University College hosted a full day informational seminar for 18 Central and Western New York State schools and colleges to discuss state authorization processes, organizational structures of online education and best practices for online education.
The seminar, which took place in November, began with a presentation by Josh Davis of Syracuse University’s Project Advance. Davis provided an overview on State Authorization—a process designed to ensure that postsecondary institutions are meeting acceptable minimum standards for offering programs. According to the National Governors Association, “As providers and regulators of online education, states … must simultaneously promote access and quality assurance, working in coordination with the federal government and accreditation agencies. The expectation that state regulators can ensure both access and quality will only grow with the continued expansion of online programs by public, private and for-profit institutions.”[1]
Kim A. Scalzo, director of SUNY Center for Professional Development Lead, Open SUNY Campus Partnerships, led a session on organizational structure. The group talked about the mission and strategic plans of individual institutions, including the structures they have in place for online coursework. They also addressed the process of organizational learning and its advantages, disadvantages and challenges.
John Prusch, director of online learning design and technologies from Excelsior College, ended the day with a presentation on Quality Assurance. “Vital to establishing and maintaining quality online education is support at the institutional, learner, and faculty level,” explained Prusch. “Technology support, including the LMS, email and portal infrastructures, is the underlying foundation that ensures educational quality, consistency and access across any institution.”
“The seminar was a very valuable exercise for our partners in higher educations,” said Karen Bull, manager of online programs at University College. “We had the opportunity to share ideas and best practices and learn from each other as we focus on serving the rapidly growing number of students who prefer online courses.
For more information about the seminar, contact Bull at 315-443-0487 or kbull@syr.edu.
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