With Ohio University expanding its focus on regional campus and online programs, finalists for the newly combined overseeing position will begin to visit campus today.
Beth Rubin, assistant professor and director of School for New Learning Online at DePaul University, will be the first to visit campus today for the vice provost for e-learning and strategic partnership position,and will have an open forum at 10:45 a.m. in Baker Center 231.
The position is not new to the provost’s office. The position formerly known as associate provost for academic affairs held by former executive dean, Dan Evans, switched to vice provost for e-learning and strategic partnership last year, at OU’s Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit’s digression, said Ann Fidler, Benoit’s chief of staff.
“I’ve pulled out other responsibilities so we have someone who is really a champion for e-learning on campus, given how important the responsibility has become,” Benoit said.
Benoit said the growth in demand for an OU education delivered through varying platforms combined with more partnerships with community colleges for degree completion programs has continued to expand.
“We have been working hard on community college partnerships and organizing programs that allow students to start at a community college and transfer to an Ohio university campus,” Benoit said.
President Roderick McDavis spoke on the two-year plans and additional opportunities being made earlier this month at April’s board of trustees meeting.
“With the switch to semesters, every student ought to, in theory, be able to transfer to any public university and not lose credits,” McDavis said.
Some of the responsibilities for the position include producing online course development, faculty training in multimedia platforms and working, maintaining partnerships with community colleges and collaboration with deans, directors, and chairs of academic units and faculty involved in e-learning programs, Fidler said.
Deborah Gearhart, the director of eTroyat Troy University, will round out the week visiting campus on Tuesday and Wednesday followed by Kelvin Bentley, a senior strategy consultant-expanded presence for Blackboard Inc. Bentley will visit next Wednesday and Dale Scalise-Smith, a special assistant to the president at Utica College, will be the last to visit next Thursday.
af234909@ohiou.edu
