Faculty Member

Julie Uranis, Ph.D.

Cost

Members: $459.00

Non-Members: $599.00

Description

Possessing a solid understanding of the program planning process is critical for a PCO professional, particularly for those involved in the development, design, and delivery of opportunities for diverse learners. 

Program planning is exciting, complicated, and dependent on the contexts and variables that exist at an institution. This course provides essential background on the process of program planning, good sources of information to guide essential elements in the process, and perspectives PCO professionals should consider when planning programs. 

As a learning community, participants will have an opportunity to explore program planning, collaborate and share perspectives, and will be encouraged to create a non-mandatory program plan of their own with the goal of developing a better sense of the considerations necessary to build a successful and sustainable program.

Because a program can be any learning experience we create intentionally for a specific target population, participants can apply the information in this course to short (non-credit) programs, such as a one hour lecture, or lengthier (degree) programs regardless of the credential received by learners. This course explores the consistent attributes needed for all programs: the existence of learning outcomes/impact on learners as well as the ability to assess and evaluate the programs offered by a PCO unit. Because program planning is the act of developing ideas, working through the logistics of a program, and a systematic means of determining the initial viability of a program, this course can provide insights in all areas of a PCO enterprise.

Topics Covered

• Internal and external resources necessary to develop programs
• Key stakeholders in the program planning process
• Operational and curricular components to PCO programs
• The centrality of the learner and learner needs in the design of programs

Learning Objectives

• Achieve an understanding of how programs are planned, executed, and evaluated relevant to the PCO enterprise and initiatives
  • Assessing, managing, and advocating for resources
  • Collaborating with internal and external partners
  • Assessing and evaluating performance
• Become familiar with curriculum design, sourcing, and revisions inclusive of learning strategies and theories delivering instruction and supporting programmatic outcomes and objectives for PCO programs
  • Designing curriculum and credentials
  • Detailing operational components of programs
• Become more socially perceptive and ready to facilitate diverse, inclusive, and culturally sensitive PCO working and learning environments
  • Identifying program ideas and responding to the needs of learners

Who should take this course? 

This four week course is designed for both the new PCO professional as well as those who have significant experience (3-5 years and beyond) planning credit and non-credit learning experiences. New professionals will have an opportunity to explore the multifaceted process and hone in one the skills and knowledge they need immediately to be more effective in their roles. More seasoned professionals will be challenged to review their program planning approach and determine if they can refine or be more inclusive of different components covered in the course. 

Format and Schedule

This is a four 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. The schedule for the weekly meetings will be: 

-Wednesday November 9th at 1:00 ET 

-Wednesday November 16th at 1:00 ET 

-No Class the weeks of Nov 21 or 28th due to Thanksgiving and UPCEA Marketing and Enrollment Management Conference 

-Wednesday December 7th at 1:00 ET

-Wednesday December 14th at 1:00 ET 

See what past participants have said about this course: 

"The course content and materials, assigned readings, weekly discussions, were extremely relevant. I liked how the discussions were assigned and scheduled. I learned so much in such a short period of time. I am making significant contributions to my PCO unit because of what I learned from this course."

"Julie was great. She has such a positive, energetic demeaner and it was fun learning from her. She engaged the group well."

"All the content was very beneficial. Plus I enjoy being able to discus our unique situations during the live class versus going back over everything we just read or studied."

"I just want to say, Julia Uranis is a national treasure. Her energy and accessibility made this course. Thank you!"

"This was my first UPCEA course, and it was an eye opener for me. Although I have many years of experience as a college-level instructor for both face-to-face and online courses, I have not been a student for almost 40 years. I think I will always prefer in-person situations in education, but I know that online instruction is an ever-expanding industry, especially in the last couple of years with COVID. It is good to know that the experience continues to improve over time.  Well done UPCEA!"

"Julie was a great instructor. It was helpful to hear about her personal experiences and challenges in program planning."

"The faculty member was excellent: very welcoming and engaging. She had fantastic examples and could speak to a range of experiences with expertise. The course included excellent resources and thoughtfully prepared lectures."