Digital education update, 1-25-2018

Dear colleagues,

Since last fall, we have been taking steps to accelerate and extend our presence in online education. In September, we wrote to let you know about two new hires to lead our efforts on both the academic and the business sides of our online education offerings. Today we are writing to let you know about two additional changes that support our progress.

First, to focus and better align these efforts, we have created the Office of Digital Education, which will be co-led by Dr. Sheana Bull and Scot Chadwick. The goals of the office are three-fold:

1. Partner with our schools and colleges to expand our fully online and blended offerings for our current students to enable accelerated pathways to graduation;
2. Reach and effectively serve growing numbers of working adults and other new students across Colorado and beyond who are seeking fully online and blended programs; and
3. Integrate faculty, staff and supporting infrastructure to establish a leadership role for our campuses around innovation in digital pedagogy.​

Our second change is a shift in the organizational alignment of the CU Online team and operations. The team will move from its current structure within the Office of Information Technology (OIT) to be part of the Office of Digital Education, with Director of CU Online David Thomas now reporting to Sheana and Scot.

It is due to the great leadership of David and OIT Associate Vice Chancellor Russ Poole and the talent and vision of the CU Online team that the organization is so well positioned to take on this strategic move. Over the next month, David, Scot and Sheana will be working with Russ to complete a smooth transition of operations and services as you have come to know them. While the reporting lines will change, the CU Online team will remain in its current physical location on the 13th floor of the Lawrence Street Center.

In addition to pursuing the above goals, the Office of Digital Education will be supporting the recent Board of Regents Resolution regarding online education. The resolution goals are well aligned to those listed above and include innovations to broaden access to a CU education for the people of Colorado.

Look for more updates from the Office of Digital Education and CU Online as this newly formed team charts a course for achieving its key goals across our campuses.

Don Elliman
Chancellor, CU Anschutz

Dorothy Horrell
Chancellor, CU Denver