The OLC Awards and Recognition Program serve as a way for the organization to celebrate the impactful work of educators within our community, and share their contributions and effective practices across the field. The OLC Nominations, Awards, and Recognition Committee has overall responsibility for overseeing and monitoring OLC awards, bestowing honors on selected members of the community at both the spring and fall conferences. The OLC Staff is responsible for the awarding of scholarships at each of the annual conferences. The OLC Fellows program, the organization’s highest honor, is led by the OLC Fellows Committee and the OLC Board of Directors.

To learn more about all of the awards, scholarships, and recognition, we invite you to explore the pages linked below.

FALL | OLC Accelerate Awards, Recognition, and OLC Fellows

Taking place every fall, the OLC Accelerate Awards Gala honors excellence in online teaching, research, and leadership. The following honors are awarded at OLC Accelerate:

  • OLC Accelerate Awards of Excellence
    • Excellence in Faculty Development
    • Excellence in Instructional and Teaching Practice
    • Gomory-Mayadas Award for Excellence in Online Educational Leadership
    • John R. Bourne Award for Excellence in Online Programs and Programming
    • Karen Swan OLJ Outstanding Research Achievement Award in Online Education

Status: Open

We are now accepting submissions for OLC Accelerate 2024 awards and recognition.

OLC Awards Process and Criteria for Selection

With the exception of the OLC Fellows and the Karen Swan OLJ Outstanding Research Achievement award, all awards use one evaluation rubric that is built from the OLC Five Pillars of Quality Education. Reviewers are selected from the OLC membership to rate submissions and provide their recommendations to the OLC Nominations, Awards, and Recognition Committee who make the final selections. Self-nominations are permissible for the OLC Awards and Scholarships except for the OLC Fellows and the Karen Swan OLJ Outstanding Research Achievement award.

SPRING | OLC Innovate and MERLOT Awards and Recognition

Taking place every spring, the OLC and MERLOT awards gala that takes place at OLC Innovate looks at effective practices, equity and inclusion, and open education. In addition to the annual MERLOT awards, the following honors are bestowed at OLC Innovate:

  • OLC Innovate Awards of Excellence
    • Excellence in Design Practice
    • Excellence in Online and Blended Student Support
    • Excellence in Online and Blended Learning Innovation
    • Excellence in Data and Learning Analytics Design

Status: CLOSED

Questions and Support

For additional information about the OLC Awards and Recognition programs, please email us at OLCawards@onlinelearning-c.org.Â