1. Managing online programs:Challenges, opportunities and recommendations
Stella C.S. Porto
(sporto@umuc.edu)Graduate School of Management & Technology
University of Maryland University College

2. Where are you in the landscape ?
What is your role as a manager?
What kind of organization you work for?
Universities, community colleges, k-12, corporate, military, government, non-profit
Centralized vs decentralized
Online is mainstream or off-road?
What does your students profile look like?
How about your faculty: full-time, tenured or adjunct?
3. The landscape for online program managers
Growth
Greater competition
More institutions
Within the same institution
Different groups
Larger spectrum of programs and models
Issues of quality still in the horizon
Scalability and costs
Growth in part-time faculty
4. The landscape for online program managers
More complex supply chain
Specialized services
Competition
Organizations are more complex
Centralization vs decentralization
Internationalization, partnerships, etc.
DE is the response to government challenges
Can it live up to the challenge with quality?
5. The landscape for online program managers
Increasing variety of technologies
Major shift to user generated content
Push for greater accessibility to information
Open content & open source
The force of mobile technologies
6. Management and leadership have never been so important!
7. Administration & Leadership
Instructional design & support
Consulting / Researching
Teaching
IT support
Distance Educator
A formidable repertoire of skills
8. A myriad of duties
needs assessment
market analysis
strategic planning
fitting technology needs
operationalizing ideas
resource mobilization
introducing online infrastructure
policy formulation, training and support for faculty
collaborating with partners
program evaluation and accreditation
mentoring the next generation of leaders
9. Highlights for managers
10. Learn the theories and develop as a practitioner
11. Learn the theories and develop as a practitioner
In distance education it is still true that
There is a complex balance between Theory & Practice
There is confusion between competencies and skills
The needs of the market are still blurred
Most employers are lacking the knowledge to understand the field and hire professionals
There is a culture of trial and error
12. Learn the theories and develop as a practitioner
13. Lead the way strategically
14. Lead the way strategically
Moving too quickly
Reactive mode
Need for planning
Need for reflection
15. Defining vision, mission, goals and objectives
Determining priorities
Scanning the landscape trends and issues
Tracking emerging and sustainable technologies
Assessing available resources and financial needs
Lead the way strategically
Leading organizational change
16. Understand your level of influence and explore options
How big of a say do I have?
Staff development
marketing
technology
budget
17. Understand your level of influence and explore options
Limited resources
High expectations for growth
Multiple and opposing goals
Distinct stakeholders
Be creative
Well-developed personal and communication skills
Find support in unexpected places
18. Manage growth versus quality
19. Learn the technology and use it well
Technology is expensive, unpredictable and essential
Risk of dependence on technology
Dichotomy between innovation and sustainability
Impact on support functions, maintenance and training
Dealing with fear
20. Learn the technology and use it well
Field changing rapidly with increased demands on the institution
There needs to be space for experimentation alongside with strategies for adoption and sustainability
As an example, social media can be a catalyst tool
Managers can become catalysts for change
21. Focus on and support community building
Increased sense of ownership
PR & marketing
Support for success
Avoid feelings of isolation
Tracking professional landscape
22. Final remarks
changes in the landscape of distance education+rapid advancements in technologies
+managing adjunct faculty at a distance
+
sharing of scarce institutional resources +growing competition from for and not for profits+high quality and global perspective or outreach

reality check on the challenges is a reminder of the work that continues

23. managers can affect directly many of the outcomes. 24. need for a process of critical self-reflection creative and efficient management strategies on all fronts
25. Thank you Any questions?
Slides can be found at http://www.slideshare.net/sportoFuture questions to sporto@umuc.edu
26. Photo attributions
Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/familymwr/4930275692/ (Slide 9)
Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/1301014184/ (Slide 9)
Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/3706662612/ (Slide 9)
Photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/3242519210/ (Slide 14)
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/striatic/165220972/ (slide 17)
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hinkelstone/2435823037/(slide 19)
Photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/webtreatsetc/4091128553/ (Slide 20)