"What am I going to do with online?"

I’ve been reviewing the Final Report of the MIT Online Education Policy Initiative (Online Education: A Catalyst for Higher Education Reforms, April 2016).  While many of our colleagues are already debating and discussing the relative merits of the report and it’s many aspects, I was struck by a question and a comment in the Foreword:

“Where does online education fit in higher education?”

“A quick set of recommendations appeared neither appropriate nor convincing...a deeper dive was necessary…”

That underlying question reminds me of a similar comment I hear from college and university presidents:

"John, I just don’t know what I’m going to do about online.”

To which I give a similar answer:

”Don’t treat online merely as a problem to fix, but as a strategy to develop.”

That’s why we’ve created JenEd Consulting--to provide comprehensive consultation services for colleges and universities seeking to extend their mission through quality online programming--to help institutions do online well.

For many colleges and universities, online programming represents the most critical strategic dimension for their market visibility and financial stability.  Yet, most executive leaders lack the experience and/or expertise to create and lead post-traditional programming and expansion.  So, institutions look for the elusive “road map” for success in launching, growing, and sustaining online programs and enrollments.  Sometimes, they build in-house operations with the aid of an internal online “guru”, or they contract with third-party providers, such as Online Program Managers (OPMs) to bring expertise and resources to the institution.  But, the use of gurus and OPMs does not alleviate the institution’s need to create a strategy for online--policies, procedures, structures, leaders, and teams--to build online sustainability and scalability.

That’s our focus at JenEd--to help institutions develop and fulfill strategic goals:

• To create a culture of innovation
• To develop mature online leaders
• To refine administrative processes and procedures for online that often improve the student experience in other dimensions of the institution
• To establish academic policies that drive results rather than obstructing them
• To break down organizational silos and create efficient student lifecycles--and loyal alumni

Does higher education need one more consultant?  We think so, particularly in the context of this critical--and strategic--dimension:

• To provide specialized and focused expertise in online as successful practitioners
• To provide a comprehensive perspective, while also understanding the complexities of various components and their interrelationships
• To provide unbiased support and advice in building institutions that learn to serve online students well.

So, as you’re facing a variety of challenges related to online, we hope you’ll consider JenEd Consulting:

• Are we ready to take our degrees online?  How are we doing with our online activities? (Assessment)
• Do we have the right kinds of degrees online?  Are they designed well for post-traditional online learners?  Will our administrative processes and procedures facilitate enrollment and retention or get in the way of our success? (Planning/Design/Training)
• Where can we find strong candidates to lead our online initiatives?  Who will mentor our team to higher levels of maturity and effectiveness? (Search/Coaching)
• How will we sort through the panoply of options for service providers/vendors/OPMs to discover the best fit for our mission, culture, and strategy? (Identification/Vetting/Negotiation)

Whatever your current online questions or challenges, I hope you’ll check us out--drop us a line--or give us a call.

Dr. John E. Neal
President
JenEd Consulting, LLC
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Online.  Done Well.