Webinars

Dr. James D. Fielder, Jr., Maryland Secretary of Higher Education Dr. Charlene M. Dukes, , President, Prince George’s Community College Moderated by Dr. Rhonda Spells Fentry, Vice President for Enterprise Technology Prince George's Community College Two Maryland leaders give their unique perspectives on the extraordinary and ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on higher education, in Maryland and across the country. How does a leader mitigate the damage from an unforeseeable calamity? How does a leader respond to the impact of the virus on the students, faculty, and staff? How does a leader manage the existential threat to our institutions? What are the policy implications of the upheaval of our traditional instructional model and the overnight transition to an online learning mode? What is the future of higher education in Maryland? Join this session to engage with other Maryland higher education professionals in a discussion of crucial leadership strategies for survival and ultimate success. Recorded: Monday June 22 at 11:00 a.m.

(July 23 2020) Lisa R. Smithson, Principal at Murray Hill Middle School in Howard County Yolanda Abel, EdD, Associate Professor and Department Chair, Advanced Studies in Education Johns Hopkins University School of Education Moderated by Dionne Thorne (Johns Hopkins University) Remote and online learning became the “go-to” reaction for many institutions in order to provide continuity of educational services during the COVID-19 crisis. What quickly emerged in this response was the disparity of access for students due to the technical and support requirements for connecting to education. Whether a lack of personal devices, inadequate or nonexistent bandwidth, and limited technical support, the size of the gap between students with adequate resources and those without was exposed. How do institutions address the needs of all students in order to provide equal opportunity for educational success?

MJ Bishop, Associate Vice Chancellor and Director, Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, University System of Maryland Christina Sax, Provost and Vice President of Student and Academic Affairs, Maryland University of Integrative Health Moderated by Karen Rege (Harford Community College) No college or university was prepared for the massive impact of the pandemic. Survival was a best-case result. As institutions prepare for more turbulence in the near future, we look to two change leaders for their advice on preparation and planning for truly disruptive change. How can Maryland institutions provide the training, support, and technical tools for their faculty, students, and staff to succeed in education in a time of pandemic? Join this session to discuss the tools and support that your institution will need to succeed and prosper. Recorded on July 9, 2020

David Buck (Howard Community College) Deb Dorsey (Harford Community College) Daniel Izume (Baltimore City Community College) Moderated by Sarah Felber (University of Maryland Global Campus) The critical link in any learning system--face-to-face, remote, or online--is that between the teacher and the learner. Increased pressure is placed on this link when the transition time does not allow for adequate preparation and pre-planning. What lessons (good and bad) have been learned from the recent COVID-19 experience? What became the priorities and what did we learn was not so important? In this session we’ll reflect on the take-aways with several instructors who made the transition. Recorded on July 15, 2020

The pandemic of the past eight months has stressed every aspect of our educational systems. The response from many institutions to their faculty and administration leaders has been “do what you can to survive”! The summer of 2020 bought a bit of time to catch our breath and reconceptualize how to shift to a “thriving” approach to the 2020-2021 academic year. Leaders from Maryland institutions discuss the factors/skills and strategies that have been successful in moving from survival mode, as a response to the COVID-19, to being an effective, functional remote/online learning institution. Michelle Kloss, Associate Provost of Assessment and Institutional Research Carroll Community College Barbara Marinak, Dean of the School of Education, Mount St. Mary’s University Moderated by Rhonda Spells Fentry, Vice President for Enterprise Technology, Prince George's Community College Recorded on October 29, 2020