Strategy in Action: Planning for Dynamic Academic Environments
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Register
- Non-member - $599
- Member - $459
Faculty Member
Heather McCullough, Ph.D., Senior Director of Academic Programs at the University of North Carolina System
Cost
Members: $459.00
Non-Members: $599.00
Description
Online and continuing education units operate in fast-moving environments shaped by enrollment pressures, workforce demand, online learning economics, and emerging technologies such as AI. This course helps leaders translate strategy into practical, executable action within the realities of their unit’s capacity and constraints.
Rather than producing a comprehensive strategic plan, learners will develop a focused, realistic action plan for a single PCO initiative, supported by a simple logic model. This course provides an overarching lens for thinking about adaptability, human-centered skills, and institutional responsiveness.
Topics Covered
- Approaches to planning and innovation
- The impact of shared governance on decision-making
- Moving strategically toward the future
- The impact of data on decision-making
- Evaluating Success
Learning Objectives
- Identify key strategic pressures affecting PCO units and adult-serving programs.
- Distinguish between strategy, planning, and action in a PCO context.
- Apply selected planning tools to a specific PCO unit initiative.
- Develop a concise action plan aligned with unit goals and constraints.
- Use a logic model to clarify intended outcomes and communicate value.
Who should take this course?
This course is designed for professionals working in professional and continuing education (PCO) units, including directors, associate directors, program managers, and senior staff responsible for program development, enrollment growth, partnerships, online learning, or workforce initiatives.
Format and Schedule
This is a five-week course consisting of about five hours of weekly course work made up of readings, asynchronous activities, and a weekly one-hour live class meeting via Zoom. Attendance in the live class is strongly encouraged. Live sessions will meet on Wednesdays at 12:00 ET.
