To Apply

The ITC will select a group of 20-25 distance learning leaders to participate in its 2019 distance Education Leadership Academy. The application deadline is May 17, 2019

Letter of Nomination & Explanation Required

Applicants must include a letter of nomination from his or her institution and a one-page explanation what he or she would like to gain through participation with their fellow academicians. At the end of the online application, you will be given directions regarding where to send both the nomination and explanation.

Registration Prices and Process

ITC Members = $950 

Non-Members = $1345 (Includes first year institutional, associate, or consortial office membership) 

Registration will open once the attendees have been identified and notified.

Registration - What is Included

The registration includes access to online session, reading materials, attendance to all of the sessions, breakfast, lunch, and beverages all three days, and the Graduation Dinner on Wednesday evening. 

Applications and all supporting documents due by May 17, 2019

All accepted candidates will be confirmed by June 3, 2019

We begin the online portion of the Academy on July 8th

Complete the online application form.​

The ITC Leadership Academy begins in early July with a virtual session and preliminary work to set the stage and prepare for the in-person sessions. A Capstone Experience with mentor facilitation will begin after we leave Milwaukee with a final virtual session to share achievements.

Monday, July 8 - July 26, 2019

Online course activities

• Live Session on July 8th - Welcome and Kickoff
• Online course activities to be completed by July 26
• Live session on July 25 - Review the pre-work and answer questions

Monday, July 29, 2019

8:00 a.m.   Breakfast - provided

9:00 a.m.   Welcome, Introduction of Faculty

9:30 a.m.   Leadership Styles and Strengths—What is my Role as a Leader?

Transformational leaders must have the knowledge and skills necessary to guide, direct and respond to an ever-changing educational landscape. These individuals must collaborate with others at their college to define a vision for the future, while they foster and sustain a culture that supports collaboration, change, growth and continuous improvement.

How will you step into a leadership role at your institution? What skills do you need to move forward? Drawing from your personal leadership style assessment, we will discuss your next possible steps. How does a leader instigate and stay ahead of technological and academic innovations to develop a culture of change? How do you position your college for the next three years? The next five years? We will identify strategies to inform decisions about innovative technology and its use in higher education.

12:00 p.m.   Lunch - provided

1:00 p.m.   Distance Education Advocacy

The need to be an effective advocate for distance education is, or should be, part of your position description. You are an expert, you have done your homework, and you know what is needed for your program. This responsibility for advocacy begins on your campus, however, effective strategies could be utilized with broader constituencies to gain support for your programs. As distance education continues to evolve and grow, it is essential for you to also pay attention to what is happening beyond your campus—and to find ways to influence the possible outcomes.

4:00 p.m.   Reflection—Work on Individual Learning Plans

4:30 p.m.   Wrap-up Activity – Hot Topics and Issues for the next day

5:00 p.m.   Adjourn—Dinner on Your Own

7:00 p.m. Group Activity

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

8:30 a.m.   Breakfast - provided

9:00 a.m.   Data-Driven Decision Making—Moving the Institution Forward

Data-driven decision making is the gold standard for today's 21st century college administrator. You should not make any major decisions without first identifying, generating and reviewing the key data. What data do you need? What data is available? What is your return on investment? Are you (or will you be) funded on a performance-based model? Do you conduct annual surveys of your students and faculty? We will answer these and other pertinent questions as we explore the wonderful, fun-filled world of data!

12:00 p.m.   Lunch

1:00 p.m.   Keeping Abreast of Change in a Dynamic Environment

Distance education has changed, is changing and will keep on changing. As a leader, you will be seen as having "all the answers"—from new technology and its uses, to pedagogy changes, to how to install an App on a tablet and everything in between. How will you keep abreast of all the changes, know what is viable and valuable for your institution, and influence those in your institution to embrace change.

2:15 pm   Break

2:30 pm   The Completion Agenda

As institutions consider online learning to be a central means for achieving their mission to provide adults with access to high-quality learning opportunities, colleges face increasing demands to ensure their online learners can successfully achieve their academic, professional, and personal enrichment goals. Dynamic, competent leadership is central to creating an effective program that results in successful online students. We will uncover research that points to student success strategies and devise ways to support those plans.

4:00 p.m.   Reflection—Work on Individual Learning Plans

4:30 p.m.   Wrap-up Activity – Hot Topics

5:00 p.m.   Class Photo and Adjourn—Dinner on Your Own

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

8:30 a.m.   Breakfast - provided

9:00 a.m.   Strategic Planning

Educators create and use strategic plans to communicate their organizational priorities and guide their use of resources toward common goals. A well-developed planning process provides the foundation for a successful plan. We will review key elements of the planning process, examine your program's strengths and weaknesses, weigh relevant data, address key themes, consider leadership and stakeholder involvement, and unveil barriers that can prevent you from moving forward.

12:00 p.m.   Lunch - provided

1:00 p.m.   Making Your Case - Leading Others in a Dynamic Environment

Effective leadership utilizes change as a catalyst to empower an organization to move forward. How has/will distance education change the fabric of higher education and your institution? As a leader, how will you know what is viable and valuable for your institution, and influence those in your institution to embrace change?  We will explore options through scenarios and role-playing to help with the message.

3:00 p.m.   Capstone Planning - Individual Plans

4:30 p.m.   Participant Reflections

5:00 p.m.   Adjourn

6:00 p.m.   Graduation Dinner

August 1 - September 30, 2019

Capstone Activity

• Live Session - September 16, 2019 - Taking it home!
• Between August 15 - 20, 2019 - Follow up with mentor to report on progress of capstone project
• Live Session - October 15, 2019 - Final report on Capstone Experience