded" mean? Can AI coach as effectively as humans, and if not, what does Newstate U do to narrow the gap? What suffers when the costs are optimized? We will discuss this and more with Dr. Sasha Thackaberry‑Voinovich, the president and founder of Newstate University.
Dr. Sasha Thackaberry‑Voinovich is the president and founder of Newstate University.
With over two decades of leadership spanning K–12 ed tech, community colleges, major online universities, an R1 flagship, and global ed‑tech companies, she has dedicated her career to reimagining affordable, scalable, AI‑first higher education.
She previously served as President of SkillsWave—where she led major platform implementations for workforce education like Walmart’s LiveBetterU in Canada—and held pivotal executive roles at Pearson and Louisiana State University. At LSU, she built an internal OPM, grew online enrollment over 12X, and unified six institutions under a single brand.
Known for her pioneering work in Competency‑Based Education (CBE) and digital ecosystems, Dr. Thackaberry‑Voinovich is a published author, frequent contributor to leading education outlets, and recipient of the 2021 Influential Women in Business award. She holds a PhD in higher education administration.
