University of Maine System

Transcription

1 University of Maine System November 2015 ThinkMissionExcellence.Maine.edu

2 Table of Contents I. Introduction. 3 II. III. IV. Unified Online: Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning 5 Recommendations 21 Center of Excellence: Institutional Collaboration Model...25 V. Timeline for Implementation. 26 VI. VII. Proposed Implementation Budget Appendix. 29 Unified Online Charter Background and Conceptual Overview of Unified Online Fall Distance Education Credit Hour Enrollment by Modality By Campus UMS Online Programs Historical Context of UMS Distance Education and Online Current University College Structure and Deliverables Overview of Research Consulted in Preparing this Overview and Proposal 2

3 Introduction The Chancellor and the Board of Trustees have identified the need for a strategic approach for online, distance, hybrid and other digitally enhanced teaching and learning modalities (hereafter online ) as a critical priority of the University of Maine System in order to meet learner and state needs, enhance student success, support faculty teaching in distance modalities, and increase enrollment. In recognition of this, the Presidents Council provisionally recommended an institutional collaboration model for system and campus online resources across the enterprise. An institutional collaboration model recognizes our online resources as a unified system asset supporting faculty and students across the system and serving the priorities of the academic enterprise, that will be managed to ensure: resources are effectively leveraged to benefit the entire enterprise; a prioritization process occurs to address the most urgent learner and state needs; and a fair process is put in place to develop a portfolio of quality online academic courses and programs. In August of 2015, the Chancellor and the Presidents Council issued the Unified Online Charter to develop an implementation plan for an institutional collaboration model for Unified Online. This report outlines the implementation plan through a vision for a Center of Excellence in Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning, a set of specific recommendations for advancing this initiative, an organizational rendering of an institutional collaborative, and an implementation timeline and budget. The recommendations are accompanied by an extensive report that provides the background regarding previous efforts related to advancing excellence in digitally enhanced teaching and learning, as well as a conceptual overview of the optional models available and the case for the institutional collaboration model. The recommendations are part of a greater framework for One University for All of Maine a multi- campus, mission- differentiated framework with significantly reduced and reformed administration, as well as educational programs that leverage and integrate academic resources system- wide. These priorities are inter- reliant: campus mission differentiation; reduced and reformed administration; academic transformation; an enterprise- wide budget that leverages resources to meet student, community and state needs; a modernized, common, and robust technological infrastructure; and a unified online collaboration between the seven universities to support faculty in designing online, hybrid and in- person courses and innovating with new pedagogies and technologies competency based methods, direct assessment, and interactive technology to position our universities on the cutting edge of digitally enhanced teaching and learning; and to develop state of the art services to support online students 24/7. Over 180 comments were received on the report, through the online survey tool as well as individual s and letters. Many suggestions were made and some significant concerns were 3

4 expressed. Nothing in the recommendations contained herein would alter faculty ownership of the curriculum or the campus- based academic governance of programs. Nor is a new entity being created, rather it is a model of collaboration between and among the seven campuses to support faculty and students engaged in distance education and to provide strategic planning for online programs (academic programs where substantially all of the required courses are offered through a distance modality). Only one new administrative position is proposed, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Distance Learning this was born of necessity to gain the support of the Presidents Council and the Chief Academic Officers. The original model had no new administrative positions, but it became apparent that at this stage of the Chancellor s One University initiative a neutral party not affiliated with a particular campus was needed to build trust in the model. The revised report attempts to clarify and address many of the concerns expressed and also adds language to ensure appropriate processes are developed by leadership to engage faculty and honor existing campus- based academic governance in the development of academic policy for online programs. 4

5 Unified Online: Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning In the early days of the Distance Learning Steering Committee, an advisory group to our distance and online initiatives, the group evidenced a vision that needs to be at the core of our future development and which is reflected within our vision for a Center of Excellence in Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning, The Universities of the UMS hold the educational needs of the students and the state of Maine as our top priority. We are thus committed to be major providers of high quality distance education courses, programs and services. Our offerings in distance education will be fully integrated into the academic units on our campuses and will be of commensurate quality as those offered in all of our programs. The key phrases in this vision are students and the state of Maine as our top priority and major providers of high quality distance education courses, programs and services... What will best distinguish a Maine version of a unified online approach will be the access we provide to the people of Maine regardless of where they live, and the high quality we employ as we do so. Both of these will ultimately result in an online approach which will enable us to expand into other markets and better meet the demands of our current and future students. In recognition of the design concepts within an institutional collaborative model, the recommendation is to form a Center of Excellence (COE) in Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning. There are several key factors that have influenced and contributed to this vision: Governance Stay true to the collaborative model selected and chartered by the Chancellor and the Presidents Council (see Appendix); Create reporting, decision- making, and other governance systems that enable progress after proper deliberation (see Recommendations and the COE Model); Design structures and systems to encourage collaboration and innovation; Position the online and distance initiative, including all associated support systems at the university campuses and University College centers, to be a value- added channel distributor that can overcome the historical barriers to collaboration; and Position the governance of our online and distance initiative in the academic center of the enterprise and honor traditional campus- based academic governance. 5

6 Student- Centered Approach Better facilitate underserved student segments with high- quality, relevant education at a distance; Ensure that online and multi- campus students have streamlined and user- friendly student service with consistent policies and practice across all of our institutions; Align academic policies and practices as they relate to student enrollment for those programs delivered online or as part of a collaborative degree or certificate program; Enable access to our academic and academic support resources across the State and beyond; Reduce the cost of education and reduce the time to completion for students; Strengthen the link between the labor market and post- secondary education by providing access to degrees needed for workforce development beyond what might be available locally; Focus on the pedagogy and the learning outcomes rather than the new technology ; and Regain market share and re- invest in the University to serve students, communities and the State. Leverage Resources Leverage resources (instructional design, faculty support and technology assistance) across the seven university campuses and the University College centers, while retaining the services at the host campuses that created them; Provide a broad spectrum of faculty support and development to ensure the development of best practice; Ensure the institutional collaboration is solution- focused and highly efficient, not an additional burden to overcome; and Invest in resources needed to advance our digitally enhanced teaching and learning footprint. 6

7 Center of Excellence for Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning The underlying principles of the Center of Excellence s mission are to: Offer access to select degrees from the seven universities, as well as collaborative degrees, to students throughout the state of Maine who are not able to attend campus classes; Respond efficiently to Maine s workforce and economic development needs by providing timely, in- demand educational programs; Offer niche online programs with national and international appeal; Enhance student success in distance programs; Support faculty teaching in distance modalities; and Significantly increase enrollments and generate revenues to reinvest in the UMS. The Center of Excellence will support the UMS campuses by: Providing leadership and guidance in the development of innovative online courses that optimize the learning experience Assisting faculty in developing high quality, competitive online and blended programs at all degree levels, from certificates to Ph.D.s; Providing an infrastructure for collaborative degrees by leveraging the use of state- of- the- art technology; Providing consistent and high level learning design support for all faculty; Providing the highest quality infrastructure for student advising and support services; Providing a robust web portal for self- service; and Developing a strong and competitive marketing and outreach campaign. The Center for Excellence will include these elements of a successful online strategy: Coherent vision and strategy for online academic programs; Strategic short and long- term plans for growth of online programs and enrollment; Data driven decision making; Excellent collaborative partnerships with campuses, centers and academic units; Comprehensive enrollment management; Infrastructure to support collaborative degrees; Consistent high quality standards; State of the art student support services; R&D in pedagogical innovation, continuous quality improvement and reputation building; Robust assessment of learning outcomes and development of comprehensive learning analytics; Competitive pricing of online programs in the marketplace and a single, consistent tuition for collaborative programs; 7

8 Entrepreneurial Enterprise budget; and Market assessment capacity and marketing strategy. The Center of Excellence s organizational structure should include: An academic leader to provide vision and cohesion to high quality academic standards and support services that enhance all programs; Positioning within Academic Affairs under a VCAA and working in collaboration with the campus Chief Academic Officers; Distinct from any campus but in strong partnership with campus- based resources; Teams of highly collaborative and talented cross- campus individuals providing leadership to support: ü Innovation in teaching and learning ü Innovation in technology and state- of- the- art application of emerging technologies ü Online course design and development ü Integrated assessment model for online courses and programs ü Enrollment management for online courses and programs ü Enrollment advising ü Academic advising and student support services ü Market research, and marketing and outreach ü Campus- based academic program leadership Center of Excellence Leadership: Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for Distance Learning This System- wide position provides strategic direction and direct management of collaborative online education development and delivery. Reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning works closely with the campus Chief Academic Officers and directs the cross- campus functional teams to advance the quality, efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness of all aspects of online learning. The Associate VCAA for Distance Learning develops a competitive, distinctive online education program that cohesively unites and builds on the missions and quality of the individual university programs. In particular, the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning: Develops an effective unified platform for marketing online education to the residents of Maine and beyond as a seamless set of learning opportunities; Leads the development of programs that are responsive to Maine s economic and community development and serve students education, career and access needs; 8

9 Coordinates the offering of programs across the universities to minimize unnecessary duplication and maximize collaborative and mission- differentiated opportunities; Advances the quality of all aspects of online learning, including advising, course design, pedagogy, student support, and program- level development; Leads development of system- wide policies to enhance the coordination and effectiveness of online learning; Collaborates with University College, US- IT, libraries, and other partners to assure that infrastructure and resources are developed to seamlessly advance collaborative approaches to online learning; and Coordinates, through a functional leadership team, the multiple aspects of advancing a collaborative online program; e.g., marketing, instructional design, access expansion, and assessment. Center of Excellence Leadership Team The Associate VCAA for Distance Learning is supported by dotted reporting lines from the Executive Director of Lifelong Learning at UMaine, the Executive Director of University College at UMA, and the Director of Online Teaching and Learning at USM, each of who has oversight for significant online resources which under the direction of the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning may be leveraged across the enterprise. Additionally, the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning is supported by cross- campus functional teams of individuals with expertise in the areas of faculty development, instructional design, library and media services, student services, marketing, enrollment management, assessment, and SARA monitoring. The COE Leadership team will be convened by the Associate VCAA to bring direction and cohesion to the UMS online programs. The team will develop a system- wide strategic plan for distance education, including online, hybrid and other digitally enhanced teaching and learning modalities and will address system- wide work to advance each functional area. Additionally, the COE Leadership Team will: Identify the investment needed to scale the new entity so that it provides the best student/faculty experience and education in the online realm; Provide support to all collaborative degrees as the result of academic integration. (This means that each collaborative program would have full access to a coordinated and holistic approach to: learning design/production; assessment; enrollment advising; budget management; recruitment, marketing, and enrollment management; and Develop a time- frame in which all existing programs will be inventoried and identify programs with first priority access to improved services and supports in FY17. The team will 9

10 develop a 3-4 year plan in which all existing programs are reviewed, aided with improved services, etc. Online Faculty Ambassadors This body will be comprised of faculty experienced in teaching distance courses 1. They will serve as the academic advisory group to shape and advance online learning system- wide. Spanning all UMS institutions, they are a self- selected group of individuals drawn from all disciplines that engage in online learning. They serve as a group to complement the primary academic development work completed by institution- based program faculties, including collaborative programs. As such, the Online Faculty Ambassadors provide advice on academic directions and priorities to the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning, the COE Leadership Team, and the Distance Education Advisory Council. Overall, they provide the forum to develop the academic character, dimensions, and priorities for the portfolio of online programs. In particular, the Online Faculty Ambassadors will serve as an advisory body on academic best practices for: Learning management and video- conferencing technology, structuring and support needs; Instructional design attributes and priorities; Pedagogy and course design dialogue and standards; Program development and peer review; High- quality online education, providing collegial leadership among the broader faculties to increase knowledge of best practices and dialogue on instructional excellence; Academic input on system- wide policy developments that support online students and a cohesive collaborative structure for online learning; and Faculty development, student services, and the marketing of academic programs. Online Faculty Development Across the seven campuses, including University College and its centers, we are fortunate to have many knowledgeable and skilled faculty and staff who can provide quality faculty development. Increased coordination, communication, and collaboration are the missing pieces. For the Center of Excellence to succeed, faculty will need ongoing support and information about producing quality online and digitally enhanced courses. 1 Courses available to students at any location via digital- based modes of communication 10

11 At the center of faculty development to support the Center of Excellence is a focus on the pedagogy of teaching and learning, and how technology can enhance good pedagogy. The transition of traditional classroom- based degree programs into robust, high- quality online or hybrid offerings involves a reconceptualization of teaching approaches that acknowledges the specific needs of the online learner and the potential of the technology. Learning about the technology options and receiving training in their use is certainly essential, but the core of faculty development is the pedagogical strategy to meet learning and course objectives as determined by the faculty. Thus, an essential part of a unified approach to online is coordinated and expanded faculty development opportunities. These can be conceptualized around several themes. System- Wide Programs The annual University College Faculty Institute is a well- established and successful day- long program. The recent Course Redesign Workshop, conducted by instructional designers from three campuses, was a very well received new offering. Plans are to offer it at other campuses. The Short Course for New Online Faculty has been completely revised and updated by University College. Each of these initiatives have benefitted from the efficiency of cooperative resources and the opportunity for faculty from multiple campuses to share effective practices. They are also examples of collaborative learning opportunities that can be expanded to other formats and topics system- wide. Campus Based Workshops and Activities We will leverage the range of workshops and other faculty development activities occurring at the campuses to the benefit of all faculty system- wide. Through the use of videoconferencing, Google Hangouts, and streaming of digital recordings, faculty and staff expertise can be shared between campuses. At USM, the Center for Technology Enhanced Learning (CTEL) and the USM Faculty Commons have regular workshops and programming that can be shared. UM recently hired an experienced Director of Innovation in Teaching and Learning whose expertise will inform the system- wide faculty development initiative. Each campus has faculty and staff who are great resources as program presenters and mentors to faculty new to online. Communities of Practice (CoP) CoPs are a powerful way to share lessons learned across campuses, to demonstrate how the technology can be used to build community and to spark conversations about best practices system- wide. CoPs can be organized around a variety of topics. Learning Objects Repository We should create a system- wide repository for faculty to share learning objects. Details would need to be worked out, but it could be an effective way to share resources among campuses and to expand the capacity of the instructional design team. Such a repository could be particularly useful for 11

12 materials that might be resource- intensive to develop but that have application across multiple campuses, such as simulations or adaptive learning modules in core areas. Faculty Development Website The development of a system- wide website of assets and resources for faculty teaching online, using hybrid formats, and using digitally enhanced pedagogies in live classrooms is essential. Such websites already exist at University College s faculty portal, USM s CTEL, and at other campuses. Bringing all resources together in a single robust website of video streams, tutorials, curated links to resources, and a calendar of system- wide faculty training should be an early goal for this initiative. Promoting Quality Faculty Development should play a role in promoting quality. Unified faculty development could play a role in helping start conversations about implementing basic quality standards across the system. Other Ideas Through surveys and focus groups, the Center of Excellence will identify areas of focus for faculty development and will build upon a number of excellent examples from other universities for programs and structures. One example is a Summer Initiative in which a partnership of areas (such as instructional design, libraries and IT) comes together with faculty mentors to develop a multi- day curriculum for faculty new to online and digitally enhanced teaching and learning. These programs are incentive- based and often have a project as an outcome with a commitment to further partnership work. Online Student Support and Development At the center of our success is the quality of the student experience, both within their academic program and coursework and in the depth and range of student support and service we provide. Students speak eloquently about their hopes that our new model for online will ensure an experience that is of equal or better quality than that of the typical classroom experience, and that opportunities for engagement between students, their peers and their faculty are consistent and multi- faceted. In addition, students seek a service and support experience that is transparent, easy to navigate and structured in such a way that multi- campus enrollment is not a barrier. Students taking online courses/programs must have excellent support services from the moment they make contact with the institution until they complete their degrees. These services must be high- touch, high- tech and on- demand. Today s students expect the high level of service they have come to assume from other areas of personal business (e.g. banking, shopping). In order to have quality in an online program, student services must include exceptional enrollment advising, transcript review services, academic advising, help with registration, tutoring, 24/7 tech support via phone and 12

13 chat, instant access to library services, online writing assistance, and career planning and placement services, all delivered on a robust, state- of- the- art technology platform. In short, the expectation is that the UMS will provide exemplary student experiences in the form of high quality online course and program development and comprehensive and responsive student support service in existence from the day a student first evidences interest in a program to the day they graduate. From the perspective of student service and support, the Center of Excellence must do the following: Provide standard student advisement, academic and retention support for online and distance students that can be accessed in person or online regardless of where the student resides; Ensure streamlined and user- friendly student service with consistent policies and practice across all of our institutions; Align academic policies and practices as they relate to student enrollment for those programs delivered online or as part of a collaborative degree or certificate program; and Ensure that students have all of the tools and supporting knowledge to effectively use any technology employed for our online initiative. Recommendations: Inventory current policies and practices that impact online and multi- campus enrollment (AY 15-16), determine and develop best options for improvement (AY 15-17) and implement (EOY AY16-17). Such review and revision must consider both undergraduate and graduate students. The review shall encompass current BOT, APL and campus based policies and practice, and will include realignment of practices within the MaineStreet student information system. This recommendation includes but is not limited to: ü Registration Students need the ability to register for any online course on any campus simultaneously, and all of their courses need to appear on one location and in one transcript. An online comprehensive catalog (across all campuses) should be developed, beginning with all courses offered via online or distance modalities; ü Payment Students need one unified, understandable bill with consistent terminology and explanations of charges; ü Financial Aid Online students need full access to the financial aid services available on a campus. In the case of collaboratively offered degrees, financial aid awards must be reflective of the student s entire enrollment; 13

14 ü Calendar alignment A common calendar which includes common start and end dates, add/drop and withdrawal dates and vacations shall be developed; ü Tuition policy, specifically as it relates to online and collaboratively delivered degree or certificate programs Students enrolling in a collaborative degree or program shall be charged one single, consistent e- tuition/collaborative program tuition; ü Orientation for online students Students both enrolling in and matriculating into an online or distance program should receive a mandatory orientation to both their academic experience and to the technology they will be using; ü Enrollment and ongoing academic advising Students will receive their enrollment and academic advising in a manner similar to on campus students. They should not be restricted to being advised only by their home campus but rather be able to access advising that may be available at or through a location closer to their residence. In addition, advisors and students should be able to see all of the coursework in which a student is enrolled (or is intending to enroll) ; ü Transcript review and transfer The transfer process should be transparent and seamless. For collaboratively offered programs/degrees, a common catalog with potentially common course numbering will be developed, eliminating the need for transfer of courses between campuses for these programs and enabling grades to count across the entire program. For all programs, the transfer portal currently in place must be constantly maintained and updated to ensure that students have clear pathways to degree completion across the offerings of all of our campuses (e.g., degree audits and equivalencies updated and in place). ü Residency policies for receipt of a degree Academic residency policies must be reviewed and revised to ensure that online and collaborative program students are not restricted by current policy. ü Tutoring and supplemental instruction Additional online tutoring support must be developed. Online writing assistance through VAWLT is in place and used by some campuses but is currently limited to undergraduate students. ü 24-7 technical and enrollment support Exploring cost effective and efficient ways to do this via phone, chat or well developed websites that can answer students question will be an important component of exemplary student service. ü Instant access to library services and support The work of Off Campus Library Services, working collaboratively with the campus based Libraries/Information Commons, should be expanded to ensure the delivery of broad based, online library support. ü Career planning and placement services Students shall have access to a range of career planning and support as a part of their overall advisement experience. 14

15 Working with the CIO and as indicated within the IT plan: ü Develop a consistent platform of technologies for online and distance classes to ensure that students do not have to navigate multiple systems; ü For those platforms in use, develop orientation programs and supplemental materials to aid students in using the technology and maximizing their academic experience; and ü Redesign MaineStreet to enable the elements contained within recommendation #1. As a component of the development and implementation of a marketing and outreach plan, develop a robust web portal for self- service and for services for potential students. This recommendation in part connects to the first recommendation above - specific to registration but including other services. Instructional and Information Technology: Challenges and Recommendations As a part of the development of the IT Plan, several forums were held in which participants discussed information technology including its impact and support of online learning. There were several information technology related themes identified from the candid discussions. Each is discussed below with action recommendations, some attempt at prioritization and estimated funding. Policy, Process and Standardization Many of the comments provide insight into the challenges students, faculty, instructional designers and IT staff face. This begins with the current state where the seven campuses do not use common platforms or technologies and choose to be non- standardized. Accessibility, course design, learning management tools, course numbering, and library databases are all established and managed uniquely by, in some cases, each campus. There is a student desire to see standards developed and utilized to provide better access. There are others who want freedom to innovate, to try new technologies or even choose the tools themselves as a matter of academic freedom. All of these factors point to a need for communication, engagement and a decision making process with strong representation from all interest groups. Recommendation: Establish a governance group with broad representation as a place to have discussions, inform the interest groups and ultimately make decisions when necessary (estimated cost is included in the CIO s State of Technology 2015 Report). 15

16 Support Information Technology and Instructional Design The most often referenced issue is support for faculty and students in the access to and use of the information technology tools in place today. Current hours of service are limited to weekdays from 7AM to 5 PM and evenings to 8PM when classes are scheduled. There is coverage of four hours during the mid- day on Saturday, Sunday and some holidays. In most cases, this is through the University Technology Support Center, available by phone and . Libraries at most campuses do provide some direct support on weekends and evenings to patrons. Though the number of calls in the evening and weekends is very low, there are many who desire 24/7 services with a live response. Further, the expectation is to increase the skill and training of support staff to expand the services they can provide. Faculty feedback highlights the desire for direct, face- to- face services. This includes IT and instructional design. Recommendation: Expand the hours of technology support by increasing internal technology support levels to cover 6AM to 11PM. Contract for a service provider to act as a Level I during off- hours support, with escalation in emergency situations to UMS on call staff (estimated cost is included in the Budget for the Center of Excellence and also in the CIO s State of Technology 2015 Report). Training US:IT has very limited resources set aside for training, none of which is earmarked for students. Faculty frequently are called upon to assist students in the use of BlackBoard Learn, First Class or other learning tools. Faculty are supported by instructional designers who assist with training on new and existing tools, but the service is managed by each campus and with varying approaches. University College does provide a consistent support to faculty, but coordination and cooperation with US:IT would improve the circumstances. IT should have responsibility for basic training on new technology tools provided online. This includes orientation for new faculty and staff and a response process for requests for more advanced support. This should be carefully coordinated with instructional design to assure the training and support is seamless. Online training modules should be developed or purchased to provide student and faculty tools for self service, supporting an anytime/anywhere expectation. 16

17 Establish a Training Team to develop, acquire and deliver necessary training to support online faculty and students. This should be a collaborative team assembled to include Instructional Designers in support of all modalities. Estimate a total of three staff for this purpose (estimated cost is included in the CIO s State of Technology 2015 Report). Classroom Technologies Classroom technologies have two components. Existing classrooms must be updated to allow for recording of individual classes. Some rooms should be designed to act as a recording studio for faculty looking to use this technology. Some classrooms should be designed to support collaborative, synchronous engagement with students at a distance using video conferencing. Rooms must have high- speed wireless technology. The virtual classrooms established within the learning management system(s) in use today have sufficient functionality to support online learning, including the use of mobile devices. Students desire a single system, if possible, and one that is full featured and reliable. Other tools like course capture (today known as Panopto), course evaluation, proctoring and other services must be well designed, operated and supported. The current environments are individually selected and designed by campus leaders. Recommendation: Support the Classroom Technology Upgrade Project within the State of IT report recommendations. Video and other classroom infrastructure (including wireless access) will be addressed, improving the environment for all modalities Course capture services are being competitively acquired through an RFP. Faculty and Instructional Designers are involved in the process. Selected product should become the standard tool, and require its use for online class delivery of pre- recorded media and live capture (no cost associated with this recommendation as it is covered by existing funding). Course Evaluation Recommendation: Course evaluation should be standardized to a single tool, such as IDEA used by UMPI. Recommend going to RFP to select and create a contract with a service provider (estimated cost is TBD and is referenced in the in the CIO s State of Technology 2015 Report). 17

18 Proctoring Recommendation: Proctoring, clickers, authentication of students, and other innovative technologies are important tools that should be considered and budgeted over time, prioritized by a governing body against available resources and competing needs (estimated cost is TBD and is referenced in the in the CIO s State of Technology 2015 Report). Maine Street MaineStreet, especially the student management system Campus Solutions, was designed to segregate data by campus. Significant redesign and modification is necessary to create ease of access for students and faculty, and to respond to the recommendations contained elsewhere in this report. This effort is recommended within the State of IT report. This is a major project and likely a project that takes one to two years to complete. Recommendation: Support the State of IT recommended redesign of MaineStreet in support of program integration and the online initiative (estimated cost is TBD and is referenced in the in the CIO s State of Technology 2015 Report). Productivity and Operational Efficiency projects Several suggestions were made to address a variety of existing or emerging issues and tools. The UMS should monitor and advocate for these initiatives. Recommendation: A cross sectional team of faculty, staff, students and IT representatives should be created to regularly evaluate the landscape of technology and user needs and advise/prioritize investments as determined appropriate. An annual budget allocation could be set aside for these investments as prioritized (estimated cost is included in the CIO s State of Technology 2015 Report). 18

19 Online Marketing Plan One online marketing entity will eliminate duplication, fully deploy leading- edge online instructional design approaches and sharpen the brand messaging, as well as leverage the entire University of Maine System to its fullest extent for online degree program recruitment effectiveness. This service is critical to the delivery of online courses and programs and benefits all campuses. While each campus would likely continue to invest in its own, local marketing efforts, the marketing of online education falls into a category of an activity that is critical to the success of our online education offerings, but one which is appropriately distributed and supported by all campuses. Recommendation: Develop a comprehensive marketing plan and establish a singular web identity in order to seize a lucrative piece of the growing online education market in an ever- shrinking window of opportunity. Components of the development of a marketing plan and approach for a Center of Excellence include but are not limited to: Brand development and messaging; Website redesign; Analysis of current resources and technologies available, including Target X; Analysis of the market: market share, market trends, competition, programs and pricing, identify opportunities; Creation of valuable and relevant content to attract, acquire and engage various audience to existing and new programs; Identification of digital marketing strategies (devises and platforms) and advertising buys that also lead to best search engine optimization; Use of media tools to create brand exposure opportunities that boost awareness and market share, and interface with tools that may be in existence at the campuses or University College centers; Identify marketing approach for different populations (existing and new students, in and out of state and international); and Determine best tracking method to track response rates. Description of the Services: Services associated with marketing are in three categories (estimated cost is included in the Center of Excellence Budget: 19

20 1. Development of the Center of Excellence website including design and launching of the site will be accomplished primarily through reliance on external consultants. 2. Enhancement of the website includes regular updating and maintenance of the web site, possible programming (to ensure database integration with MaineStreet), and continuous improvement of the site as our online educational offerings grow. This work would be accomplished primarily through the use of internal resources. 3. The coordinated marketing campaign includes development and implementation of a marketing campaign to include print, radio and social media, designing search engine optimization for the website, development of a coordinated social media campaign (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and augmentation of program- specific regional, statewide, and national marketing efforts. 20

21 Recommendations I. Develop an institutional collaboration model for Unified Online and establish a Center of Excellence in Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning (COE) under the oversight of a Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. A. Commence an immediate and traditional academic search process for a Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA) and include oversight of the new COE in the Vice Chancellor s portfolio of responsibilities (note, the VCAA position is budgeted for FY16 and is currently vacant); B. Commence an immediate and traditional academic search process for an Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for Distance Learning (Associate VCAA for Distance Learning), who would serve as a member of the Chief Academic Officer s Council, and include oversight and direct management of the new COE in the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning s portfolio of responsibilities (note, this is a new position to be funded); C. Adjust the job descriptions of the Executive Director of Lifelong Learning at UMaine, the Executive Director of University College at UMA, and the Director of Online Teaching and Learning at USM to reflect a dotted reporting line to the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning (note, direct reporting lines to campus- based supervision continue; University College remains an administrative unit of UMA and persists its current mission to provide support to faculty and students system- wide, and provide a conduit to the academic programs at all seven campuses); D. Convene regular meetings of the leadership of the COE led by the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning to include the Executive Director of Lifelong Learning at UMaine, the Executive Director of University College at UMA, and the Director of Online Teaching and Learning at USM; E. Create cross- campus functional teams from current staff for: faculty development; instructional design; library services; multi- media, videography and graphic design services; marketing services; student and advising services; enrollment management; assessment; and SARA monitoring. The functional teams will be overseen by the leadership of the COE under the direction of the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning; 21

22 F. Convene the Online Faculty Ambassadors to serve as the academic advisory group to shape and advance online learning system- wide, providing advice on academic directions and priorities to the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning and the Distance Education Advisory Council; G. Create the Distance Education Advisory Council with cross- functional representation of stakeholders from all seven campuses and chaired by the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning. The Council will have three committees: the Graduate Distance Program Committee; the Undergraduate Distance Program Committee; and the Multi- Campus Collaborative Programs Committee. The Council and its Committees will consult with the Online Faculty Ambassadors as part of their deliberations and Online Faculty Ambassadors will be represented in the membership of the Council and its Committees. The Council will also have cross- representation with other appropriate UMS committees, including ETAC (note, the Council would replace the Distance Learning Steering Committee); H. Expand the role and resources of the Center of Excellence in Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning to: support faculty in designing online, hybrid and in- person courses and to innovate with new pedagogies and technologies competency based methods, direct assessment, and interactive technology and position our universities on the cutting edge of digitally enhanced teaching and learning; and to develop state of the art services to support online students 24/7. II. Empower the Associate VCAA for Distance learning under the direction of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, with the advice and counsel of the Chief Academic Officers and the Distance Learning Advisory Council, and to: A. Work with the leadership of the COE and the Distance Education Advisory Council to engage faculty, students and other stakeholders in developing a system- wide strategic plan for distance education, including online, hybrid and other digitally enhanced teaching and learning modalities (hereafter online) that incorporates all of the recommendations included herein; B. Oversee and collaboratively manage the collective online assets of the seven universities and ensure resources are effectively leveraged to benefit the entire enterprise; C. Acquire an understanding of the current local, regional and national market for online programs and prioritize and solicit the development of new online programs to meet the most urgent learner and state needs; D. Develop and implement a marketing plan for online programs with a consistent brand; 22

23 E. Streamline the governance process for development of new online programs and develop a process for peer faculty review of new online programs; F. Develop a process to engage faculty and honor existing campus- based academic governance in the development of academic policy for online programs; G. Develop a common look and feel consistent with best practices for courses in online programs to advance the student experience; H. Working with the campus Chief Academic Officers, develop a process for ongoing campus- based online program review; and I. Work with faculty to bring current online programs up to best practice. III. Collaborate with the campus Chief Academic Officers, the System Chief Information Officer, and the System Chief Financial Officer to make needed changes to System policy, technology, and budget in order to support the success of online programs. A. Work with the Chief Academic Officers to implement the necessary policy changes to remove barriers and streamline the educational experience of online and multi- campus students in collaborative and other online courses and programs, and support the work of the Academic Transformation led by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. 1. Make the academic calendars consistent across the seven universities; and 2. Implement UMS policies that ensure online and multi- campus students in collaborative and other online courses and programs have a seamless experience navigating the seven- campus system. B. Work with the System Chief Information Officer to implement the necessary technological changes to support faculty online teaching and streamline the learning experience of online and multi- campus students in collaborative and other online courses and programs, and support the recommendations and investments outlined in the CIO s State of Technology 2015 Report. 1. Set standards for technology, which encourage and support innovation, but limit the number of products for wide- scale use to promote ease of navigation, support and maintenance; 23

24 2. Make the necessary changes to MaineStreet, the UMS ERP system, to ensure common data sets, identify a home campus or center for online students, and ease navigation of MaineStreet for multi- campus students; and 3. Plan and implement investments to create a modern technological infrastructure that ensures a common, robust, and effective platform for online academic courses and programs. C. Work with the System Chief Financial Officer, who is developing tuition and financial aid models for the Unified Budget, and support the goal of achieving a Unified Budget by FY Ensure the tuition and financial aid models resolve inter- campus issues relating to the costs and revenues associated with online and collaborative programs and effectively serve online and multi- campus students; 2. Ensure the tuition model allows for competitive pricing of online programs in the marketplace and provides for a single tuition rate for students in collaborative programs; and 3. Ensure the Unified Budget model sufficiently provides ongoing resources to support innovation and the growth and development of quality online programs by establishing the Center of Excellence for Online Teaching and Learning as an entrepreneurial enterprise within the Unified Budget. 24

25 Center of Excellence: Institutional Collaboration Model Center of Excellence for Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning 25

26 Timeline for Implementation December June 2016 (FY16) > Conduct searches and hire the VCAA & Associate VCAA for Distance Learning by June 30, 2016 > Review & revise policy and pracmces to bener serve online and mulm- campus students - concnues in FY17 > > Work with the System CIO to plan for the informamon technology investments and to develop online faculty and student technology supports - concnues in FY17 >Work with System CFO, who is developing tuimon and financial aid models for the Unified Budget, to serve mum- campus students and allow for compemmve pricing in the marketplace and an entrepreneurial enterprise budget for the COE - concnues in FY17 > Revise COE leadership at UM, UMA, and USM to create doned repormng lines to the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning July June 2017 (FY17) > Establish the Center of Excellence for Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning > Establish the COE leadership team led by the Associate VCCA for Distance Learning > Develop a system- wide strategic plan for distance educamon and begin implementamon > Establish the cross- campus funcmonal teams under the direcmon of the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning > Launch the Online Faculty Ambassadors program > Establish the Distance Learning Advisory Council chaired by the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning > Expand the resources of the Center of Excellence and develop state of the art services for online faculty and students JUL JUN 2018 (FY18) > Complete implemenmon of the strategic plan > Establish the Center of Excellence for Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning as an entrepreneurial enterprise within the Unified Budget > Advance towards a mature COE suppormng faculty in designing online, hybrid and in- person courses and innovamng with new pedagogies & technologies to posimon our universimes on the cupng edge of digitally enhanced teaching and learning; and suppormng online and mulm- campus students with state of the art services 24/7 26

27 Proposed Implementation Budget FY16 FY17 FY18 Associate VCAA for Distance Learning & AA 322,500 $322,500 Instructional Support Staff 270, , Student Technologist Internships Fall, Spring & Summer 112, ,500 Supplies, Equipment & Miscellaneous Expenses 12,000 60,000 50,000 Marketing 200, ,000 Faculty e- Learning Grants 75,000 75, ,000 Expanded Help Center 334, ,000 Total by FY $87,000 $1,374,000 $1,539,000 Total Initial Investment $3,000,000 The proposed implementation budget for the Center of Excellence requires a one- time investment of $3 million over three years after which the initiative is intended to be self- sustaining as an entrepreneurial enterprise within the Unified Budget of the University of Maine System. The implementation budget includes funding for: The Associate VCAA for Distance Learning with an estimated salary of $175,000 plus benefits; An Administrative Assistant for the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning with an estimated salary of $40,000 plus benefits; Additional Instructional Support Staff (instructional designers, instructional technologies, or embedded stewards); Twenty- five Student Technologist Internships to support faculty and students with online and other modalities, estimated at $10 per hour x 10 hours per week x 45 weeks per year to cover the Fall and Spring semesters, as well as Summer and other terms; Supplies, personal computers and other equipment, and miscellaneous expenses including travel phased in at $12,000 in FY16, $60,000 in FY17, and leveling off at $50,000 in FY18; Marketing beginning in FY17 at $200,000 and increasing to $300,000 in FY18; Faculty e- Learning Grants to develop new online courses and programs and update existing ones phasing in at $25,000 in FY16, increasing to $75,000 in FY17 and leveling off at $150,000 in FY18; and 27

28 Expanded Help Center capacity to increase bandwidth and hours of operation at $334,000 in FY17 and in FY18 (note, this item overlaps with the CIO s recommendation in the State of Technology 2015 Report). A Center of Excellence for Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning would be substantially reinforced by the recommendations and investments outlined in the CIO s State of Technology 2015 Report. 28

29 APPENDIX Unified Online Charter Background and Conceptual Overview of Unified Online Fall Distance Education Credit Hour Enrollment by Modality By Campus UMS Online Programs Historical Context of UMS Distance Education and Online Current University College Structure and Deliverables Overview of Research Consulted in Preparing this Overview and Proposal 29

30 Unified Online Charter July 2015 The Chancellor and the Board of Trustees have identified the need for a strategic approach for online, distance, hybrid and other digitally enhanced teaching and learning modalities (hereafter online ) as a critical priority of the University of Maine System in order to meet learner and state needs. In recognition of this, the Presidents Council has provisionally recommended an institutional collaboration model for system and campus online resources across the enterprise. The Presidents Council now seeks greater clarity on an implementation plan that recognizes our online resources as a unified system asset belonging to the collective (not an individual institution) that serves the priorities of the academic enterprise and will be managed to ensure: resources are effectively leveraged to benefit the entire enterprise; a prioritization process occurs to address the most urgent learner and state needs and to expand revenue; and a fair process to develop a portfolio of quality online academic courses and programs. Specifically, the Presidents Council recognizes: ü The need to develop policy for and governance of our unified online resources to ensure a fair and efficient process to develop a portfolio of online academic courses and programs maximizing our investment and minimizing duplication of effort; ü The need to modernize the technological infrastructure to ensure a common, robust, and effective platform for online academic courses and programs; and ü The need to stand up leadership for our unified online resources to fulfill the desired goals for this asset to serve the vision of One University for All of Maine through the delivery of quality online academic courses and programs that meet learner and state needs and expand revenue. Dr. Rebecca Wyke has agreed to lead the effort to develop an implementation plan and will be assisted by Chief Student Affairs Officer Rosa Redonnett. Their work will engage the Presidents Council, the CAOs, the Distance Learning Steering Committee, campus thought leaders in digitally enhanced teaching and learning, as well as faculty, students, instructional designers and IT professionals. 30

31 The implementation plan is due no later than September 30, 2015, and implementation is anticipated to begin by November 30, The implementation plan will consist of: the policy and governance recommendations; a plan to achieve a common, robust and effective platform including financing; and recommendations on the formation of a leadership team. 31

32 Background and Conceptual Overview of Unified Online Overview Executive Summary Over the years, several studies and special reports have been produced attempting to move the UMS toward the development of a robust and progressive online/distance education menu of offerings and services that can increase access and opportunity for students, both those within and outside Maine. From the beginning, these have been met with resistance and disagreement. While we aspire to offer a broad menu of programs, we have seven independent approaches with seven programmatic and funding strategies. The one unifying force historically has been the support and service provided by University College, specifically in the form of services provided by UC Central Services and by the UC Outreach Centers but even this has been viewed as problematic and is plagued by an extraordinary level of campus misunderstanding about what is provided by this unit. Our current model clearly is not working (despite the very good work of individuals at all levels and the very able and important support of University College) we have no cohesive plan for future development, no universal support for a more logical structure and no real strategy for how to move forward. In the early days of the Distance Learning Steering Committee, the group evidenced a vision that needs to be at the core of our future development: The Universities of the UMS hold the educational needs of the students and the state of Maine as our top priority. We are thus committed to be major providers of high quality distance education courses, programs and services. Our offerings in distance education will be fully integrated into the academic units on our campuses and will be of commensurate quality as those offered in all of our programs. 2 The key phrases in this vision are students and the state of Maine as our top priority and major providers of high quality distance education courses, programs and services... What will best distinguish a Maine version of a unified online approach will be the access we provide to the people of Maine regardless of where they live, and the high quality we employ as we do so. Both of these will ultimately result in an online approach which will enable us to expand into other markets and better meet the demands of our current and future students. 2 Report and Recommendations of the Distance Learning Steering Committee, December

33 The overview and proposal that follows combines many elements of the original draft Unified Online study delivered in July 2014 with new research gathered since that time. The basic recommendation remains unchanged but more clearly assigns responsibility and authority to an Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for Distance Learning (Associate VCAA for Distance Learning), based on a collaborative model that builds on the current strengths of our campuses and the critical services and supports provided by University College. Objectives for UMS Online Learning The major objectives for our online learning approach should include: Ø Expanding access and the student experience enhancing the quality of our existing programs, expanding access through the development of high demand new programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, and expanding flexibility for students through an increasing portfolio of online models (to be developed as our model develops but would include competency based completion models). Identifying the gaps (and overlaps) in what we provide, determining who we wish to serve and what products we will provide, and building a model where we can provide a consistent, quality product are part of the foundational work that will need to occur as we build this effort. In addition, students taking online courses/programs must have excellent support services from the moment they make contact with the institution until they complete their degrees. These services must be high touch, high- tech and on- demand. Today s students demand the high level of service they have come to expect from other areas of personal business (e.g. banking, shopping). In order to have quality in an online program, student services must include exceptional enrollment advising, transcript review services, academic advising, help with registration, tutoring, 24-7 tech support via phone and chat, instant access to library services, online writing assistance, and career planning and placement services, all delivered on a robust, state- of- the- art technology platform. Ø Reducing System and Student Costs our APRIP work will result in more collaborative degrees which will lead to a better utilization of resources, possibly reduced time/cost to completion for students (especially if we can develop a competency- based completion program), and potentially lower cost of delivery as duplication decreases. Ø Strengthening the link between the labor market and post- secondary education this will enable better coordination of the degrees needed for workforce development and program/degree development beyond what might be available locally. 33

34 Ø Providing a broad spectrum of faculty support and development to ensure the development of best practice online delivery and a commitment to quality programming and to assessment and improvement. Next Steps for UMS Online Learning With this said and based on both our past development and the models in existence elsewhere, the following seem to be the fundamental and critical next steps of the UMS online program: 1. Create a Center of Excellence for Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning (COE) supported and endorsed by the UMS campuses, and led by an Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. 2. The UMS Board of Trustees, Chancellor, and administration must affirm, empower and provide the necessary fiscal support for the new entity to be successful. 3. Accelerate, streamline and incentivize the development and enhancement of new and existing online degrees and programs for undergraduate and graduate education. 4. Create a new entrepreneurial financial model to sustain the COE that provides incentives for universities and faculty to accelerate online program development, provides investment capital to further build our online capacity, and encourages collaboration. 5. Provide faculty development support for the creation of new innovative (niche) or high need programs and for the re- design of high quality online and hybrid programs and degrees. 6. Provide exemplary student experiences in the form of high quality online course and program development and comprehensive and responsive student support services in existence from the day a student evidences interest in a program to the day they graduate. 7. Utilize the existing strengths in faculty development, service and support delivered by University College but coordinate this with campus based initiatives to leverage all available resources. 8. Charge the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning with providing leadership in assuring consistent quality of online education and services. 9. Minimize duplication and ensure that the appropriate portfolio of program and service is offered. Our work with Academic Transformation will play a role in this. It is important to note that, in this or any model, institutions would continue their existing programs (with the important proviso that APRIP may impact this as current program duplication may be addressed). 34

35 In order to accelerate the development and marketing of UMS online and distance education opportunities for Maine s citizens, the UMS will create a Center of Excellence for Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning. The COE will be charged specifically with: Providing leadership in the creation of high quality technology enhanced/enabled teaching and learning across the entire UMS but predominantly focused on online, Responding to market and labor demands in Maine through timely development of appropriate, collaboratively developed online programs, including market research designed to determine best opportunities for development Marketing UMS online, ITV and hybrid courses throughout Maine and beyond, Providing instructional design, library and media support services for faculty who are creating online and blended curricular offerings, Providing support for faculty who are piloting or testing new academic software, elearning products, learning management systems and/or methodologies within the distance learning arena, Working with the Education Technology Advisory Committee and the UMS CIO, ensuring that the appropriate technology needed for future development of our online program is identified and in place, Providing standardized student advisement, academic and retention support for online and distance students within the UMS, Ensuring streamlined and user- friendly 24/7 student service with consistent and coordinated policies and practice, Providing direction and advisement for the UMS regarding distance learning and the State Authorization/SARA process, Creating a vision for the future of the UMS online and technology enhanced teaching and learning, and Monitoring of and ensuring quality practice within the UMS online learning environment, including assessment and improvement where necessary. Finally, a comprehensive strategy for a unified online model should include the following best practices: Coherent vision and strategy for academic program development and the resultant portfolio of online programs Short term and long term plan for strategic growth 35

36 Excellent collaborative partnerships with campuses and academic units Infrastructure to support collaborative degrees Comprehensive enrollment management of online courses/programs Entrepreneurial enterprise budget and revenue- sharing model Online programs competitively priced within the marketplace, with consistent e- tuition for any collaboratively- offered degree program Consistent high quality standards including robust assessment of learning outcomes R&D for continuous quality improvement and reputation building State of the art student support services Robust web portal for self- service and for services for potential students Development of a strong marketing and outreach campaign Market assessment/research capacity Data driven decision making Background Current UMS Online and Outreach Resources and Programs All campuses within the UMS offer online courses and programs. For some, the portion of credit hours generated by these courses is a major portion of their credit hour production (in excess of 30%) while others are far smaller (less than 10%). Credit hour enrollment in online courses systemwide for the Fall 2014 semester was 15.6% of total credit hour enrollment while Spring 2015 semester is 18.5%. This percentage has been increasing every year for five years and will continue to increase as more courses transition to online, and as more degrees are offered collaboratively across campuses. A detail of credit hour enrollment by campus and a list of the programs currently available online can be found within the Appendix. The online programs offered by our campuses vary but are predominantly focused on academic areas of emphasis at a specific campus. For example, UM has a focus specific to graduate degrees and certificates, many of which are high end, niche programs. USM has degree completion programs and graduate programs within Education. UMPI has programs focused within the liberal arts, UMFK within criminal justice and nursing. UMA programs span several academic disciplines. UMF has a small online effort focused within education. As we consider any new model for our online activities, it is important to understand the current state of our resources as they form the base for any future development. 36

37 Campus- Based Resources Any discussion of current UMS online and distance practices must consider several entities including University College at University of Maine at Augusta, the Division of Lifelong Learning at the University of Maine and the Center for Technology Enhanced Learning at the University of Southern Maine. Support for online course and program development varies at each of the seven universities within the UMS. Early distance learning initiatives originated at UMA, then migrated to the UMS and ultimately returned administratively to UMA. Online course and program development was facilitated by University College but largely developed through the initiative of faculty on each of the UMS campuses who were early adopters of technology enhanced teaching and learning. Following is an overview of the resources currently in place at our campuses. Part of any plan must include coordinating all of these services in such a way that further development can happen that benefits all campuses delivering online courses and programs. While the three smallest campuses (UMM, UMPI and UMFK) do not currently have full- time campus based instructional design specialists, they utilize the services of instructional designers who are part of the University College team. UMA also has two resident instructional designers and collaborates directly with the UC specialists who are housed on the UMA campuses. Online program development has been incentivized by course release time for faculty and competitive research/professional development funds for faculty. UMF has one instructional designer who appears to be primarily engaged in the utilization of teaching and learning technology associated with K- 12 teacher education rather than the development of an array of online UMF courses. Given the larger scale operations of the University of Southern Maine and the University of Maine, these two campuses have developed their own localized services to meet the high demand needs of campus faculty. At USM, through the Center for Technology- Enhanced Learning (CTEL),services have included sustained and regularized collaborations with individual faculty members throughout the development of their online/blended courses, numerous workshops on varying topics (e.g. integrating third party tools, creating video content, using online library resources in the classroom), an impressive speaker series including external and internal guests, an accessibility series, monthly newsletters, featured courses showcasing innovation, pilot projects and many other support services that engage faculty in community discussions about online and blended pedagogies. 37

38 At UM, hundreds of online courses have been designed and developed through faculty members close collaborations with learning designers, multi- media specialists, and technicians. Faculty services include: one- on- one consultations, professional video production, video digitizing and audio services, podcasting, numerous workshops and seminars on best/emerging pedagogical practices, tools and strategies to enhance teaching and learning, and many tutorials on the various technologies used on campus. Significant online expansion has occurred within the structure at UM since the time of the first draft unified online report (July 2014) including the relaunch of UM s online website Maine OnLine (first introduced in 2010/2011). Resources Provided by University College University College (UC) is an administrative unit of the University of Maine at Augusta with a system- wide mission to serve the students and faculty of the UMS in distance education through close collaboration with all seven campuses, a portfolio of faculty and student services, and eight centers serving distance students throughout the state. Although University College is acknowledged as having a system- wide mission, UC is not recognized as having the authority to do more than support the online and distance learning activities of the campuses. They do this by close collaboration with the campuses The University College model offers several benefits to UMS institutions, including: access to a network of statewide centers which provide collaborative learning environments for distance students, offer comprehensive student services and faculty support and which are closely connected to the businesses and other educational entities within their communities; centralized instructional design expertise which supports collaboration and develops and implements best practice strategies designed to enhance faculty teaching and student learning, Examples include the development of Virtual Academic Writing Lab Tutoring (VAWLT), the annual Faculty Institute, e- learning grants to support faculty development and exploration of new e- learning technologies, development of tutorials for Blackboard (Bb) use by students and faculty, and many more (see Appendix for more complete detail) delivery of off campus library services through OCLS, serving students from all campuses who are taking courses delivered via multiple modalities and faculty teaching same. OCLS and UC designers have implemented several initiatives to improve the teaching and learning experience, including the initiation of embedded librarian frames within Bb, applications to support specific campus needs, development of video tutorials, initiation of a text messaging reference service (along with UMA) and chat capability, and more. 38

39 Organizationally UC has oversight of both outreach and online services carried- out by five departments: Instructional design/development and media services, Off- Campus Library Services, Marketing, Outreach Centers, (eight centers, six reporting directly to UC), and UC Learning Services. UC provides: Access to degree programs and resources of the UMS, including marketing Personal concierge student support services through a network of statewide outreach centers Supports for UMS faculty teaching online and distance courses Services and supports needed for the success of online and distance programs offered by UMS campuses Services for UMS Faculty UC s Faculty Services team supports UMS faculty who teach at a distance using ITV, compressed- video, the web, or instructional technologies on campus. UC employs instructional designers, e- learning specialists and media service technicians who are expert in solving problems related to distance education course design and instruction. UC also supports distance education faculty by offering exam proctoring, distance course scheduling assistance, syllabi, handouts and course pack distribution, phone bridge services, and more. Library services provides UMS faculty with copyright clearance, live- chat, streaming video database support and course based web resources. Concierge Services for UMS Students UC employees who work with students are experts in UMS multi- campus functions and are knowledgeable about the variety of UMS programs offered at a distance. Front line and professional student services staff are cross- trained in a myriad of student functions. They assist students in choosing the programs that fit their interests and routinely advise them about multi- campus course selection, paying particular attention to matching students with appropriate course modalities, skill levels and degree requirements. Center staff use effective follow- up and retention strategies with students each semester. Services to UMS campuses University College Marketing Services support UMS distance education enrollment by advertising and promoting the courses and programs offered by the campuses at centers and online. Marketing Services also creates promotional materials that centers use to market programs in their communities. Center information sessions link program faculty with people in communities statewide. Through 39

40 websites such as learn.maine.edu and online.maine.edu, UC makes it easy for people in Maine and beyond to view the totality of UMS distance education offerings, including those available locally. Brief synopsis of our internal environment since July draft Much has occurred within our System since the time of the July 2014 Unified Online draft proposal. The work of the Academic Transformation (formerly known as the Academic Portfolio Review and Integration Process) could result in a fundamental and long lasting impact on our portfolio of degree programs, and most specifically result in more degrees offered collaboratively across institutions. This will further advance the need to dramatically and purposefully overhaul existing technologies, processes and policies to ensure a seamless and transparent student experience, a supportive environment for faculty and a facile and sophisticated online presence designed to maximize the academic experience. Quality is an imperative requirement of this new design. A quality academic experience must be fundamental in any development. It will call for the development of consistent, cohesive and comprehensive student services available 24/7, the development of techniques and incentives for new course and program development, and best practice implementation of more sophisticated (and coordinated) technologies. The One University administrative model currently under development will reinforce the need for consistent and coordinated policies, processes and practices across our campuses and will impact how we ultimately expand academic collaboration. There will be much work to do associated with all of this, further emphasizing the need for a unified and coordinated online effort on the part of our System. Brief synopsis of national context As stated in the final report of the ABCDE (Adult Baccalaureate Completion/Distance Education) Committee, e- learning has forever changed the landscape of higher education in the United States. The landscape of higher education is changing so rapidly that most experts agree that we are experiencing a higher education revolution. Virtually every daily news item in any one of the numerous higher education journals today refers to one or more of the recent phenomena that are disrupting our current system of higher education. Most significant is the impact of online courses on both the pedagogy and the changing face of the student profile of today s learner. We are only beginning to experience the burgeoning capacity of technology to revolutionize higher education. Just as the internet transformed the news and music industries, so too is it now 40

41 transforming the most expensive commodity in American life: higher education. Whereas twenty years ago online education was considered to be a second- rate education delivered en masse and generally by for- profit institutions, today the most prestigious colleges and universities throughout the country are getting on the band wagon with their own versions of Online Courses available to anyone across the world with an internet connection. And despite the early refusal of many institutions to accept credit for these types of online courses, almost all institutions are now exploring the impact of this newest phenomenon and determining how to best respond. This open access, whole- scale democratization of higher education will constitute a tsunami- like force in educating the masses that we have not seen the likes of since the birth of the printing press. This realization has not been lost on our government as it seeks to add requirements around online education that have the potential to dramatically impact how it is delivered and financed (e.g., state authorization of distance education). The multiple and various platforms for the distribution of knowledge and the growing response to determining the assessment of that knowledge promises to overhaul our systems of education that have existed for hundreds of years. 3 Online providers of education are entering the marketplace at an ever increasing pace. The models utilized by these providers are varied and are very dependent on the structure of the System or campus from which they emanate. The spectrum of models within Systems spans the most basic - institution based (the current UMS model) - to the most advanced, autonomous/degree granting (Charter Oaks, Granite State). Based on all of the available research including that conducted by EAB (Education Advisory Board), the model selected needs to be developed cognizant of the past development within a System/its campuses, sensitive to the unique campus concerns around this critical component in their overall revenue picture, and invested with the appropriate responsibility and authority to oversee and manage the overall online strategy in a realistic way that matches up with the capacities of the System. 3 ABCDE Report, pp

42 Overview of possible models pros and cons 4 A review of the research conducted as a part of the original Unified OnLine Draft Report, studies conducted by other state systems (most notably Florida), research conducted by the Education Advisory Board and other research conducted for this report result in four basic models that are being employed across the nation, most with mixed results. The keys to success seem to revolve around a broad, systemwide endorsement of the model selected, a commitment to a quality academic experience (with attendant student and faculty support), the selection of an individual to lead who is both visionary and collaborative, and Trustees and System leadership vesting this leader with the authority to enhance and grow the online initiative. The models are: Institution based (current model within UMS) Institutions continue to develop online offerings on their own. Potential collaboration is at their discretion. o Benefits: 1) Allows institutions to pursue their own online strategy in accordance with mission o Potential Issues: 1) Seven approaches to course and quality delivery, student experience and support; 2) Duplication; 3) economies of scale difficult to achieve; 4) no coordinated or centralized structure aligned to meeting broader state needs; 5) This model will not work for the offering of collaborative degrees; 6) Been there, done that, will not work for the future Institution collaboration the COE functions like a broker System- wide online degree programs are developed under the direction of an Associate VCAA for Distance Learning working closely with the CAOs and the Distance Learning Advisory Council and with the assistance of the COE leadership team and the cross- campus functional teams, but degree authority rests with the campuses. Centralized marketing, onboarding, support services and data analytics (including market research) are managed by the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning. Program level RFPs could be utilized in the selection of institutions (one or combinations) for program development or the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning could work with those institutions that evidence interest. o Benefits: 1) reduces duplication; 2) universal access to quality programs and services; 3) inclusive but coordinated many institutions can participate; 4) led by an Associate 4 Sources include original Unified Online report, study conducted by the Florida State System (2012) with exact same charge, sketchy research which appears at the end of the, independent research into UMass Online, Granite State College, Charter Oaks, University of Wisconsin and similar models described within research done by the Education Advisory Board (EAB) 42

43 VCAA for Distance Learning who would be empowered to oversee the entire UMS online enterprise; 5) logical approach to the delivery of collaborative degrees o Potential issues: 1) requires a leader who can sustain, support and inspire innovation; 2) resources are distributed and the Associate VCAA for Distance learning s authority to manage them rests in policy Lead campus (lead can mean different things) o One version of lead : One or more institutions are selected to drive the development of new online programs. The lead could be selected on the basis of an RFP process that would allow an institution to emphasize current best practices and strengths that could contribute to such development. Access to a diverse and far flung student body would be the expectation of this. Benefits: 1) Clear owner for any program development; 2) existing strengths could be leveraged; 3) Economies of scale could result Potential Issues: 1) Could limit participation by institutions; 2) Would still need an arbiter if campuses did not agree with the lead campus; 3) may be difficult for institutions to approach this in a collaborative manner would still need to be willing to partner; 4) Contentious option initially o Another version of Lead : One campus is selected to provide online leadership in the state Benefits: 1) Clear owner for any program development; 2) existing strengths could be leveraged; 3) Economies of scale could result Potential issues: 1) Typically, this is the flagship UM has not historically been a leader in online course and program delivery (with the possible exception of the graduate level) and has relatively few multicampus students. The campus with the most experience, knowledge and expertise is UMA, and online course and program development has long been a part of its mission; 2) Could limit participation by institutions; 3) Would still need an arbiter if campuses did not agree with the lead campus; 4) may be difficult for institutions to approach this in a collaborative manner would still need to be willing to partner; 5) Contentious option initially Autonomous online, degree granting Such an institution would have the mandate to drive the development of new programs, would have independent degree granting authority. o Benefits: 1) Fewer institutional barriers to developing new programs, policies and procedures; 2) could implement best practice from the beginning, 3) Everything would be designed specifically for an online student 43

44 o Potential issues: 1) Unknown entity (no brand identity), 2) very complicated and expensive to create a new institution, 3) Contentious option (the most contentious, and especially within the UMS which has a history in the potential development of such an entity) It is important to note that under any of these models, institutions would continue their existing programs (with the important proviso that Academic Transformation may impact this as current program duplication may be addressed). Future duplication would be avoided in all models except the institution based model. The model that seems to make the most sense for UMS at this stage of its development is the institution collaboration model, led by an Associate VCCA for Distance Learning and charged with the oversight of all online activity for the UMS basically the umbrella for all online activity through the System. A comparable model is one employed at the University of Nebraska (called Online Worldwide) or one similar to the University of Wisconsin Extension. Overview of success metrics and factors As we determine the best model to pursue, considering the success metrics upon which to measure and determine success will be important. These include the following: Increased UMS student enrollment through the delivery of quality online education and services. o Student enrollment metrics would be developed through collaborative engagement with the faculty delivering online coursework based on the model adopted, the curricular offerings, and with special attention paid to student satisfaction, student success and ultimate degree completion under this model. o The ability to increase online student enrollment and access and to deliver quality academic programs and courses within a collaborative model is also predicated upon a more strategic unified system- wide approach to online education Other success factors include but are not limited to the following recommended administrative and academic actions: Create a Sustainable Financial Model to Support Online and Distance Education within the Unified Budget by FY18 o A sustainable fiscal model could include a combination of: i. State appropriation (new or carved out of the current appropriation), 44

45 ii. Charge back costs to each campus from managing entity based upon utilization of online support services by students enrolled at each university, iii. A percentage of the tuition generated by the online enrollments, iv. A standard fee per credit (ex. $5) that would automatically go towards funding the online operation and/or v. A new model whereby the central entity collects all tuition for any new programs and then returns investment funds to participating campuses for faculty, course development, student support and marketing of the new program(s) and the central entity retains a portion of the tuition dollars to support program development, state and national marketing and student support services campuses and the central entity would share equally in program revenue once an established timeframe for ROI was met. 5 o The Associate VCAA for Distance Learning will need to work closely with the System CFO to develop the appropriate financial model and establish the COE as an entrepreneurial enterprise within the Unified Budget. o o The budget would need to be independent of that of any single campus to ensure that any budget related decisions and issues are addressed in a manner consistent with and focused on the provision of quality online programs and services. o Investment would need to occur elements would include leadership, faculty support and development (instructional designers, web developers, media specialists, etc.), student support services (portal development, online service development, etc.), marketing, and enhanced technology infrastructure o UMS would need to address the issue of competitively pricing Online programs within the marketplace, with consistent e- tuition for any collaboratively- offered degree program o An acceptable ROI would need to be determined. Establish System- wide goals for online degree/course completion Provide Faculty Professional Development & Support o The recent comprehensive reports provided by the Adult Baccalaureate Completion/Distance Education (ABCDE) Committee and the Teaching Through Technology Task Force (T4) provide compelling evidence and detailed recommendations about the need for faculty development and support going forward. Faculty expertise 5 This potential funding model was included within discussions with University of Wisconsin Extension as a possible model for collaborative program development. 45

46 and comfort with technology enabled instruction is the key success component for distance, adult and online learners. General Observations on Best Practices which Emerge from these Models It should be noted that the most successful state- wide online systems have a number of key features that distinguish them from other less successful models. 1. Broad Endorsement. To be successful, a system- wide online initiative must have broad- based buy- in and endorsement from the constituent faculty members and administrators from each of the campuses. In order to achieve collective agreement, there must be a shared vision, common goals, and the proposed outcomes should first and foremost serve the needs of the students within the state. When student needs are being addressed adequately, enrollments follow. The interests of students must be primary in the development of any model, independent of the interests of any one campus. 2. High Quality Student Experiences. High quality student experiences result from high quality design of online courses and programs. This high quality of experience is typically achieved when courses have been collaboratively designed by the subject matter experts (SMEs i.e. the faculty members) and a team of learning design specialists, such as learning scientists, instructional designers, graphic and multimedia experts, project managers, programmers and web specialists. Institutions such as Penn State World Campus, UMUC, and Colorado Global Campus, to name a few, know that the longevity of their success is in pioneering the innovation around student learning and in resourcing this critical aspect of online education. There needs to be attention to how students learn and where they are and are not successful at various stages of the learning process so that adequate adjustments can be made in the instruction and technology- supported pedagogy. It is important to allow for continuous iterations of course development to improve the student learning experience. 3. Faculty Support Services. In order for most faculty to be successful at online teaching, they must have access to and be supported by a team of technology experts (see #2 above). As Subject Matter Experts, with their own full- time responsibilities, faculty members often do not have the time or motivation to keep up with emerging web- based tools or software that could benefit their teaching. Increasingly, the field of online education is being driven by collaborative approaches to designing the teaching/learning experience. No longer is the faculty member the exclusive creator of the course, as a learning design specialist often does the research and design of best tools to support the course. Also, we have faculty who are in different stages in their use and facility teaching online courses. Faculty development and support designed to meet the range of faculty need, from the most basic to the most sophisticated, will be an important component in our further development of any unified online approach. 46

47 4. Student Support Services. Students taking online courses/programs must have best practice support services from the moment they make contact with the institution until they complete their degrees. These services must be high touch, high- tech and as close to on- demand as possible. Today s students demand the high level of service they have come to expect from other areas of personal business (e.g. banking, shopping). In order to have quality in an online program, student services must include enrollment advising, transcript review services, academic advising, help with registration, tutoring, 24-7 tech support via phone and chat, instant access to library services, online writing assistance, and career planning and placement services. In addition to the above aspects, a comprehensive strategy for a unified online model should include the following best practices: Coherent vision and strategy for academic program development and the resultant portfolio of online programs Short term and long term plan for strategic growth Excellent collaborative partnerships with campuses and academic units Infrastructure to support collaborative degrees Comprehensive enrollment management of online courses/programs Entrepreneurial budget and revenue- sharing model Consistent e- tuition, minimally for any collaboratively- offered degree program Consistent high quality standards including robust assessment of learning outcomes R&D for continuous quality improvement and reputation building State of the art student support services Robust web portal for self- service and for services for potential students Development of a strong marketing and outreach campaign Market assessment/research capacity Data driven decision making The Recommended Model Based on all of the above and cognizant of our unique cultural impediments in the development of this concept, the following seem to be the fundamental and critical next steps of the UMS online program: 1. Create a new stand- alone, independent operational distance education/online structure supported and endorsed by the UMS campuses, and led by an Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. 47

48 2. The UMS Board of Trustees, Chancellor, and administration must affirm, empower and provide the necessary fiscal support for the new entity to be successful. 3. Accelerate, streamline and incentivize the development and enhancement of new and existing online degrees and programs for undergraduate and graduate education. 4. Create a new financial model to sustain the new entity that provides incentives for universities and faculty to accelerate online program development, provides investment capital to further build our online capacity, and encourages collaboration. 5. Provide faculty development support for the creation of new innovative (niche) or high need programs and for the re- design of high quality online and hybrid programs and degrees. 6. Provide exemplary student experiences in the form of high quality online course and program development and comprehensive, responsive and excellent student support services in existence from the day a student evidences interest in a program to the day they graduate. 7. Charge the new entity with providing leadership in assuring consistent quality of online education and services. 8. Minimize duplication and ensure that the appropriate portfolio of program and service is offered. In order to accelerate the development and marketing of UMS online and distance education opportunities for Maine s citizens, the new Center of Excellence for Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning will be created. The COE will be charged with: Providing leadership in the creation of high quality technology enhanced/enabled teaching and learning across the entire UMS but predominantly focused on online, Responding to market and labor demands in Maine through timely development of appropriate, collaboratively developed online programs, including market research designed to determine best opportunities for development Marketing UMS online, ITV and hybrid courses throughout Maine and beyond, Providing instructional design, library and media support services for faculty who are creating online and blended curricular offerings, Providing support for faculty who are piloting or testing new academic software, elearning products, learning management systems and/or methodologies within the distance learning arena, Working with the Education Technology Advisory Committee, ensuring that the appropriate technology needed for future development of our online program is in place, Providing standardized student advisement, academic and retention support for online and distance students within the UMS, 48

49 Ensuring streamlined and user- friendly 24/7 student service with consistent and coordinated policies and practice, Providing direction and advisement for the UMS regarding distance learning and the State Authorization/SARA process, Creating a vision for the future of the UMS online and technology enhanced teaching and learning, and Monitoring of and ensuring quality practice within the UMS online learning environment, including assessment and improvement where necessary. Closing This Unified Online conceptual overview and proposal identifies administrative models, implementation issues and design parameters related to the UMS effort to accelerate the development of online and technology enhanced educational offerings. Future decision- making regarding a vision and structure for online teaching and learning needs to take into account: The reality that Maine is a small state that would benefit from streamlined online program offerings to avoid costly duplication, That research indicates that hybrid (online plus periodic face- to- face or web- based group work) models for online teaching result in better learning outcomes for students, That collaboration between the Center of Excellence for Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning, the campuses and the faculty will produce the best outcomes, and That significant fiscal investment (start- up seed capital plus ongoing operational support) is required to ensure the success of a unified online COE. Throughout the UMS, faculty and academic departments possess disciplinary and content expertise that should be leveraged to advance online program development. Online technical expertise (instructional design, faculty development, student services, marketing, library and media services and SARA monitoring) exists primarily within University College but also in other parts of UMA, as well as at UM and USM. Collaboration between and among these entities would result in significant capacity and potential for acceleration. However, it is imperative that any the Associate VCAA for Distance Learning and the Center of Excellence for Digitally Enhanced Teaching and Learning be supported adequately and be empowered to undertake this work on behalf of Maine s citizens. 49

50 Fall Distance Education Credit Hour Enrollment by Modality By Campus Fall Distance Education Credit Hour Enrollment by Modality by Campus CAMP CLASS DELIVERY MODE yr % Chg 5- yr % Chg '14 % Total Trend UM Distance ITV % % 0.0% Distance Online 9, , , , , % 12.4% 7.9% Distance Onsite 1, , , % % 0.4% Distance Video Conference % 538.1% 0.6% Total Distance Education 11, , , , , % 6.9% 8.9% Traditional Class 120, , , , , % 2.5% 91.1% UM Total 132, , , , , % 2.9% 100.0% UMA Distance ITV 6, , , , , % % 10.4% Distance Online 8, , , , , % 83.4% 39.0% Distance Onsite 4, , , , , % % 8.8% Distance Video Conference 1, , , % % 2.4% Total Distance Education 20, , , , , % 14.3% 60.6% Traditional Class 21, , , , , % % 39.4% UMA Total 42, , , , , % - 6.8% 100.0% UMF Distance ITV % % 0.0% Distance Online % % 0.7% Distance Onsite % 3.9% 0.6% Distance Video Conference % % 0.0% Total Distance Education % % 1.3% Traditional Class 31, , , , , % % 98.7% UMF Total 31, , , , , % % 100.0% UMFK Distance ITV % % 0.0% Distance Online 2, , , , , % 70.1% 37.4% Total Distance Education 2, , , , , % 65.6% 37.4% Traditional Class 7, , , , , % 1.6% 62.6% UMFK Total 10, , , , , % 18.8% 100.0% UMM Distance ITV % 128.8% 3.9% Distance Online 2, , , , , % 13.7% 31.5% Distance Onsite % 0.0% 0.1% Distance Video Conference % % 2.0% Total Distance Education 2, , , , , % 15.4% 37.5% Traditional Class 6, , , , , % % 62.5% UMM Total 8, , , , , % - 9.4% 100.0% UMPI Distance ITV % % 0.0% Distance Online 1, , , , , % 69.4% 28.4% Distance Onsite % % 5.4% Distance Video Conference % % 1.4% Total Distance Education 3, , , , , % 27.6% 35.3% Traditional Class 12, , , , , % % 64.7% UMPI Total 15, , , , , % % 100.0% USM Distance ITV 1, , , , % % 1.0% Distance Online 6, , , , , % 95.4% 14.9% Distance Onsite 1, % % 0.0% Distance Video Conference % 8.3% 0.4% Total Distance Education 9, , , , , % 43.3% 16.3% Traditional Class 88, , , , , % % 83.7% USM Total 98, , , , , % % 100.0% UMS Total Distance ITV 8, , , , , % % 1.6% Distance Online 31, , , , , % 56.8% 15.5% Distance Onsite 8, , , , , % % 1.5% Distance Video Conference 2, , , , , % 8.4% 0.8% Total Distance Education 50, , , , , % 21.5% 19.4% Traditional Class 288, , , , , % % 80.6% UMS Total 338, , , , , % - 6.1% 100.0% 50

51 University of Maine System Online Programs 6 Associates Bachelors Masters Certificates Business Accounting AA from UMFK BS-UMFK, UMA Applied Technical Leadership BS from USM Bus Admin - Management and Accounting MBA (UM) Business Administration, General Management, Generalist Track AS from UMA BS from USM,UMA Grad-UM Business and Entrepreneurial Studies BS from UMM Bus Mgt with Concentration in Accounting BS from UMFK Bus Mgt with Concentration in Healthcare Administration BS from UMFK Grad - UM Engineering and Business PSM from UM Healthcare Administration BS- UMFK Human Resource Management UG-UMA Leadership and Organizational Studies BS from USM Leadership Studies MA from USM Public Management UG - UMFK Computer and Information Science Bioinformatics PSM from UM Comp Apps w a Concent in Info Security BS from UMFK Computer Information Systems AS from UMA BS, Post bacc -UMA Cybersecurity BS- UMA/UMFK/USM; Postbacc-UMA Digital Curation Grad - UM Health Informatics UG-UMA Information and Library Services AS from UMA BS from UMA UG-UMA Information Security AS from UMFK UG-UMA Information Systems MS (UM) Grad - UM Social Media UG-UMA 6 Compiled by the University of Maine Division of Lifelong Learning, additional programs added based on updated Maine Online (UM); only programs that are offered totally online are included within this listing 51

52 Spacial Information Web Development MS (UM) UG-UMA Criminal Justice and Security Criminal Justice Emergency Management/ Homeland Security General Studies Conservation Law Enforcement Justice Studies Public Safety Administration Education Adult and Higher Education Classroom Technology Integrationist Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction Early Childhood Teacher Education with ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Certification Education with Special Educaiton Certification Educational Technology Coordinator Instructional Technology RTI for Behavior Literacy Special Education Teaching Certification Special Education State of Maine Special Education Certification Teacher Certification in Special Education Health Studies Allied Health with a Concentration in Health Information Technology Food and Nutrition Gerontology Mental Hlth Rehab Tech/Community Nursing (RN-Upgrade) AA from UMFK AA from UMFK AA from UMFK AS from UMA AS from UMFK BS from UMA, Postbacc-UMA BS from UMFK BA from UMM BS from UMFK MS from USM M Education (UM) MS from USM MS from USM M Ed- UM/USM/UMF* MEd (UM) MEd (UM) - 3 options UG - UMFK UG - UMFK UM - grad UM - grad UM - grad UM - grad UMFK - UG Postbaccalaureate Certificate from UMM UM - grad USM - UG UMA- UG 52

53 Nursing Education Rehabilitation Therapy Substance Abuse Rehab Technician Interdisciplinary Studies Maine Studies Peace and Reconciliation Studies Associates Bachelors Masters Certificates UM - grad AS - UMA BA from UMA MA (UM)- 2 options UMA - UG UM - grad UM - grad Liberal Arts and Humanities and Sciences Arts College Studies Communication English General Studies History Liberal Studies Liberal Studies Liberal Studies, Humanities Track University Studies - Various Tracks University Studies Social and Behavioral Sciences International Public Service Mental Health and Human Service Political Science Psychology Psychology and Community Studies (optional concentration in Disabilities in Youth) Public Administration Social and Behavioral Sciences BAS - UMFK, UMPI AA from UMFK AA from UMA AS UMA BCS Bach of College StudyUMM BA from USM BA from UMPI BA from UMPI BA from UMA BLS (Bachelor of Liberal Studies) from UMPI BA from USM BUS (Bachof Univ Studies) from UM BUS (Bach of UnivStudies) UMFK BA - UM, UMPI BA - UMPI BA from UMM BS - UMA; Postbacc - UMA BA- USM UMA - UG 53

54 Social Sciences Social Work Other Programs Aerospace Engineering Applied Science Autism Spectrum Disorders Child & Youthcare Practitioner Digital Curation Domestic Service Domestic Public Service Geographic Information Systems Interdisciplinary Disability Studies International Service Gerontology Teaching-Consultant in Writing Associates Bachelors Masters Certificates BA from UMA MSW - UM UM (grad) BS - UMA UM (grad) UMA - UG UM (grad) UMA - UG UMA - UG UM (grad) UM (grad) UMA - UG UM (grad) UM (grad) Total number of programs by Institution Associates Bachelors Masters Certificates University of Maine Augusta (UMA) 7 11; 4 Postbacc 13 University of Maine Fort Kent (UMFK) University of Maine Machias (UMM) 4 1 University of Maine Presque Isle (UMPI) 6 University of Maine University of Southern Maine (USM) Total 14 39; 4 Postbacc UG, 18-Grad *MS Instructional Technology is a UM degree offered collaboratively with USM and UMF Compiled through a listing provided by the Division of Lifelong Learning (UM), Learn.Maine.Edu, Online Maine and updates received from the CAOs Oct

55 Historical Context of UMS Distance Education and Online Development 7 Distance education within the System originated in 1985 at UMA under the leadership of then president George Connick. With President Connick s leadership, UMA applied for and received significant federal funding to create a state- wide ITV network named University College, that would provide public higher education access for Maine s rural and island- based citizens. The funding supported the creation of a dispersed ITV infrastructure and a polycom system as well as production studios for video and audio materials. Additional operational funding for ITV and for the University College centers and receive sites was provided through an appropriation from the Maine State Legislature. Ongoing operational funding was facilitated through a charge back system for services and support similar to the current funding for University Services. Not only was the distance learning effort successful in changing the lives of many Maine students, University College produced significant additional revenue for the UMS. As a result, University College was moved administratively from UMA to the UMS while retaining much of its operations and technical staff on the UMA campus. Subsequently, UMaine and USM each created their own distance education/online production and marketing efforts while still accessing the support and services of University College for previous and current ITV offerings. Initially, distance education within the UMS consisted of ITV offerings but increasingly UC offered instructional design and production support for online course and program development. University College provided distance education services and support for the five other institutions on an as needed basis. (Please note, a separate section of this report documents the array of services currently provided by University College for the UMS.) With the more recent ubiquitous national development of online educational offerings, the UMS has made several attempts over the past six to eight years to accelerate and enhance online degree production among the seven universities. Some of those efforts include: 7 Draft, July

56 In 2008, the administration of University College (UC) was moved back to UMA from the System office. The president of UMA was charged with leading UC as a system service for all seven universities. In 2009, UC Executive Director Chris Legore chaired the UC/ITV/Online Committee that produced a comprehensive assessment of UC/ITV/Online services and programs. The report provided 19 recommendations designed to move the UMS toward increased online/hybrid offerings and services and gradually diminishing ITV offerings and services. In 2009, following the retirement of Executive Director Legore, a new UC administrator, Dr. Curt Madison, was hired to accelerate the development of UMS online degrees and programs. In 2009, the New Challenges, New Directions UMS Strategic Plan was created. It included a goal of increasing student enrollment in online courses/degrees to equal 20% of all UMS credit hours by In 2011, in consultation with Dr. Frank Mayadas of the Sloan Foundation, a business model for University College was created to accelerate online learning within the UMS. The report and recommended financial structure was distributed widely but met with considerable opposition in part due to the increasingly perilous financial situation of the University of Maine System. In 2010, the Distance Learning Steering Committee (DLSC) was created and chaired by Rosa Redonnett, UMS Chief Student Affairs Officer. The DLSC serves as an advising group for the UMS and the president of UMA to inform developments in distance and online teaching and learning across the seven campuses. The DLSC is comprised of the Chair and two representatives from each campus (including one faculty member from each campus). Among the Guiding Principles established by the DLSC was a commitment to have the UMS become a major provider of quality online programs. In March 2010, based upon a recommendation by the AFUM faculty bargaining unit, the Teaching Through Technology Task Force (T4) was created by Chancellor Pattenaude and co- chaired by UMA President Allyson Handley and UMA Professor Ken Elliott. The T4 group of faculty and administrators met for a period of four years and produced two comprehensive reports that documented the impact of technology on faculty and students throughout the UMS. 56

57 Current University College Structure and Deliverables 8 University College is an Administrative Unit of the University of Maine at Augusta with a system- wide mission to provide centralized services to students and faculty engaged in online and distance programs offered by the campuses of the University of Maine System. Organizationally UC has oversight of both outreach and online services carried- out by five departments: Outreach Centers, (eight centers, six reporting directly to UC) Instructional design/development and media services Off- Campus Library Services Marketing UC Learning Services University College Mission UC Provides: Access to degree programs and resources of the UMS Personal concierge student support services through a network of statewide outreach centers Supports UMS faculty teaching online and distance courses Supports the success of online and distance programs offered by UMS campuses Organizational Change Structural Change Reduction in footprint at off- campus centers Relocating the Bath/Brunswick Center Relocating the Saco Center Reducing the footprint at the South Paris Center 30% reduction in UC s leased space Increased visibility and communication with our community partners Reduced budgets FY 14 reduced the budget: $250, (5%) FY 15 reduced the budget: $437, (10%) Reallocation of resources invested in strategic priorities Investment in new positions UC Director of Instructional Design 8 B. Sparks, Asset Mapping for FY 2014, University College, October

58 E- Learning Specialist I Student Services Coordinator at South Paris Center Investment in new online services Virtual Writing Lab Development of Online Career Exploration Support pilot project Off- Campus Library support for text messaging reference service Off- Campus Library support for online, interactive video library tutorials Off- Campus Library embedded librarian services in Bb courses (on request); establishing an ongoing presence in the online classroom by implementing virtual reference services. Development of customer event tracking tool Services for UMS Students UC employees who work with students are experts in UMS multi- campus functions and are knowledgeable about the variety of UMS programs offered at a distance. Front line and professional student services staff are cross- trained in a myriad of student functions. They assist students in choosing the programs that fit their interests and routinely advise them about multi- campus course selection, paying particular attention to matching students with appropriate course modalities, skill levels and degree requirements. For Distance Students Online and at Centers: Local Access to UMS Programs/ Courses Degree Program/Course Advising Expert Multi- Campus Assistance Course Registration Financial Aid Advising Payment Processing Add/Drop/Withdrawal Assistance On site and online orientation Computer Labs Career Development Academic tutoring Testing/proctoring Collaborative Learning Spaces Internship Development Assistance Services for UMS Faculty UC s Faculty Services team supports UMS faculty who teach at a distance using ITV, compressed- video, the web, or instructional technologies on campus. UC employs instructional designers, e- learning specialists and media service technicians who are expert in solving problems related to 58

59 distance education course design and instruction. University College Learning Services (UCLS) also supports distance education faculty by offering exam proctoring, distance course scheduling assistance, syllabi, handouts and course pack distribution, phone conferencing services, and more. Off- campus library services OCLS supports UMS faculty with copyright clearance, live- chat, streaming video database support and course based web resources. For Faculty Teaching at a Distance: Instructional design and development services E- learning specialist support Media support One- stop distance education course management services Toll- free Support Video- conference bridge management Distance and online course evaluations Exam Proctoring Orientation Inter- call accounts Services to UMS Campuses University College Marketing Services support UMS distance education enrollment by advertising and promoting courses and programs offered by the campuses at centers and online. Marketing Services also creates promotional materials that centers use to market programs in their communities. Center information sessions link program faculty with people in communities statewide. Through websites such as learn. Maine. edu and online.maine.edu, UC makes it easy for people in Maine and beyond to view the totality of UMS distance education offerings, including those available locally. UCLS coordinates the State Authorization process for the UMS. For Campuses: Course/Program Direct Mail Advertising Press releases Online Ads Social Media Promotions Program Brochures Program Listings on Websites Semester Course Listing 59

60 Online.Maine.Edu Learn.Maine.Edu Distance Education Enrollment Reports Video Conference System Usage reports State Authorization Coordination Inter- call accounts INSTRUCTIONAL DEVELOPMENT - Staff: 6 FTE UC Director of Instructional Design and Dev. (open) Instructional Design Specialist (position open) Mina Matthews, Instructional Design Specialist BJ Kitchin, elearning Support Specialist II Rich Frino, Instructional Media & Support Coord. Robert Burbank, elearning Support Specialist I Media Support Technicians: 4.6 FTE Rick Burns (Augusta) Bob Coffin (Augusta) Jane Finison- Jones (Augusta) Stephen Hatch (Augusta) Laura Ingles (Orono/Bangor) Alan MacLean (Portland) Bill Starrett (Augusta) Services Research learning theory and best practices for online course design Consult with faculty on learning theory application in blended/online course design Assist faculty to adapt existing courses for new online environments Consult on student assessment Assist with formative course evaluation Methodology Instrument development Results interpretation and analysis Create workflow solutions Develop online student support services materials Develop support structure for technology implementation in specific courses Provide ongoing support for faculty using a variety of technologies: Blackboard, Google apps, Adobe Connect, Panopto, Camtasia, ITV and Polycom Develop instructional materials for Websites and video Develop and sponsor professional development events: workshops, online short course, Faculty Institute Prepare pre- existing instructional materials for video streaming : capture, rendering, hosting 60

61 Partnerships Course and project support on all UMS campuses: CTEL USM, Faculty Development Center - UM State of Maine Department of Labor (web site support) Professional Associations EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Sloan MARKETING SERVICES - Staff: 1.8 FTE James E. Knight II, Senior Designer Jane A. Russo, Director, Marketing and Communications University College Marketing Services creates awareness, visibility, and shapes and supports a positive image for the University of Maine System s distance education programs by communicating success stories and promoting programs and services to diverse audiences in Maine and beyond. UC Marketing Services sup- ports the mission and growth of the UMS campuses through focused internal and external marketing initiatives, public relations efforts, publication development and social media. Semester Direct Mailers 250,000 high- visibility mailers promoting UMS campus online, onsite and VC courses and degree and certificate programs. Web Presence Learn.maine.edu promotes campus courses and degrees as well as the services provided to campus students at University College Outreach Centers in communities statewide. Each Outreach Center has its own website, which is marketed and promoted in the local community. Online.maine.edu is a one- stop source of information about UMS campus online and blended programs. People can search for programs, understand program goals and connect directly with advisors, and link to the campuses admissions resources. Advertising UC focuses on traditional print media, radio, cable TV and web media, including pay- per- click and banner campaigns. From brochures to targeted web campaigns, UC advertising is designed to bring public awareness to distance education programs and courses offered by the UMS. Outreach 61

62 UC s outreach efforts, centrally and at each center, leverage our statewide visibility to enhance contact with prospective students through Facebook pages, e- newsletters, press releases and more. The marketing team offers design and production for a host of marketing products to UC Centers and sites statewide. Some examples of the marketing products provided are: Banners Brochures Direct mail Display materials Newsletters Print/digital ads Program sheets Videos Web pages UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LEARNING SERVICES (UCLS) Staff: 4.5 FTE Heidi McDonald Campus and Faculty Liaison Helene Turcotte - Resource and Enrollment Services Manager Lisa Eaton UCLS Coordinator Monica Castaneda Administrative Specialist Diane Shorey Administrative Specialist Facility: UCLS is located on the UMA campus, in the lower level of the Katz Library. Staff currently occupy three workstations and two offices, as well as an additional classroom and adjoining office that serve as a student Testing Center. UCLS provides support for the use of three ITV rooms and four videoconference rooms on the UMA campus. Services UCLS provides centralized distance education support services for the eight UC centers, thirty- one community course sites, and seven UMS campuses. Enrollment Management Extracts, analyzes and reports MaineStreet course and enrollment data at the request of UC managers, UMS campuses and the system office. 62

63 Produces various reports for distribution to stakeholders UC multi- campus enrollment reports by location UMA Bookstore Enrollment reports for text book orders UMA Provost report of blended course sections VC & ITV System Usage Report: UMA President s Office, UMS IT Student Activity Fee Report Site Enrollment Reports to track for reimbursements Coordinates, monitors and maintains State Authorization information for the UMS Provides one- stop service for faculty teaching online or at a distance (general information, orientation, management of course policy information, material and exam distribution) Manages video conferencing bridging services and support for UMS classes Manages course evaluations for distance courses offered from UMA, UMF, UMFK, UM, UMM, USM Manages UC audio account (InterCall) administration and internal support for UMS faculty and staff Provides exam proctoring for UMS distance students Manages Adult Ed contracts and enrollment reimbursement for thirty- one community course receive sites. Calculate and create campus 80/20 bills, arrange for appropriate movement of funds between UMS business units Provides fund administration and reporting for the Osher Scholarship program at the UC centers, UMA Bangor, UMFK, and the Fred Hutchinson Center Schedules and coordinates Special Events that utilize UMS audio and video technology OFF- CAMPUS LIBRARY SERVICES (OCLS) Staff: 2 FTE Shiva Darbandi - Off- Campus Library Services Coordinator Brenda Sevigny- Killen - Library Associate UC Off- campus library personnel are supported by a service level agreement with UMA library services. Highlights contributes $37,000 to the UMS databases ( $20,000 for streaming video databases) provides live chat and research help over 60 hours a week to anyone in the UMS- - staff, faculty and students (over 1300 individual patrons sought and received research help from OCLS during the last year) OCLS Librarians collaborate with colleagues in all UMS libraries on a regular basis, contributing to shared library resource tutorials, circulation and acquisitions committees, 63

64 the creation of an easy to understand copyright compliance guide (applied in the absence of a cam- pus- specific policy) for instructors of distance courses, OCLS created 1070 new, unique library cards for incoming students (without which they could not access our paid subscription- based databases or order books to a convenient location) Services Orientation to Library Resources Visit UC Center, to conduct library instruction sessions for students, faculty, and staff Offer course design assistance as it relates to Information Literacy for any distance education faculty Production of Curricular Materials Prepare and make available materials that enhance successful completion of student information literacy outcomes - for inclusion into any UMS distance delivered course Create and post online library resource use tutorials. Create or update course- based web resources such as LibGuides Direct Support of Users Maintain telephone, online and/or chat office hours during normal business hours for UMS online course members who may need assistance troubleshooting OCLS issues Respond to all reference or related requests to OCLS after hours, within three hours on the next full business day OCLS advocates for database materials to be purchased for off- campus distance students and recommends UC funding contribution to the Joint UMS (Library Directors) Database Committee OCLS maintains and provides toll free telephone numbers, online chat tools, and to receive reference and related service requests Coordinates the book delivery service and troubleshoot lost or missing books for students Provides library cards for all distance education students Provides multi- user cards for student taking classes on multiple campuses UPS books to out- of- state students Copyright Clearance UMA and OCLS maintain for faculty and UMS Libraries, an information resource of copy- right clearance procedures, including Fair Use limitations on the UC website at maine.edu/library/ OCLS manages online e- reserves for sharing copyrighted materials for student use 64

65 UC OUTREACH CENTERS All University College Center staff are crossed- trained in the concierge model of student services, providing a one stop opportunity for students and potential students to receive information and services. Authorized to provide multi- campus services to students, Center professional staff represent all distance programming across the UMS. Services for Students and UMS Campuses at all University College Centers Pre- admissions Advising Academic Advising Learning Support Services Placement Testing Tutoring Orientation Programs Interlibrary Book Loan Processing Osher Scholarship Awards Early College/Aspirations Program Participant Support Online Exams Proctoring for UMS and Out- of- State Students Special Services for Students, Community and UMS at all University College Centers High School Aspirations/Early College Recruitment Test Administrator of College- Level Examination Program (CLEP) Adjunct Faculty Recruitment UMS Videoconference Services Promotion Community Engagement Center staff serve as the face of the University of Maine System in local communities, are active members of local Chambers of Commerce, Rotary clubs, etc., work with local employers to connect students to internships and job opportunities, engage in community workforce development, communicate regularly with area legislators, and provide information to local media outlets about degree offerings and student successes. 65

66 Overview of Research Consulted in Preparing this Overview and Proposal Research conducted as part of original (July 2014): The following research was obtained by the team members via in person conversations, conference presentations and website investigation. A more complete detailing of this can be found within the actual report. 1. Research on Public University Systems a. Autonomous, Degree Granting i. Example Institutions: University of Illinois Global Campus; Colorado State University Global Campus; University of Maryland University College (UMUC) b. Institution Collaboration i. Example institutions: UMass OnLine, University of Nebraska c. Lead Campus i. Example institutions: Indiana University (flagship Bloomington); UConn (flagship Storrs) Additional Research consulted as a part of this updated overview and proposal ABCDE Committee, Adult Baccalaureate Completion/Distance Education Report, June 2013 B. Sparks, Asset Mapping for FY 2014, University College overview of services and supports delivered and related metrics (enrollment, budget, etc.), October 2014 M. Byrne- Diakun and J. Barnhart, Online Program Development at University System Offices, Education Advisory Board, 2014 D. Godow, G. Perez, D. Straight and D. Attis, The System s Role in Student Success, Education Advisory Board, 2014 C. Koproske, P. Tiedemann, J. Diamond and D. Attis, Building a Sustainable Online Infrastructure: Cost- Effective Strategies for Enabling Digital Instruction at Scale, Education Advisory Board, 2013 Interview of EAB Staff regarding Online Program Development in Systems, conducted 12/9/14 66

67 Online University Study commissioned by the State University System of Florida, Report delivered to UMS by Frank Mayadas, Sloan Institute Consultant, The Role of Centralized Support Units and Branch Sites for Online Education Programs in the US: Observations and Impressions Distance Learning Steering Committee, Report and Recommendations of the Distance Learning Steering Committee, December 2011 Interview of David Schejbal, University of Wisconsin Extension, conducted 2/11/15 UW Extension is the entity for the UW System which works with the campuses in the collaborative offering of degrees. The office coordinates the development of new degrees with interested campuses, does all recruitment, handles the budget (tuition dollars flow through the office and are then reinvested to the campuses for program development, teaching, student and faculty support), markets within the state and nationally, develops online student and faculty support, etc. This is an example of a more progressive institution collaboration model where the entity exerts more authority over the online program for the entire System. UMass Online Website - UMass Online is an example of an institution collaboration model but has morphed over the years into predominantly the access point (portal) and provider of shared services (faculty and student support, marketing) across the UMass system. Charter Oak State College Website - Charter Oak is an example of an autonomous online provider it is Connecticut s public online college offering bachelor s and associate s degree completion programs. Other institutions within the Connecticut system still offer their own online programs but Charter Oaks is the one institution in Connecticut with a specifically online mission. Granite State College Website - Granite State College is another example of an autonomous online provider - As part of the University System of New Hampshire, GSC provides pathways and a variety of transfer opportunities for students to achieve an associate, bachelor's or master's degree, in addition to post- baccalaureate teacher certification programs. Programs are offered predominantly online but GSC also has four regional campuses within the state located in 67

68 Conway, Claremont, Concord and Rochester (similar to UMS University College centers). While GSC is the UNH System s designated online campus, other campuses offer online courses and programs typically as a part of their continuing education divisions. B. Bichelmeyer, IU Online Moving Forward June 2012 this report outlined the plan for implementing the new IU Office for Online Education, charged with oversight of IU s online education activities and serving as the gatekeeper for intercampus issues regarding online education Discussions with Bonnie Sparks and Monique LaRocque, members of the committee who worked on the original Unified Online draft, and members of the ABCDE Steering Committee to gain their knowledge, expertise and perspective to help shape this next iteration 68