OLC offers many opportunities for you to build your leadership skills and to connect with other leaders in the field of online, blended, and digital learning. These programs are aimed at online learning professionals who wish to sharpen their leadership skills or are interested in taking on a leadership role. In whatever role you play at your institution, we have something for you!

OLC Leadership Network

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The Online Learning Consortium’s Leadership Network is a thriving and impactful community for higher education leaders supporting online, blended, and digital learning at their institutions.

The OLC Leadership Network provides an opportunity for leaders of diverse contexts and levels of expertise to access signature events, resources, and community engagement opportunities within a connected network of global leaders.

  • Participate in the Leadership Network Symposium at OLC Accelerate.
  • Engage in a dedicated online community space for exchanging ideas, practices, and resources.
  • Access our directory to easily connect with 100+ members of the Leadership Network.
  • Attend exclusive webinars and access other resources on current topics in leadership.
  • Gain new insights on leadership through a self-paced course.
  • Participate in synchronous, virtual Community of Practice meetings.

To join the Leadership Network, attend the Leadership Network Symposium at OLC Accelerate or complete our interest form. An active OLC membership is required.

Contact angela.gunder@onlinelearning-c.org with any questions.


The Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning (IELOL)

IELOL Stateside

The Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning (IELOL) is a blended learning leadership development program sponsored by OLC and in partnership with UNC Charlotte for the 2023 and 2024 cohorts. IELOL serves the development needs of emerging leaders responsible for a variety of online, blended, and digital learning initiatives in higher education. IELOL participants work with colleagues from around the world to:

  • Identify key challenges for digital learning in a rapidly changing higher education environment
  • Improve their leadership skills to address institutional challenges
  • Explore strategic approaches for advancing digital learning in a hyper-competitive marketplace
  • Establish a network of national and international colleagues

We are currently accepting applications for the IELOL 2023 program that begins in Summer 2023. Join the growing IELOL community and apply now!

IELOL Global

IELOL Global is a blended learning leadership development program sponsored by the OLC in partnership with international collaborators.The IELOL Global program features an innovative curriculum model that helps participants form global coalitions aligned to digital transformation and change work; a partnership model that brings together associations and institutions across a series of events that span time zones and modalities; and a community of practice centering storytelling as a framework and method for amplifying effective practices in online, blended and digital learning. In this program, participants:

  • Develop and share examples of impactful cross-institutional and regional collaboration through global coalitions
  • Build global communities around transformative and sustainable digital transformation to amplify international perspectives
  • Curate participant-created artifacts, use cases, and other materials that contribute to connected global change-making

Moreover, the IELOL Global program was recently featured in a report published to UNESCO’s World Higher Education Conference database.

Join colleagues from around the world and learn more! Applications for the Fall 2023 cohort will open in February. 


Leadership Workshops

man's hands typing on a laptop

The OLC Institute for Professional Development offers several workshops and programs to help leaders in the field of online, blended, and digital learning develop their leadership skills and to explore effective practices that lead to student success and retention. Available offerings include:

  • Evaluating Online Faculty
  • Online Leadership 1: Online Program Planning
  • Online Leadership 2: Online Program Operations
  • Online Leadership 3: Sustaining Online Programs
  • Regular and Substantive Interaction: From Policy to Practice
  • Retention Strategies for Online Programs
  • Supporting Online Adjunct Faculty

These OLC workshops are facilitated by experts in the field and run over the course of 7 days.

Check out our suite of offerings and register!


Would you like to discuss these options and find the best fit for you? Contact institute@onlinelearning-c.org and one of our staff members will help you choose.