Online Teaching & Program Administration Concentration

This course provides a basic foundation in administration of colleges and universities in
modern-day America, including an exploration of the role and purpose of various functions,
departments, and major organizational constituent groups (e.g., faculty, students,
administration/staff, board) as well as the different types of institutions and their
organizational models. Current and emerging issues affecting college and university
operation are reviewed and the impact of state and federal policy on institutions is explored.
In this course students will write a life purpose paper marking their program entry, learn or
hone their APA writing skills, examine critical issues from the perspectives of key
stakeholders, apply organizational models to analyze institutions, and interview campus
staff to develop a unique case study paper.

This course explores the organizational design, characteristics, and processes of colleges
and universities with an emphasis on governance structures and decision-making.
Governance is always more difficult within an organization with multiple, often competing,
goals. Faculty, alumni, administrators, coaches, students, and government officials all have
different perspectives. The multi-frame theoretical lens explored in this course assists
stakeholders in understanding organizations and lends a basis for informed decision
making by participants. Students in this course examine the sources of power and influence
typically found in academic organizations, and through a series of case studies they apply
their knowledge of multi-frame theories to higher education organizations.

This course explores curriculum, including key elements and practices in curriculum
planning, design, and implementation. Students consider the goals of liberal arts versus
vocational curriculum, undergraduate versus graduate curriculum, theoretical perspectives
on curriculum and its design, and emerging trends in curricular design at colleges and
universities. The goals, practices, and impacts of curricular assessment, program
assessment, and institutional accreditation are also emphasized. Students analyze
curricular practices, and try their hand at curricular projects of their own design.

Provides an overview of the history, principles, philosophies, and pedagogy of online learning and how it differs from traditional face-to-face instruction. The role of the instructor, students, curriculum and technology will be closely examined. The applications of various learning theories, including adult learning theory, and their relationship to online education will also be explored. Students will evaluate the need for online learning opportunities and analyze the challenges associated with implementing online learning programs within an educational institution.

This course provides students with an understanding of various instructional design approaches to online learning and their impact on students. Topics relating to backward design, developing assessments for the online classroom, constructivist teaching methods, and working with multiple intelligences and learning styles will also be examined. Students will apply their knowledge while developing engaging course content activities.

This course focuses on working with learners and communicating within an online learning environment. Topics covered will include synchronous and asynchronous communication and interaction, online, discussion facilitation strategies, developing clear course policies and expectations, engaging students in active learning, planning and managing group activities, strategies for working with difficult students, and developing a course community online. Effective course management strategies for the online classroom will also be explored. Students will examine the importance of clear, consistent communication in the online classroom.

This course is designed to give students the opportunity to facilitate meaningful change in
higher education through the creation of an original applied research project. During the
course, each student will design a significant project (applied independent research)
pertaining to a specific higher education management issue or problem of their choosing.
They will write a purpose statement and research question, write an introduction to the problem, research and write a review of literature, develop a framework, and outline a methodology for the proposed study which they will carry out in the subsequent MHE 670
course.  MHE 650 and MHE 670 are complimentary "sister" courses to be taken as a
sequence. Prerequisites: ten concentration track courses are required before the 650
and 670 courses can be taken.

In this final course, students conduct an applied research project of their choosing which
they designed in the preceding 650 course. Building on their drafted plans, students
develop a survey or interview protocol, apply for review by the university’s IRB, collect
original data in the field, analyze and interpret their data, and draft original
recommendations for practitioners in the field. This research project provides students the
opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply content, investigative methods, data-driven
problem-solving, and original critical thinking to a specific management-related issue,
problem, or challenge. Each student will complete and publicly present the results of their
applied research project, and will also complete a program learning outcomes ePortfolio.
Prerequisite: MHE 650