Review of Draft Online Strategy

MEMORANDUM

Date: December 8, 2017

To: Jim Grabowska, IFO
Isaac Jarhaus, LeadMN
Jerry Jeffries, MAPE
Gary Kloos, MMA
Kevin Lindstrom, MSCF
Faical Rayani, Students United
Tracy Rahim, MSUAASF
Valerie Roberts, AFSCME

From: Ron Anderson, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs

Subject: Draft Online Strategy

Attached is the draft Online Strategy document (as well as an Executive Summary) produced by the Online Workgroup that was formulated in spring 2017 as part of the Charting the Future implementation. The Leadership Council reviewed and endorsed the strategy framework in 2016, and charged the Online Workgroup with fleshing the framework out in 2017. I shared these documents with presidents at Leadership Council earlier this week, and they are now being shared broadly with campuses, bargaining unit leadership, and student associations.

The draft strategy is based on comprehensive input obtained from campuses during the fall of 2016, a review systemwide data and national data, and a review of practices nationally. We have had significant involvement and consultation of a cross section of stakeholders throughout the process, including campus discussions and input, discussion and input gathered from the ASA councils, as well as input solicited from campus CAOs, CSAOs, Deans, and CIOs.

Next Steps

We are asking that all campuses review the draft strategy, engaging campus stakeholders in discussion of its strengths, weaknesses, and alignment with campus strategy. We do not wish to prescribe a specific process for collecting this feedback, but rather encouraged campuses to use their existing campus structures and processes as most appropriate to their local context. We also invite you to review this draft strategy with the members of your bargaining unit or student association and to provide your feedback so that we can strengthen the draft.

We are particularly interested in hearing from you regarding the following questions, though all feedback is welcome:

1. Are there key elements missing from the draft strategy?
2. How might we strengthen the draft strategy?
3. How does the draft strategy align with your campus strategy?
4. Are there specific considerations that Leadership Council should weigh as it considers
adoption and implementation of the strategy?

Please send your feedback to Scott Wojtanowski at scott.wojtanowski@minnstate.edu by March 1,
2018.

During the month of March, the feedback will be reviewed and incorporated as appropriate into a “near final” version of the strategy. We will share this “near final” version of the strategy for final comments during the month of April, with the intent of bringing a final document to the Leadership Council for review and approval in May. We will then present the strategy to the ASA Committee of the Board of Trustees for endorsement at its May or June meeting.

Please join me in thanking all those who worked diligently to conceptualize and bring this strategy to life, including not only the online strategy work group members, but also those who served on the Charting the Future educational technologies implementation team and the original education of the future workgroup. Thanks also to the ASA councils, CIOs, and the students, faculty, staff, and administrators who have provided input and feedback along the way through both formal and informal discussion and feedback, and Scott Wojtanowski and Kim Lynch for their leadership and project management throughout the development of the draft strategy.