It takes seeds of creativity and collaboration to craft meaningful, engaging online experiences. The inaugural book from OLC Press, From Grassroots to the Highly-Orchestrated: Online Leaders Share Their Stories of the Evolving Online Organizational Landscape in Higher Ed presents a collection of candid, inspiring stories of Chief Online Officers as they nurture virtual learning from inception to maturity. See inside their struggles, successes, and lessons learned throughout their personal and professional journeys.
“The authors of Grassroots to the Highly-Orchestrated generously shared with us their challenges and triumphs,” says Dr. Shelley Kurland, Inaugural Dean of the County College of Morris’ Virtual Campus. “I hope our readers find the stories and lessons as compelling as I did.”
OLC Press, the Online Learning Consortium’s new publishing imprint, aims to produce valuable titles that lead the conversation in online learning. Its forthcoming digital and print publications will contribute to online education research for leaders, learners, and those in between.
“We are pleased to launch 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. “Through Grassroots and future publications, OLC Press gives a voice to the online learning community and aims to stimulate crucial conversations that accelerate our collective mission.”
Indeed, From Grassroots to the Highly-Orchestrated features a spectrum of voices of higher education pioneers who learned to take root in shifting sands.
Here is a preview of the top five takeaways:
- We better plan our future when we intentionally pause, reflect, and share.
- Online learning programs cannot be designed in a vacuum. Stakeholder inclusion and community representation are key.
- Be comfortable with the unconventional – growth doesn’t follow a straight line.
- Center technology strategy around people.
- As a higher education leader, you are never alone with the challenges you face. Community is essential to leadership development.
“Through OLC Press and Grassroots, we look forward to sharing the stories of leaders in the online learning community,” says Jennifer Mathes. “The establishment of OLC Press is a momentous occasion and we are eager to witness its impact on higher education.”
Ready to be inspired by authentic, relatable stories from dozens of Chief Online Officers?