Recently, there has been quite a bit of activity for Drake’s online programs. These past months have been busy as we try to set up a seamless operation between HigherEducation.Com, our Online Program Manager (OPM), and Drake. I know that there are a lot of questions, so hopefully this update will answer most, if not all, of them.  However, if you still have questions regarding the launch or the programs, contact me at christina.trombley@drake.edu.

The launch

The launch will be Monday, Oct. 30. We were hoping for it to be this week, but several critical factors still needed to be worked out, so the date was pushed back. Launching these programs means that the marketing will begin, the application will go live, and HE.com will begin working with potential students. Although later than projected, launching on Oct. 30 is still within a timeframe designed to provide us with a core group of students in the spring.
Kickoff event canceled 

The hurricane in Florida cancelled our efforts for a kickoff event here at the campus.  At this time, there are no plans for HE.com to come to campus for an event. Our time is better spent ensuring our processes are integrated and running smoothly. Several teams at both institutions have been working closely together to make this happen.

Online offerings

The Master of Arts in Communication and the Master of Science in Education–Literacy Education will be the first full programs offered online. English as a Second Language, Talented and Gifted, and Reading/Reading Specialist endorsements will also be offered fully online. The next programs currently scheduled for online are the Master in Public Administration and Data Analytics Leadership, with a few more in the discussion phase.  We are looking at additional opportunities, so if you and your faculty have ideas or suggestions, I would welcome them.

Planning to teach an online course?

Faculty and adjuncts who plan on teaching for online programs are expected to complete two online training modules in Quality Matters: “Evaluating Your Course Design” and “Orienting Your Online Learners.” Faculty and instructors who successfully complete the training will receive a $500 stipend. Seats are limited, so interested faculty and instructors should contact me prior to participation. I am working to set up new sessions, so if you have faculty who would like to participate, please have them contact me by Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Guides and processes

Finally, several operational processes and practices have to be developed. We have plans to develop a Faculty Guide that will provide information regarding working with instructional designers, plans to develop and share tools and worksheets that help with designing online courses, and plans to create student program worksheets to help with advising, just to name a few. All of these will take time, and our number one priority is getting the launch set.

Watch OnCampus for more updates. For questions or additional information, please contact me at christina.trombley@drake.edu.

—Christina Trombley, Online Programming