Making the Shift to Online Learning: Emergency Preparedness & Instructional Continuity

A key concern for higher education institutions that are developing and/or implementing emergency preparedness plans is how to best transition to a virtual campus and maintain continuity of instruction and services in the face of unscheduled closures. Education technology can be part of the solution to fill gaps in instructional continuity while campus activities are on hold. Join us to learn from a group of experts from the Online Learning Consortium community as they discuss how their institutions are implementing course delivery at a distance to ensure that students stay on track and experience minimal disruption.

Making the Shift to Online Learning: Emergency Preparedness and Instructional Continuity Webinar – Q&A Follow-Up

Speaker Bio
Dr. Shubha G. Kashyap is a higher education and organization development professional with extensive experience in strategic planning, program development and delivery, online and professional education, and serving students from under-represented backgrounds. Currently, she is the Director of Online Learning Design & Innovation for the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. Previously, Dr. Kashyap has served at Penn State University as the Director of Academic Affairs for Graduate Business and Education programs for Penn State World Campus, and as an academic counselor for the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity. Prior to that, she worked in academic affairs units for student-athletes at Michigan State University and Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Kashyap’s drive for increasing access to education is eminent throughout her career. She has successfully launched several online degree programs designed for adult learners, specializes in program development for diverse learners, manages small and large-scale strategic education initiatives, and is an advocate for first-generation college students and inclusive education practices.
Dr. Luke Dowden recently joined the Alamo Colleges District as its Chief Online Learning Officer and Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. Through Alamo Colleges Online, he will lead and support capacity building initiatives at all five colleges so each may gain a greater market share of online learners in their respective service areas. Prior to joining Alamo Colleges Online, Dr. Dowden founded the Office of Distance Learning at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2010 and served as its Director for 8 years. Under Dowden’s leadership, the Office of Distance Learning earned the 2013 Online Learning Consortium’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Development for Online Teaching. Dowden was honored in 2014 as the inaugural recipient of the Online Learning Consortium Bruce N. Chaloux Award for Early Career Excellence in Online Education. Dowden’s other significant leadership achievements include the creation of an electronic course design and certification process, facilitating the development and delivery of 13 new online degree programs, and creation of a suite of instructional technology tools for online course delivery.
Dr. Gaetano Lotrecchiano, EdD, PhD (Guy) is the Associate Dean for Innovative and Collaborative Pedagogy at the George Washington University and an Associate Professor in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He leads the Instructional Core for Advocacy, Research, and Excellence (ICare) in Teaching and Learning where his team has developed and Instructional Continuity Plan for the University.
For nearly 20 years, John Vivolo has held leadership roles in large online academic units at top-ranked institutions, with a particular focus on program development and growth, as well as improving the quality of online instruction. He was Director of the Online Learning unit at New York University’s School of Engineering, and more recently, the Director of Online Learning with the American Montessori Society. Currently, John is the Director of Online Education at the Katz School of Science and Health at Yeshiva University. In these roles, John built support systems from the “ground up,” including technology, media, instructional design, and support for students and faculty.  John teaches both fully online and blended graduate courses. His passion for online learning is evident in his presentations and publications. He is a frequent presenter at conferences including the Online Learning Consortium (OLC). He has a best-selling book with Routledge, titled: Managing Online Learning: The Life-Cycle of Successful Programs. He is an OLC certificate instructor and has completed the IELOL Certificate. He holds a master’s degree in English from the City University of New York and is in the doctoral program in Education Leadership at Northeastern University. John helped lead the post-Hurricane Sandy action and planning group for NYU Tandon School of Engineering.
Marlene Leekang is an experienced leader of specialized programming units in higher education. Currently, as the Executive Director of the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship at Baruch College, she oversees a multi-faceted division of programs and services for students, staff, and the community. In her time at Baruch, Leekang has focused on the redevelopment of the overarching programming to offer complimentary services and creating a diverse ecosystem of entrepreneurial experiences. Marlene Leekang began her career in higher education bringing her experience in client management and a MSed in Higher Education Administration as assets to her role within a new initiative in online and executive education at NYU Tandon School of Engineering. With almost two decades of management experience in her career, Leekang has launched new degree and non-degree programs, managed large-scale local and global teams, and developed strong internal and external partnerships. She is skilled in strategic planning and implementing new initiatives for long-term growth and supporting dynamic work cultures fostering staff development and leadership.