Leadership Network Symposium: Shaping the Future of Digital Education: Insights from the OLC Board of Directors

Brief Abstract

As the symposium draws to a close, join esteemed members of the OLC Board of Directors for a thought-provoking panel discussion. During this dynamic session, our distinguished panelists will share their key takeaways, actionable insights, and visions for advancing digital education in the ever-changing landscape. Engage in meaningful discussions with these influential leaders as they chart a course for the future of online and digital learning.

 

The OLC Leadership Network Symposium will bring together trailblazers and influential voices in our field in a highly collaborative one-day event, fostering discussions and debates about our digital learning futures. Together, we will determine our top priorities for the upcoming year, addressing the most significant challenges and opportunities facing our field. It aims to collectively identify areas that require our focused attention in addressing the ubiquitous challenges and promising opportunities for creating equitable, inclusive, and quality online and blended education. This year’s symposium promises a truly engaging experience, featuring a keynote address, panel discussions, and numerous networking opportunities. Do not miss out on this unique and prestigious event, where you can connect with leaders from around the world and gain valuable insights into critical topics. Learn More and Register: https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend-2023/accelerate/leadership-network-symposium/

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Paige McDonald, The George Washington University

Dr. Paige McDonald is an Associate Professor at George Washington University (GW) in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Vice Chair of the Department of Clinical Research and Leadership. Paige is an educational researcher who has focused on integrating technology into health professions education to achieve pedagogical goals, with an emphasis on blended learning design. At GW, Paige teaches complexity science, knowledge translation, implementation science and innovation leadership courses in an interdisciplinary, blended Ph.D. program on Translational Health Sciences. Within OLC, she has previously served as a conference program chair, track chair, reviewer, and guest editor for Online Learning.

Co-presenter: Vickie Cook, University of Illinois Springfield

Dr. Vickie S. Cook is the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment & Retention Management and Research Professor of Education at the University of Illinois Springfield. She leads a team of Enrollment Management professional staff in executing strategic work in the areas of Admissions Recruitment, Records and Registration, Admissions Processing, Financial Aid, and new Student Orientation. Dr. Cook has been actively engaged providing consulting and faculty development with educational leaders across the U.S. Canada, and Mexico. Her work has been published in a variety of national educational publications. Her current research agenda focuses on two areas: The impact of generational learning on higher education and the impact of a systems approach for higher education leadership. She has served on several regional and national committees and boards, as well as having been a long-time member of Illinois Council on Continuing Higher Education (ICCHE) serving in multiple roles on the Executive Board; served as a board member of the University Professionals & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA); is a member of the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Board. She was named a 2017 University of Illinois President’s Executive Leadership Fellow and a 2017 Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Fellow. Dr. Cook holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and an M.S. in Adult Education.

Co-presenter: Terry Di Paolo, LeCroy Center - Dallas County Community College District

Terry Di Paolo is Vice Provost of eLearning for Dallas College. He has served as an academic administrator in multiple roles leading major strategic projects associated with college transformation, academic technology and quality in online learning and teaching. Terry moved to Texas in 2012 having spent over a decade as an academic at the United Kingdom’s Open University. With an interest in ways in which technologies and systems enhance the student experience, Terry’s career has straddled both academic affairs and student success. He is a specialist in online learning and teaching and draws on his experience as a social scientist to innovate in the higher education space through a socio-cultural lens.

Co-presenter: Vincent Del Casino, San Jose State University

As SJSU’s provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, Vincent J. Del Casino Jr. serves as a key member of the university president’s leadership team with primary responsibility for ensuring academic excellence in undergraduate and graduate studies as well as a continual commitment to research, scholarship, and creative activities that benefit all students and society at large. At the University of Arizona, Del Casino provided leadership and administrative oversight as the campus redeveloped central spaces for student support activities; re-organized its central administrative areas; increased online enrollment and program offerings; and enhanced student success and retention. With more than 18 years of academic and administrative experience in higher education, he also served as professor and chair of the Department of Geography at California State University, Long Beach. Del Casino is a prolific writer and researcher who authored the book Social Geography: A Critical Introduction. He has also edited, co-edited and co-authored multiple other books and published dozens of articles and book chapters on topics ranging from health, robots and robotic technologies, cartographic theory, and tourism, in the context of geography. His numerous commentaries on higher education have been published in The Evolllution and Inside Higher Education, including 'Machine Learning, Big Data and the Future of Higher Education.' Prior to earning his doctorate in geography from the University of Kentucky, Del Casino received his master’s in geography from the University of Wisconsin and bachelor’s in international relations and East Asian studies from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania.

Extended Abstract