Initiating and Sustaining Innovative Programs to Support Online Faculty and Students: An Online Mentoring Model

This session will provide insights into the planning, implementation and maintenance of two innovative programs in online mentoring that were designed to support faculty and students teaching in or enrolled in online education at a large public urban institution. While focusing on the successful implementation of these two online mentoring programs, presenters will discuss the lessons learned that might be applied to meeting the challenges of introducing other types of new programs to support faculty and students in online teaching and learning, emphasizing scalability and the skillful leveraging of existing institutional resources. Using the example of our online mentoring programs for faculty and students as models, we will demonstrate strategies for developing a persuasive rationale and for engaging multiple stakeholders in a new program of support. The presenters will address how one can scope out the dimensions of a program, determine an appropriate structure and home for the program, and will further detail the core elements for setting up, running, assessing, and making the case for continuance of an innovative program. The presenters will outline essential elements for anyone trying to garner institutional support for innovative programs. We will highlight issues and challenges that typically arise when initiating, implementing, and retaining a new program. Attendees will be invited to raise their own particular challenges, and to suggest solutions relevant to the various challenges. Takeaways: Identify opportunities and challenges for delivering innovative support programs online. Articulate the essential elements in planning, implementation, and maintenance of innovative programs Recognize new approaches for scaling up and building a community of support