From Grassroots To The Highly-Orchestrated: Online Leaders Share Their Stories Of The Evolving Online Organizational Landscape In Higher Ed
Concurrent Session 2


Brief Abstract
Join us for an inspiration session led by forward-thinking leaders in online education! In this inspiration session, professionals in roles ranging from those leading online programs and campuses to those researching, teaching, and designing online learning will share their most innovative ideas generated from challenges that inspired action.
Presenters


Extended Abstract
As research concluded on a year-long study into the evolving nature of online organizations at institutions of higher education, it became clear to the CORAL research collaborative that the “who”, “what”, “when”, and “where” of online education is a textured and organic space largely dependent on the institution’s history and culture, as well as perceptions of faculty, staff, administrators, and the needs of the student body and other institutional stakeholders. As such, online organizational structures often do not align with established organizational behavior/organizational development frameworks, instead online organizational structures at HEIs are nontraditional, diverse, and distinct from institution to institution.
As online education units within higher education institutions (HEIs) continue to expand and evolve, it is important to not only research their nature and organizational structures, but to make sense of them through sharing histories, pain points, evolutions, and practices of peer
Join us for a campfire gathering of forward-thinking leaders in online education that will be sharing their full stories in new book published by Online Learning Consortium and edited by Bettyjo Bouchey (National Louis University), Erin Gratz (Orange Coast College), Shelley Kurland (County College of Morris) entitled: From Grassroots to the Highly Orchestrated: Online Leaders Share Their Stories of the Evolving Online Organizational Landscape in Higher Ed. These inspiring professionals ranging in roles from those leading online programs and campuses to those researching, teaching, and designing online learning will share their most innovative ideas generated from challenges that inspired action. Serving as a preview of the book, but also an opportunity to have a more intimate conversation about their stories, session attendees can expect to leave the session with feelings of validation that we all have shared challenges and triumphs. Furthermore, session attendees can expect to leave the session with tested and practical solutions to common challenges and a renewed sense of energy to elevate the work of online programming at their institutions.