The Online Learning Consortium Establishes OLC Press, Releases First Title for Online Academic Leaders
Official Publishing Imprint To Offer Titles On Leading-Edge Topics In Online, Blended, and Digital Learning
Boston, MA - The Online Learning Consortium, the leading professional organization devoted to advancing quality online learning, has established the OLC Press as its official book publishing imprint, offering titles on leading-edge topics in online, blended, and digital learning, with works available in printed and digital formats.
“We are pleased to establish the OLC Press in order to provide an outlet for valuable scholarship of importance to researchers and practitioners alike,” said Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D., OLC Chief Executive Officer.
Inaugural Publication
The OLC Press is launching with the release this year of its first book for higher education leaders and faculty.
From Grassroots to the Highly-Orchestrated: Online Leaders Share Their Stories of the Evolving Online Organizational Landscape in Higher Ed
This publication aims to illuminate the organizational structures and leadership strategies of online education units at higher education institutions through the first-person stories, practices, lessons, and innovations of Chief Online Officers. The publication is edited by Dr. Bettyjo Bouchey, Associate Professor of Business and Management and Associate Dean of the College of Professional Studies and Advancement at National Louis University; Dr. Erin Gratz, Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Orange Coast College in Southern California; and Dr. Shelley Kurland, Dean of Virtual Campus County College of Morris. This volume features a spectrum of voices from higher education leaders from the field.
Target Audience: Scholarly/Professional: (academic leaders)
Subject/Genre: Education; social sciences
Format: Paperback, ebook
Remarks from the Editors
“I remember when we decided to get serious about the research that led to this book: it was at the 2019 Accelerate conference in Orlando. It seemed that every conversation we had told a slightly different tale of how online organizations were structured, but the main theme was that we all face the same victories and challenges. So CORAL, our research collaborative dedicated to online education, was born and the year-long study that led to us pitching this book to OLC…In thinking about Grassroots to the Highly-Orchestrated we wanted to engage more online leaders to tell their stories, the successes, the failures, the innovations, and where they are heading. We knew that we would find ourselves in their stories and we would all be better for reading them and also in knowing that others are working through the same things–but now we might have a framework to leverage for faster success. In the end, this book represents not only the 31 voices from our study, but another 18 that, taken together, represent the broad articulation of online organizations in institutions of higher education. They are brave, authentic, and relatable stories that highlight the ingenuity of their leaders and how online leaders harness the coalition of the willing to benefit their students, faculty, and staff in an otherwise messy organizational structure. These stories are those of the authors, but they are also all of our stories–we lead together into the future of online education” – Dr. Bettyjo Bouchey, Associate Professor and Dean of Online Education at National Louis University
“These stories primarily reflect that of chief online officers, however the stories and lessons learned that are shared in this book are engaging and applicable to most who are invested and passionate about online education – regardless of the seat you hold in your institution. This book grew out of our own leadership stories, struggles, and wins and the desire to hear how others were working through similar issues and initiatives. In our conversations, we struggled to find the stories of online leaders and online organizational structures in a broad way – so we decided to give those stories a platform through this book” – Dr. Erin Gratz, Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California
“Our research, the inspiration for this book, came out of curiosity over the incredible range of the organizational structure of distance education units and their role within higher education institutions. As we interviewed chief online officers (COOs) across the U.S., we realized that each one had a story to tell and lessons to share — the idea for a book was sparked. The authors of Grassroots to the Highly-Orchestrated generously shared with us their challenges and triumphs. Moreover, they shared with us the journey and often highlighted the collaborative nature of their work all towards the same goal — designing a high quality and engaging experience for the students from onboarding to graduation, while supporting them in realizing their goals. I compiled a digital journal of all the nuggets of wisdom I took from every chapter and plan to use them as an integral part of my growth as a leader. I hope our readers find the stories and lessons as compelling as I did” – Dr. Shelley C. Kurland, Ph.D., Inaugural Dean, Virtual Campus, County College of Morris
List Price: $30
Release Date: July, 2022
The book is available for purchase on the OLC website, as well as through large and independent booksellers.
Call for Publications
The new call for book publications will be posted by the OLC Press in July 2022.
Interview with the Editors
Read our interview with the editors, A Sea Change or Online Academic Leaders.
About OLC
The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) is a collaborative community of education leaders and innovators dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences designed to reach and engage the modern learner — anyone, anywhere, anytime. OLC inspires innovation and quality through an extensive set of resources, including best-practice publications, quality benchmarking, leading-edge instruction, community-driven conferences, practitioner-based and empirical research, and expert guidance. The growing OLC community includes faculty members, administrators, trainers, instructional designers, and other learning professionals, as well as educational institutions, professional societies, and corporate enterprises. Learn more at onlinelearningconsortium.org.