Open SUNY Institutional Readiness
An institutional approach to ensuring
Online Program Quality
Kim Scalzo
SUNY Center for Professional
Development and Open SUNY
Campus Partnerships
Martie Dixon
Assistant Academic Dean
Distance Learning
Erie Community College

• Welcome/Introductions
• Campus Update
• Open SUNY Update
• What is Open SUNY Institutional Readiness
• Wrap-Up/Next Steps
Agenda

– Over 10% of sections online
– 2nd in Bachelor’s Degrees
– Off-term (1,300 and 1,743)
• Degree completion & student mobility
– Institutional Capability Review (Quality Scorecard)

• Minimize distinction
– Track student success
• Support mission and strategic planning
• Reach enrollment goals

 Course Review Process
 Student and Faculty Support
 Online Learning Advisory Committee (OLAC)
 Business/Incentive Model for Off-Term
 Polices & Procedures

 Quality
 Grow enrollment
 Grow partnerships
 Scale support services
 Improve accessibility
 Provide online proctoring
 Others?

 Librarian Content Specialist Group
 2 COTE Fellows (Center for Online Teaching Excellence)
 Faculty Supports Metrics Working Group
 Monthly Open SUNY Campus Coordinator meetings
 Wave 2 Concierge meetings
 Open SUNY Marketing Team-PR

Introductions
• Name
• Organization
• Role
• What do you think is the most important factor for ensuring quality in online learning?

SUNY Canton Update
• Current activities in online learning
• Future directions/plans for online learning
• Anything else you want to share

Open SUNY Update
• Open SUNY+
• Questions/discussion

Open SUNY Vision
SUNY must respond by working together to raise the bar on our online-enabled education efforts. Open SUNY is our common response
Open SUNY aims to provide students with the nation’s leading online learning experience. Open SUNY aims to draw on the Power of SUNY and support campuses and faculty to:
▪
Dramatically expand access to higher education
▪
Raise completion rates
▪
Prepare students for success in their lives and careers, and contribute to the economic success of New York State and beyond

A cross-system collaboration to create initiatives and services that support campuses and faculty in enhancing online-enabled education to improve student access, completion and success
Open SUNY WILL…
▪
Be a set of initiatives and services
▪
Enhance our joint capabilities and offerings in online-enabled education
▪
Acknowledge and build upon successes and ongoing efforts of your campuses
▪
Provide attractive opportunities for campuses while respecting their autonomy
Open SUNY WILL NOT…
▪
Be a new campus or serve as a degreegranting entity
▪
Change the authorities of Presidents or other campus leaders
▪
Alter, undermine, circumvent or otherwise change existing governance processes or models
▪
Establish a set of mandates for campuses or faculty to conduct online education

Digital
DNA
Community of practice
Open SUNY
Learning
Commons
Course supports
Competency development
Faculty professional development in online education
Research & innovation
Competencybased learning
Creditbearing third-party content
Prior learning assessment
Lab for new models in teaching and learning
Experiential learning
High-needs disciplines
Offerings powered by
Open SUNY
Signature
SUNY programs General education
Workforce development
24/7 service hotline
24/7 service hotline
Online academic tutoring
Library and open educational resources
Student computer program
Academic initiatives
Open SUNY
Global
Skill remediation
Faculty supports
Student services hotline ePortfolio
Student concierge
Educational resources
Student supports
Open SUNY
Complete
SUNY
Universal sign-on
Student online experience
Open-
SUNY.edu
navigator
Online readiness assessment
Exploration course
SUNY
Enrollment marketing
NY State
Campus and system-wide initiatives and supports
Institutional pathways & readiness
Affordable broadband for NYS
Open SUNY infrastructure
IT enablers
Identification
& verification
Stakeholder engagement and communications
Monitoring and continuous improvement
Policy architecture
Funders and partners
Revenue and cost models
Credits and financial aid across campuses
Legal and compliance policies

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Open SUNY+ Signature Elements
▪
Personalized student services to minimize time to degree and promote student success
▪
Engaging learning experiences based on industry-relevant content in
“High Needs” or “High Demand” areas
▪
Comprehensive faculty support to ensure quality in course design, development, and delivery
▪
Robust technology environment for online learning and
effective/innovative uses of technology enablers in all aspects of the online program
▪
Institutional commitment to quality assurance for online learning
▪
Assessment of program effectiveness to enable continuous quality improvement
▪
Strategic commitment to growth supported by robust financial model to ensure scalability of resources as enrollments grow

High Needs Programs

Networked Approach to Building Open SUNY

▪
Clinical Laboratory
Technician, AAS
▪
Tourism Management,
AAS/AS
▪
BS in Nursing
▪
MBA
▪
MBA in Health
Services
Administration
Open SUNY+ Wave I Partner Programs
▪
BS in Electrical
Engineering
▪
BS in Business,
Management, and
Economics: Human
Resources
Management
▪
BS in Science,
Mathematics, and
Technology:
Information Systems

Open SUNY+ Wave II Partner Programs
Campuses
Programs

Open SUNY “top 10” insights
Where there’s a need… Millions of New Yorkers have no degree, but want one badly
What stigma? New Yorkers have positive attitudes about online learning
Students want you: People are most interested in online learning provided by traditional colleges
They just don’t know it: Strong awareness of SUNY in New York State does not translate into strong awareness of SUNY or its campuses as an online provider
Strong where it counts: SUNY’s brand outpaces its competitors in the factors that matter to school brand
…but weak where we’re strong: SUNY is incredibly affordable, but doesn’t always get credit for it
Hiding in plain sight: Potential students use on search and college websites to get information about online learning
Not your typical student: 70% of the segments most attracted to online learning are between the ages of 25 and 44
More Mastery: People are most interested in online
Bachelors and Masters, a relatively small part of SUNY’s offerings
Give them the business: Students most want online business degrees

Open SUNY will also benefit campuses without degrees powered by Open SUNY+
Elements of Open SUNY that benefit all campuses
Attracting students
Open-
SUNY.edu
navigator
Online readiness assessment
Engagement:
Potential students
Developing programs and institutional capability
Supporting faculty
Open SUNY infrastructure
Identification
& verification
Institutional pathways & readiness
Competency development
Community of practice
Research
& innovation
Open SUNY
Learning
Commons
Enhancing student experience and completion
Experiential learning

What is Open SUNY Institutional Readiness?
• Goal, Process and
Outcomes
• OLC Quality Scorecard
• Roles of Campus and Open
SUNY Teams

Open SUNY Institutional Readiness
Goal: Increase the capacity of campuses to ensure quality and success in online learning across the system, by:
Increasing awareness of campus leadership of what it takes to ensure quality and success,
Facilitating self-assessment to identify campus best practices and determine where gaps exist that need to be closed;
Facilitating implementation planning to ensure that best practices are sustained and ensure that gaps will be closed; and
Enabling benchmarking and the sharing of best practices between campuses for ongoing continuous quality improvement across the SUNY system.

Quality Premise

Quality Management
• Requires internal analysis against a recognized standard.
• Supported by external comparisons with other similar organizations.
• Facilitated by a consistent process and set of tools to document status and show progress over time.

Start here
Develop/
Improve
Quality Management Process
Provide
Demographic Data
Self-
Assessment
Benchmark
Analyse
Strengths and
Identify
Development
Areas
Document
Evidence

Start here
Quality Management Process & Tools
Benchmarking
Demographic
Data
OLC Quality
Scorecard
Best Practices
Template

Online Learning Consortium
(OLC) Quality Scorecard
Quality Framework
75 indicators across 9 categories:
• Quality Institutional Support
• Technology Support
• Course Development and
Instructional Design
•
Course Structure
• Teaching and Learning
• Social and Student Engagement
• Faculty Support
• Student Support
• Evaluation and Assessment
Self-Assessment Tool

Campus Consulting Engagement Process
Overview of Process and Campus
Commitment/Expectations
1-2 hours (virtual or on the campus)
Self-Assessment
1 day (on the campus)
Engagement with Campus
Leadership and could include
Campus Community
▪
Campus background and strategy/ goals for online learning
▪
Update on Open SUNY and discussion of campus role
▪
Review of OLC Quality Scorecard -
Nine categories of quality and 75 indicators
▪
Outline process and time frame for deliverables
Engagement with
Campus Leadership
Team
▪
Individuals complete self-assessment
▪
Facilitated discussion to determine consensus ratings
▪
Identify best practices
▪
Identify areas where gaps need to be closed to meet requirements of quality indicator
Implementation Planning
1 day (on the campus)
Engagement with Campus Leadership
Team
▪
Individuals document best practices
▪
Individuals identify possible actions to close gaps
▪
Proposal from Leadership Team to
President for comprehensive implementation plan:
–
Org structure
–
Sustain best practices
–
Close gaps
–
Benchmarking
–
Continuous Quality Improvement

• Provost
• Chief Financial Officer
• Chief Information Officer
• Chief Student Affairs Officer
• Faculty Governance Leader
• Program Director(s)
• Distance Learning Leader
• Library Director
• Institutional Research Coordinator
• Academic Leadership (Deans/Dept Chairs)
• Others Possible
Who is Involved?

Roles – Campus Team and Open SUNY Team
Campus Team
• Attend three sessions on campus
• Complete Self-Assessment
• Participate in consensus discussions
• Contribute to documenting best practices
• Contribute to identifying options for closing your gaps
• Contribute to the development of your campus implementation plan
• Ask questions along the way
• Balance your roles in leading your respective areas and as a member of the overall campus leadership team
Open SUNY Team
• Facilitate the three on-campus sessions
• Collect, compile, and summarize your input
• Provide all documents, templates, and instructions prior to and following each session
• Provide input/feedback as needed
• Facilitate consensus decision-making to keep the process moving
• Ask questions to clarify/ensure understanding
• Solicit input/feedback along the way

OLC Quality Scorecard
• Quality of online education is always in question.
• How do we determine online program quality?
Kaye Shelton, Ph.D. former
Dean of Online Education for
Dallas Baptist University and currently Associate Professor,
Educational Leadership, Lamar
University

OLC Quality Scorecard
Institute for Higher Education Policy National Education
Association report, Quality On the Line: Benchmarks for Success in Internet-Based Distance Education
(2000) http://www.ihep.org/Publications/publications-detail.cfm?id=69
• Identified 24 benchmarks that are essential to ensure quality in Internet-based distance education.
• These 24 IHEP standards were used as the starting point for the study that resulted in the OLC award-winning and endorsed Quality Scorecard.

Quality Scorecard Development Process

Quality Scorecard Development Process

Quality Scorecard Development Process
Results of process - 9 areas of quality/75 indicators
• Quality Institutional Support
• Technology Support
• Course Development and Instructional Design
• Course Structure
• Teaching and Learning
• Social and Student Engagement
• Faculty Support
• Student Support
• Evaluation and Assessment

Quality Scorecard: Guidelines for Scoring
9 areas of quality/75 indicators
• 0 points = Don’t Know/Deficient. The administrator does not observe any indications of the quality standard in place.
• 1 point = Developing. The administrator has found a slight existence of the quality standard, but difficult to substantiate. Much improvement is still needed in this area.
• 2 points = Accomplished. The administrator has found there to be moderate use and can substantiate the quality standard. Some improvement is still needed in this area.
• 3 points = Exemplary. The administrator has found that the quality standard is being fully implemented, can be fully substantiated, and there is little to no need for improvement in this area. (NOTE: You must be able to say the criteria is met completely across the campus)

Category 1: Institutional Support
Quality Scorecard Indicators of Institutional
Support:
1.
Governance structure enables clear, effective and comprehensive decision making.
2.
Student authentication policies and guidelines exist.
3.
IP policy - Ownership policy for online course materials is publicly available.
4.
Strategic value of online education is defined and communicated to enterprise and stakeholders.

Category 1: Institutional Support
Quality Scorecard Indicators of Institutional
Support:
5.
Organizational structure of online program supports mission, values, and strategic plan.
6.
Strategic plan is reviewed for relevance and periodically updated.
7.
Planning and resource allocation process is in place.
8.
Sufficient resources are allocated to support program effectively.
9.
Governance structure enables continuous improvement related to the administration of online education.

Category 2: Technology Support
Quality Indicators of Technology Support:
1. A documented technology plan with security measures is in place.
2. Technology delivery systems are reliable and operable with measurable standards being utilized.
3. There is a central support system for online ed. infrastructure.
4. Online course delivery technology is considered a mission critical enterprise system.

Category 2: Technology Support
Quality Indicators of Technology Support:
5. A contingency plan for data availability & support services is in place.
6. The development/use of new technologies & skills is supported.
7. Systems comply with established data management practices for power protection, backup solutions, disaster recovery, etc.

Category 3: Course Development & ID
Quality Indicators of Course Development &
Instructional Design:
1.
Minimum standards for design, development, and delivery are followed.
2.
Course embedded technology actively supports the achievement of learning outcomes and content delivery.
3.
Instructional materials/syllabi are reviewed periodically to ensure they meet course and program learning outcomes.
4.
A course development process is followed that ensures courses are designed to meet measurable learning outcomes at course & program level.

Category 3: Course Development & ID
Quality Indicators of Course Development &
Instructional Design:
5. Permissions (Creative Commons, copyright, etc.) are in place for appropriate use of online course materials.
6.
Course assignments are reviewed periodically to meet online course and program learning outcomes.
7.
Student-centered instruction is considered during the online course development process.
8.
There is consistency in course development for student retention and quality.

Category 3: Course Development & ID
Quality Indicators of Course Development &
Instructional Design:
9.
Courses are designed for faculty-student engagement.
10. The program has a process to evaluate and recommend current and emerging technologies.
11. Usability tests are conducted and recommendations based on
WCAGs are incorporated.
12. Curriculum development is a core responsibility for faculty.

Category 4: Course Structure
1. Students have access to an online course syllabus that details all aspects of the course, including course information and requirements, in advance of registration.
2. Online students have access to library/learning resources (tutoring, writing center, labs, etc.) to adequately support online courses.
3. Grading expectations, faculty response time, & assignment instructions are provided.
4. Access to technical support for students is clearly provided in the course.

Category 4: Course Structure
5.
Instructional materials are easy to access and to use, and can be accessed by multiple operating systems and applications.
6.
Students with disabilities have easy access to material via alternative strategies.
7.
Student to student collaboration is encouraged, supported, and technically facilitated in course activities, assignments, etc.
8.
Rules/standards for appropriate online student behavior are provided within the course.

Category 5: Teaching & Learning
1. Student-student and faculty-student interaction is essential, encouraged and facilitated.
2. Faculty provide constructive and timely feedback.
3. Students learn appropriate methods for effective research.
4. Students have access to library professionals and resources.
5. Instructors use specific strategies to create a presence in the course.

Category 6: Social & Student Engagement
Quality Indicators of Social and Student
Engagement:
1. Students are provided a common space for student interaction outside the course.

Category 7: Faculty Support
Quality Indicators of Faculty Support:
1. Technical assistance is provided for faculty for both online course development and online teaching.
2. Faculty receive training, assistance, and support to prepare for course development and teaching online.
3. Faculty receive training and materials related to Fair Use, plagiarism, & other relevant legal and ethical concepts.

Category 7: Faculty Support
Quality Indicators of Faculty Support:
4.
Ongoing professional development is provided for faculty to continuously improve their online teaching and learning.
5.
Clear standards are established for faculty regarding online teaching expectations (e.g., response time, contact information, etc.)
6.
Faculty are informed about emerging technologies and the selection and use of new tools.

Category 8: Student Support
Quality Indicators of Student Support:
1.
Before starting an online program, students are advised about what it takes to be successful online.
2.
Before starting an online program, students are advised about minimum technology, skills, and equipment required by course design.
3.
Before starting an online program, students receive clear information about the program.
4.
Training and information on how to access and use library materials and resources are provided during the course/program.

Category 8: Student Support
Quality Indicators of Student Support:
5.
Technical assistance and support are provided during the course/program.
6.
Support personnel are available to address student questions, problems, bugs, feedback, etc.
7.
Students are provided effective academic, personal, & career counseling.

Category 8: Student Support
Quality Indicators of Student Support:
8.
FAQs are provided to respond to students’ most common questions on online education.
9.
Non-instructional support services such as admission, financial assistance, registration/enrollment, are provided.
10.
Policy, processes, and resources are in place to support students with disabilities.

Category 8: Student Support
Quality Indicators of Student Support:
11.
Course material information including ISBN numbers and delivery modes are provided prior to course enrollment.
12.
Program demonstrates a student-centered focus rather than trying to fit existing on-campus services to the online student.
13.
Engagement with program & institution is facilitated for online students.

Category 8: Student Support
Quality Indicators of Student Support:
14. Institution provides guidance/tutorials in use of all forms of technology used for course delivery.
15. Tutoring is available as a learning resource.
16. Students are provided clear information for enlisting help from the institution.

Category 9: Evaluation & Assessment
Quality Indicators of Evaluation and
Assessment:
1.
The program is assessed through an evaluation process that applies specific established standards.
2.
A variety of data is captured for continuous programmatic improvement.
3.
Intended learning outcomes at the course and program levels are reviewed regularly.
4.
Faculty and student support services are systematically assessed.

Category 9: Evaluation & Assessment
Quality Indicators of Evaluation and
Assessment:
5.
A process is in place and followed to assess student retention in online courses and programs.
6.
A process is in place and followed for the assessment of recruitment practices.
7.
The program demonstrates ADA compliance.
8.
Course evaluations collect feedback on the effectiveness of instruction in relation to faculty performance evaluations.

Category 9: Evaluation & Assessment
Quality Indicators of Evaluation and
Assessment:
9.
A process is in place and followed for the institutional assessment of faculty online teaching performance.
10. A process is in place and followed to assess stakeholder satisfaction with the online program.
11. Course evaluations collect student feedback on quality of online materials.

Conducting the Self-Assessment
• Identify key leadership and/or stakeholders for the organization who will conduct the self-assessment as a team.
• Individuals should know enough about the programs, operations, and university policy/procedures to rate the campus on the indicators.
• Individuals provide their ratings for each of the indicators from their perspective.
• Individual responses are compiled to show where the range of responses for the group.
• There is facilitated group processing of the inputs to get consensus ratings and document evidence.

Conducting the Self-Assessment
 Develop a common understanding across the group of actual strengths and weaknesses.
 Greater understanding by each person of how all aspects of the organization or program support really function.
 Broader perspective for individuals that will factor into future interactions and decision-making.
 More informed future decision-making with true understanding of the implications on quality assurance

Conducting the Self-Assessment
 Self-Assessment can serve as input to a SWOT Analysis.
 Benchmarking can help inform future strategic directions.
 Annual goals can be derived from 1s and 2s against a Vision and Mission.
 When the self-assessment is conducted annually, progress toward goals can easily be demonstrated and documented.

Conducting the Self-Assessment
– Review the summary of the group ratings and discuss rationale for individual ratings.
– As a group, determine a consensus rating for the team for each indicator.
– In determining the consensus rating, we will solicit evidence for individual ratings.
• This will help generate the group’s consensus rating.
• It will begin to identify your best practices.
• It will also begin to identify your gaps and the actions you can take to improve going forward.

Next Steps
• Next Steps/Timeline
• Individual ratings submitted to Penny Wilson
[ penny.wilson@suny.edu
] by ____________.
• Session 2 to determine consensus ratings with best practices and gaps scheduled for _________.
• Best practices and options for closing gaps submitted to Penny.
• Session 3 to develop recommendations for implementation plan scheduled for _________.
• Implementation plan submitted to Penny.
• Feedback on implementation plan provided to campus team.
• Feedback to Alex/Kim/Penny on Institutional Readiness process is welcome throughout.