RECOMMENDATION 2: TEACHING AND LEARNING ENABLEMENT The University should develop and enhance IT resources that are widely and effectively used by faculty in teaching to improve students’ academic performance. Action Item 2:1 The University community should develop an online learning strategy. This vision will assist with determining future investments in online courses and programs, including distance learning. As part of this process, an assessment should be completed to verify needs and preferences for online/hybrid courses and programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional student level; determine future physical infrastructure needed to host synchronous and small group sessions to build on already successful online courses; and assess how moving courses online could have an impact on course completion rates and rapid completion of degree programs. Possible solutions should be piloted and implemented when positive outcomes are measured. Given the broad and diverse nature of this task, ITS should provide assistance in developing such a strategy and convening stakeholders. The demand for online courses continues to grow among students. A robust, forward-thinking strategy would empower the University to make critical funding decisions as it relates to physical infrastructure (e.g., residence halls, classrooms) and to establish consistently branded, interactive, high-quality, online instruction, and content. In the face of funding challenges, creative use of University resources should be considered for hosting off- campus synchronous and small group collaborative sessions for online learners, such as county extension offices, to decrease the technology burden of the student (e.g., consistent and high-speed Wi-Fi). 11 | EmpoweringTransformation