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Committee for Online Learning Strategy (COLS)

Background:

Exploring the possible futures for online programs across Dartmouth in order to develop a set of recommendations for institutional priorities, investment, and strategic focus for online learning at Dartmouth. Historically, Dartmouth's online programs have been initiated, supported, and funded from within the Schools where they are situated. With the growth of central instructional design capacities created during the pandemic, and with the success of a handful of Masters' programs currently on offer, we are at an opportune moment to assess where we want to go next in this online effort.

The Provost's Ad Hoc Committee for Online Learning Strategy (COLS) shall proceed with the assumption that online learning is meant to supplement and enhance--not replace--our curricular offerings at the College. The goal is to explore the possible futures for online programs across the College, culminating in a set of recommendations for institutional priorities, investment, and strategic focus for online learning at Dartmouth.

Charge

  • Articulate the guiding principles that undergird the College's online learning initiatives.
  • Develop a broad set of institutional strategic objectives for online programs.
  • Recommend organizational structure, governance, and funding models to enable the College's online learning strategy.
    • What organizational structure is needed to support the creation and sustenance of online learning initiatives?
    • How does the existing governance structure for approving and monitoring courses and programs need to change in light of online courses and programs?
    • What funding model(s) support the creation of new initiatives? how are costs and revenues shared across units?
  • Recommend a process for prioritizing future investments in online learning initiatives around degree and non-degree opportunities.
  • Recommend goals and priorities for collaborating with external partners, including direction on limiting or expanding those partnerships.
  • Ensure that recommended strategies are developed in consultation with faculty through all appropriate channels.

Membership

  • Arts & Sciences Representative(s)
  • Guarini School for Graduate and Advanced Studies Representative(s)
  • Tuck School of Business Representative(s)
  • Thayer School of Engineering Representative(s)
  • Geisel School of Medicine Representative(s)
  • Libraries Representative(s)
  • Information, Technology and Consulting Representative(s)
  • Office of Institutional Research Representative(s)
  • The Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy & Society Representative(s)
  • Executive Vice President Finance & Administration