Panel presentation 2009 ITC eLearning Conference

1. Leadership in Distance Learning The Art of Managing Change to Transform Institutions John Sneed, Director of Distance Education Portland Community College

2. What a Pretentious Title! Art? Creative-making up as we go Original solutions Managing Change? Change happens – we don’t make it happen Directing powerful societal forces Transform institutions? Colleges are different than 15 years ago Transformation is a process

3. “Creating and conveying technological visions powerful enough to displace traditional educational models is one of the most challenging aspects of leadership.” Chris Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor of Learning Technologies, Harvard University

5. Distance Learning is disruptive

6. Technology is not just a tool

7. Absence of a career path

8. Confused fiscal models

9. Administrative ambivalence

10. Demands collaboration

12. A Distance Learning Leadership Sampler How to navigate the politics of distance learning? How to lead when you have the responsibility but not the authority? How to lead from the middle? How to lead when everyone wants a piece of the action

13. The Politics of DE Leadership Fred Lokken Associate Dean WebCollege & Academic Support Center Truckee Meadows Community College

14. DE is different Although couched as just “another delivery method”, DE offers a significant challenge to the traditional campus culture Cross-disciplinary Cross-institutional Counter-campus culture DE challenges administrative “silos”

15. Consequences Senior administrators don’t know how to manage DE and/or don’t exactly know how to structure and support it Who does DE report to? How to staff and budget DE? What kind of space/equipment is needed? Centralized or decentralized model? Perceived as a threat by other units (competing for limited staff, budget & space)

16. Consequences (2) As a result, DE programs often lag other campus units in: Staff Budget Space Authority

17. DE Leadership: A Strategy for Success Qualities needed to be successful: 1. Ability to see the bigger picture 2. A sense of campus politics/identify key allies 3. Recognize the value - and power - of data 4. The ability to be a “missionary” for DE 5. The need to be inclusive/collaborative 6. Monitor trends in your state/nationally (ITC) 7. The need to be tenacious (never give up/never surrender!)

18. Success stories Every panelist represents a very successful DE program – the TMCC Story “Success” is measured by: Organizational acceptance Faculty/student/staff acceptance Commitment to quality Meeting the needs of your students/campus

19. Leadership in Distance Learning Distributed Leadership Mary Wells Quality Matters Consultant

20. Leadership Issue: How do you lead if you have the responsibility but not the authority?

21. Quality Matters : Inter-Institutional Quality Assurance in Online Learning QM Organizational Chart MarylandOnline (Wendy Gilbert, Administrative Suzanne Moret) Representatives Project Management Team Faculty & Project Evaluator Their Courses (John Sener) Mary Wells (co-director) Instructional Chris Sax (co-director) Representatives Kay Kane (coordinator) Cynthia France Peer Course External Evaluator Jurgen Hilke Reviewers (Anne Agee) John Sener Wendy Gilbert Chief Academic Officers Advisory Board Instructional Designers External Partners: Affinity Group Working Florida CC/Jacksonville, Kentucky Virtual Univ, Michigan Committees Virtual CC Consortium, Portland CC, Raritan Valley CC, Sloan Consortium, SREB, Towson Univ, WCET Process Tool Set Training Scholarly (Joan McMahon, (Jurgen Hilke, Course & Peer (Cynthia France, others, as Development Mary Wells) Chris Sax) Reviewer Selection Wendy Gilbert) needed (Kay Shattuck)

22. Distributed Leadership Is … a model which allows leadership to emerge to meet a specific need Characteristics include: Responsibility for successful completion resides with Director(s) Foundation = Goals & Objectives of Project Flexible structure to encourage: participation, divergent thinking, creativity Leaders self-identify or are recruited Match needs & skills

23. Critical Factors Leading to Distributed Leadership Compelling project Complex (no single “right way” to do it) Solves a recognized need Immediate impact on need/problem Related directly to professional/personal interests

25. Big-Picture / Details

26. Present / Future

27. Thinkers / Do-ers

28. Cooperative / Divergent Thinkers

30. Leading from the Center Autonomy can give a director a sense of personal control over daily operations, but the long-term results of isolation from the mainstream of campus process carries a heavy price. (Wunsch, 2000)

33. Strategic Planning via Collaboration Set a direction Create a collaborative effort Facilitate the effort Create a culture of dialogue Take Action Develop a shared understanding & vision

34. Setting a Direction Formal structure Analysis- SWOC Vision, goals, strategies Recommendation - ASK Executive support Task force- 15 departments Charge Plan Clarity about purpose and outcome

35. Creating a Culture of Dialogue Prepare for the conversation-content/structure 4 teams – Self-select Goals, hot topics, strengths, anticipate push back Open discussion – listen, paraphrase, genuine empathy Address hard questions Document the conversation Validation, retain integrity, respect for time Strong facilitation Expect the unexpected Feed them!!

36. Develop a Shared Understanding & Vision Dialogue leads to shared understanding Teams – full task force – teams – task force Team members present Continue to document- preserve ideas More depth – needs, challenges, hopes Shared understanding leads to shared vision Multiple perspectives, big picture Consensus

37. Outcomes Strategic plan developed Developed a commitment to the effort Example: Student Services Audit Process allowed people to bring their issues and interests into the conversation Legitimized their roles and need for outcomes of the task force

38. Outcomes continued Allowed individuals to move to the same side of the table to discuss issues Framed a perspective that served the organization vs. individuals representing the perspective of “1” Demonstration of shift in leadership - from autonomous to collaborative Foundation in place – support future initiatives

39. I think a major act of leadership right now, call it a radical act, is to create the places and processes so people can actually learn together, using our experiences. Margaret J. Wheatley

40. Leadership in Distance Learning Twelve Lessons for Creating and Sustaining a Successful eLearning Enterprise Lynda Womer, Associate Provost Electronic Campus St. Petersburg College

41. Lesson 1 VERIFY CENTRALITY TO COLLEGE MISSION Support of President and key leaders Include in college mission statement Recognize need for system changes

42. Lesson 2 BUILD INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT Promote institution-wide benefits Use existing faculty eCampus= everyone’s campus

43. Lesson #3 RECOGNIZE PEDAGOGICAL DIFFERENCES Same outcomes; different delivery Good content is not sufficient

44. Lesson #4 INVEST IN INSTRUCTIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING instructional technology support Pathways to eLearning faculty mentor program

45. Lesson #5 ORCHESTRATE A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT Creation & promotion of a central administrative department “one-stop shop” approach Begin with cyberadvising

46. Lesson #6 PROVIDE A FULL RANGE OF ELECTRONIC SERVICES clicks supported by bricks educational and student services access services remotely or on-site: it’s the student’s choice

48. help desk, tools, tutors, tutorialse-literacy

50. Visitors survey

52. Lesson #10 BE REALISTIC ABOUT COSTS models exist assessing “lab fees”

54. institutional procedures could be adapted or adopted

56. formulas for resource allocations

58. Massive reorganization college-wide

61. College-wide student services

62. College-wide training

65. Outcome: Too soon to tell Year 1 of new organizational chart Dean, Staff and Students are still learning the procedures Florida education budgets facing severe cutbacks

67. Competence - Broad-Minded

68. Forward-Looking - Courageous

69. Inspiring - Straightforward

70. Intelligent - ImaginativeTraits of a Good Leader by the Tom Peters Group

71. Trait: Distributed Leadership With an emphasis on TEAMWORK even when Teamwork seems to be MORE work.

72. “Retreat? Hell, we just got here!” Captain Lloyd Williams, Officer in the United States Marine Corps, World War I, 1918, when advised to withdraw by a French officer at the defensive line. “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”Winston Churchill

73. 2009 Leadership Academy Understand your organization Develop your own leadership model Identify and acquire key tools Gain a network of practitioners July 26-29, 2009 Costa Mesa, California