going the distance: planning through the lens of online learning

Going the Distance:Planning through the Lens

of Online LearningOctober 17, 2016

Jon ErnstbergerDirector of Online Instruction

Carol YinDirector of Institutional Effectiveness

“The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise and is not preceded by a period of worry and depression.”

-John Preston, Boston College

About LaGrange College• Founded in 1831 (as a female academy)• Private college with liberal arts ethos• Affiliated with the United Methodist Church• Currently 1026 students, 906

undergraduates• Highest Degree – Ed.S. • 86 full-time faculty• 16 varsity sports teams• Strategic Plan – Vision 2020

Learning Outcomes

Enable participants to:

1. Use your institution’s strategic plan/mission statement to ignite progress on new programs/delivery modes while considering budgetary and accreditation implications.

2. Promote campus-wide inclusiveness in the development of new programs designed to meet the goals of the strategic plan.

Learning Outcomes, cont.

3. Develop and execute workflow and information-sharing plans to assure that all appropriate campus audiences are involved in the completion of new goals that arise from the strategic planning process.

4. Choose information-gathering tools to improve student success rates and to ensure that high-quality programs—such as an online learning program--are developed and maintained in order to meet the goals of the strategic plan.

The Original Plan

2010 Strategic PlanVision 2020: From Promise to Prominence

The Strategic Plan CalendarSu

mm

er 2

009

Sprin

g 20

10Thirty Faculty, Staff, & Administrative Leaders begin Strategic Planning Process. President introduces it during April inauguration.

Augu

st 2

010Faculty

and Staff Review the Unofficial Plan

Sept

embe

r 201

0President’s Cabinet and EIPC Final Review O

ctob

er 2

010BOT Final

Review and Approval

New President Hired

Vision 2020: From Promise to Prominence

• Fresh imagining of the Mission Statement and the creation of the new Vision Statement.

• Four Key Goals:– Differentiation and Global Engagement– Program Portfolio (and Environmental Scan)– Market Positioning– Resource Development and Management

Program Portfolio: Develop and/or strengthenundergraduate, adult, and graduate educational programs with strong student demand and delivery modelsappropriate to the target population.

Develop a portfolio of undergraduate, adult, and graduate educational programs with strong student demand and delivery models appropriate to the target population . . . .Focus in a more aggressive way than in the past on areas that involve non-traditional student populations and non-traditional modes of delivery, including on-line courses and on-line program offerings as well as programs built on hybrid course models (i.e., programs that blend on-campus activities with on-line teaching and learning).

GOAL 2Program Portfolio

2010 Strategic Plan (The Official Plan)Vision 2020: From Promise to Prominence

• Program Portfolio and Environmental Scan– Develop process for program review and complete for all existing programs by

2012. – Develop process for feasibility studies for new programs by spring 2011. – Develop at least one new program to meet unmet undergraduate student

demand to retain students at the college for launch by 2012.– Develop additional appropriate program offerings in the health sciences,

including possibility of additional program options in nursing. – Develop at least one new program offering for working adult students every two

years. – Launch at least one hybrid delivery program by 2012. – Develop plan for targeting new alternative sites for working adult and/or

graduate program offerings.

Analysis

List one(1) of the following that you want toImprove institutionally:

• An incomplete aspect of your institution’s most recent campus strategic plan.

• An aspect of online instruction yet to be implemented.

• An institutional process that is unrefined.2 minutes

History

• 2011 – Investigations on online instruction.• 2012 – Signed w. Learning House to develop

institutional online practices.– Board of Trustees resolution for

participation in online instruction.• 2013– We offered our first online classes!– “Baptism of fire”

Fall 2013

Strategic Plan and Mission Review Process

• Four key goals would remain unchanged, but the plan was designed as a living, changing document describing a set of directions and initiatives

• Review would occur in cycles of three to five years at a time

• Assessed progress in all four key areas

Not until2020!

Extended Institutional

Planning Council(EIPC)

Four subcommittees

consideredeach goal

Progress evaluated for each

goal

If needed, new recommendations

made for each goal

Board of

Trustees Review

Board of

Trustees Final

Review

Faculty and Staff

Review

The Review Process

Extended Institutional

Planning Council(EIPC)

Four subcommittees

consideredeach goal

Progress evaluated for each

goal

If needed, new recommendations

made for each goal

The Review Process

Goals What has occurred

What has not

occurredOther

discussionRecommenda-

tions

Institutional Data and Analysis

Considered

Impact from Other

Committees

Launch at least one hybrid delivery program by 2012.

• M.A. in Philanthropy and Development scheduled to begin summer 2014 with 33% offered online.

• EU certificate program launched fall 2012.

• An RN to BSN program is being considered.

• Online instruction was expanded for the advanced degree offerings in Education.

• Online courses began to be offered in spring 2013 and will continue into the 2013 – 14 academic year.

• State authorization application completed through SREB.

We have not applied for state authorization in all states.

Online course offerings helped with summer 2013 enrollment. Since spring 2013, over 300 “seats” have been filled with online students.

Other state authorization attempts will be made.

Preliminary Recommendations:1. Continue to

explore state authorization options in order to enroll students from a variety of states.

2. Continue to develop new hybrid delivery programs.

Evidence Used:• Minutes

(Provost Council, faculty meetings, APC, etc.)

• Interviews with department chair program coordinators, and other program faculty.

• Interview with Program Coordinator for Online Learning

• Environmental Scan – this subcommittee’s findings should influence the type of programs considered.

• Marketing Positioning Subcommittee – this subcommittee’s work could possibly be used in identifying students who would be interested in online or hybrid delivery programs.

Goals What has occurred What has not occurredLaunch at least one hybrid delivery program by 2012.

• M.A. in Philanthropy and Development scheduled to begin summer 2014 with 33% offered online.

• EU certificate program launched fall 2012.

• An RN to BSN program is being considered.

• Online instruction was expanded for the advanced degree offerings in Education.

• Online courses began to be offered in spring 2013 and will continue into the 2013 – 14 academic year.

• State authorization application completed through SREB.

We have not applied for state authorization in all states.

Goals Other discussion Recommendations

Launch at least one hybrid delivery program by 2012.

Online course offerings helped with summer 2013 enrollment. Since spring 2013, over 300 “seats” have been filled with online students.

Other state authorization attempts will be made.

Preliminary Recommendations:1. Continue to explore state authorization options in

order to enroll students from a variety of states.2. Continue to develop new hybrid delivery

programs.

Goals Institutional Data and Analysis Considered Impact from Other Committees

Launch at least one hybrid delivery program by 2012.

Evidence Used:• Minutes (Provost Council, faculty

meetings, APC, etc.)

• Interviews with department chair program coordinators, and other program faculty.

• Interview with Program Coordinator for Online Learning

• Environmental Scan – this subcommittee’s findings should influence the type of programs considered.

• Marketing Positioning Subcommittee – this subcommittee’s work could possibly be used in identifying students who would be interested in online or hybrid delivery programs.

Extended Institutional

Planning Council(EIPC)

EIPC Dashboard

Measures Added

Four subcommittees

consideredeach goal

Progress evaluated for each

goal

If needed, new recommendations

made for each goal

The Review Process

Program Portfolio and Environmental Scan DashboardThree Year

AverageCurrent

YearGoal for FY

2021Source 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

PortfolioSophomore Retention Rate

63% 67% 70% IE 60% 61% 61% 67%

Four-Year Graduation Rate

41% 43% 52% 41% 43% 36% 43%

Six-Year Graduation Rate

49% 47% 60% IE 38% 53% 46% 47%

Graduate School Enrollment

95 116 245 68 84 84 116

Number of Students in Online Courses, Summer 2013 - Spring 2014 (unduplicated headcount within each semester)

520 716 600Director of

Online Learning

450 394 716

Program Portfolio and Environmental Scan Dashboard Three-Year

AverageMost Current

Year Goal for FY 2021 Source

First Year to Second Year Retention Rate 63% 67% 70% Consumer Information

Four Year Graduation Rate 41% 43% 52% Consumer Information

Six Year Graduation Rate 49% 47% 60% Consumer Information

Graduate School Enrollment 95 116 245 Day of Record Report

Number of Students in Online Courses,

Summer – Spring(unduplicated headcount

within each semester)

520 716 600 Director of Online Learning

Are we there yet?

Extended Institutional

Planning Council(EIPC)

EIPC Dashboard

Measures Added

Four subcommittees

consideredeach goal

Progress evaluated for each

goal

If needed, new recommendations

made for each goal

The Review ProcessBoard

ofTrustees Review

• The Board of Trustees strongly affirmed and enthusiastically supports recommendations for the development of new programs and strongly supports the launch of more online classes. In addition, the BOT strongly supports the further exploration of an RN to BSN online degree track.

Extended Institutional

Planning Council(EIPC)

EIPC Dashboard

Measures Added

Four subcommittees

consideredeach goal

Progress evaluated for each

goal

If needed, new recommendations

made for each goal

The Review ProcessBoard

ofTrustees Review

Faculty and Staff

Review

Strategic Plan Revision Presented at Faculty Meeting

Extended Institutional

Planning Council(EIPC)

EIPC Dashboard

Measures Added

Four subcommittees

consideredeach goal

Progress evaluated for each

goal

If needed, new recommendations

made for each goal

The Review ProcessBoard

ofTrustees Review

Faculty and Staff

Review

Board of

Trustees Final

Review

History, cont.

• 2014– M.A. in Philanthropy and Development (hybrid)– Defined our own quality rubric.– SECRRA Membership

• 2015– Most of our summer students were online.– Developed online certificates.

History (3)

• 2016– RN to BSN online; – M.S. in Strength and

Conditioning – GA-SARA/NC-SARA; – SACSCOC

documentation; – development

Goal: Process for Execution

ProgramProposal

AcademicPolicies

Committee

SACSCOC Prospectus Submission

and Notification

Pedagogy/Technology

DevelopmentMarketing

Recruitment/Enrollment

StateAuthorization

Summer 2014 – Cohort 1, Philanthropy and Development

Content Creation

SitePreparation

Reactions

• 2012– Vocalized distrust, fear, and (in some cases) anger.– BOT note of support of online instruction.

• 2014 – “You’re winning.” – Approx. 30% of all faculty members teaching.

• 2016– 36% of all students have taken an online course. – 50% of all faculty members have taught in online/hybrid delivery

courses.

Lessons Learned

• Admissions/Registrations – Processes were not efficient– Students needed to be aware of

delivery styles.– Advertise, advertise, advertise.– We cannot delete information.

• LMS– Sample, alpha test, beta test,

deploy.– Training

Lessons Learned, cont.

• Policy/Administration– Committee vs. director.– Faculty involvement inversely proportional to comfort.

• Assessment– Individual course.– Programmatic/Institutional

• State Reciprocity– State reciprocity was a tremendous time saver.– Scaffolded into SACSCOC documentation.

Lessons Learned (3)• Balanced discussions bring balanced

opinions.• Offer regular reports to stakeholders

(faculty, administration, BOT).• Show appreciation to co-workers.• Build teams; delegate.• Good tools make everything easier.

Extended Institutional

Planning Council(EIPC)

Four subcommittees

consideredeach goal

Progress evaluated for each

goal

If needed, new recommendations

made for each goal

Board of

Trustees Review

Board of

Trustees Final

Review

Faculty and Staff

Review

The Refined Process

EIPC Dashboard

Measures Added

Roundtable Discussion

• Choose one initiative from among those selected at your table and choose one person to be the recorder.

• As a group, create a flow chart, using the processes discussed, to indicate how you would plan and implement your chosen initiative.

• Make note of any problems or gaps that you see in the process.

Are we there yet?

Future Hurdles and Conclusion

• Restructure of Upper-level Administration• Lost History• Continue to Refine• Continue to Review Latest Enhancements• Consider Budget Impact of New Recommendations

Questions?

Calvin Hall, with Jon ErnstbergerDirector of Online Instruction/ Instruction Techjernstberger@lagrange.edu

Swarley Nate, with Carol YinDirector of Institutional Effectivenesscyin@lagrange.edu