13029

13029

General Session - Conference Presentation and Interactive Activity Only (20 minutes, no formal paper)

Cathy Taylor, Park University, Hahira, Georgia, USA, cathy.taylor@park.edu Jutta Pegues, Park University, Ohio, USA, jutta.pegues@park.edu Dennis Gresdo, Park University, Virginia, USA, dennis.gresdo@park.edu
 * Examining the Role of the Academic Director in Mediating Online Instructor Missteps **

This paper will examine the role of the Online Academic Director, a position created in the mid 1990’s at Park University to ensure a positive relationship between adjunct instructors, departments, and online students. Due to the challenging and dynamic nature of online teaching, issues abound between students and faculty, between students and students, between faculty and administration, and between traditional faculty and those who have embraced online teaching. The Online Academic Director creates an environment for success of the online teaching modality using skill, tact, and diplomacy. In particular, the Online Academic Director provides guidance on how to prevent or mitigate cyber bullying, how to deal with plagiarism not only by students but also by instructors, and how to facilitate a collegial relationship between online adjuncts and full time faculty. Confidentiality issues that arise in the online classroom are also addressed. Ultimately, a successful Online Academic Director creates a collegial atmosphere which improves the working climate for all and gains the trust of the online student body and adjunct faculty.

//Interactivity // Facilitators will engage the audience in polls and the chat-board. The question "How does your University help prevent online instructor missteps?" will be presented for group discussion. Other topics include ideas on how the administration can provide online instructors with academic support and how other universities structure the job objectives of Park's Online Academic Director position.

All Audiences Instructor missteps, online teaching, academic support