e-Learning Leadership Development

It seems obvious that there is a perceived void in the development of future leaders in the field of e-Learning. At least it certainly appears that way. I come to that conclusion based on the fact that there are three different efforts by reputable organizations to develop leadership academies focused on e-Learning. One by ITC (note: I am a board member), one by WCET (note: I am involved in the event planning and execution), and one by SLOAN-C.

From the Instructional Technology Council (ITC): (copied from website)

ITC 2009 Leadership Academy July 26-28, 2009, Costa Mesa, California Application Deadline: May 20, 2009

See Academy Web site

The ITC Leadership Academy is designed to develop and enrich the leadership skills of distance learning professionals in higher educational settings. Ideal candidates include distance learning administrators or learning technologies administrators with three or more years of managerial experience in a distance learning program. Along with a group of approximately 25 fellow professionals from throughout North America, participants will gain the opportunity to:

• Understand your organization and create a sound leadership strategy for your environment

• Develop a leadership model that fits your institution

• Identify and acquire key tools for successful leadership in distance learning

• Build a network of colleagues and fellow practitioners

This three-day academy will be held in beautiful Costa Mesa, a community of Orange County, California. The deadline to submit an application is May 20, 2009.

Visit the Academy Web site for more information and an application form.

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From WCET: (copied from website)

CatalystCAMP

Explore Leadership Strategies for eLearning Success with the Experts. In conjunction with the WCET Annual Conference on October 21-24, the first-ever CatalystCAMP is providing a unique professional development opportunity for emerging elearning leaders. CAMP participants will be teamed with national experts who will lead sessions addressing policy, technical, funding, and accountability issues currently facing higher education. In these tight budget times, all available professional development funds must be spent wisely. By blending CatalystCAMP into the WCET conference schedule, it becomes a "2-for-1" savings on travel and also allows participants to augment their professional development program with selected conference sessions. 5 things YOU will do at CatalystCAMP AWARENESS: Analyze external and internal pressures and what impact they may have on your institution. ANTICIPATION: Identify needed changes and the rubrics for decision-making. ARTICULATION: Plan what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. ACTION: Implement, monitor, and manage change. ASSESSMENT: Evaluate and evolve. (end) From SLOAN-C: (copied from website) The Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning (IELOL) Has your institution recently launched or are you planning to launch an online program? Do you have the next level of leadership prepared to embrace all that online delivery has to offer? If you, like many, see developing the leadership capacity as a critical issue in establishing your an online program, you may be interested in participating in The Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning, a unique blended-learning leadership development program sponsored by Penn State and The Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C). "A key objective of the Institute is to get emerging leaders together with online learning pioneers to share their experiences," explains Dr. Gary E. Miller, executive director emeritus of Penn State’s World Campus and one of the Institute leaders. With so many of the early adopters at or near retirement age, there is a real need to foster the development of the next generation of higher education leaders in online learning, Miller notes. The institute is a blended format, which means participants will meet as a group for an immersive experience then continue their learning in an online environment that culminates with a capstone project at The Sloan Consortium's annual conference in October, explains co-director Lawrence C. Ragan. The group experience will take place August 10–13, 2009, at Penn State. (end) I have no doubt that all three organizations will provide valuable learning opportunities for participants. Maybe a better question is whether there are enough potential participants to go around.