Advocacy | News

Online Learning Consortium Formalizes Ives as Head

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 07/23/14

The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) has made the appointment official. The formerly named Sloan Consortium (rebranded earlier this month) has named Kathleen Ives CEO and executive director, following an interim stint in those roles. OLC is a non-profit organization focused on helping colleges and universities "launch and sustain high-quality online learning initiatives."

Ives, who has been at OCL since 2005, previously served as associate executive director and chief operating officer. She was responsible for overseeing operations and running workshops in higher education online best practices.

Initiatives launched this year under her leadership include development of an advanced online teaching certificate program, launch of new mastery series programs in spatial thinking and Web mapping as well as nursing and online labs, rollout of a revised quality scorecard for United States online programs and creation of a Spanish version, new partnerships to work on developing and facilitating programs in Latin America and introduction of an online education report in alliance with other organizations to research the global impact of online learning.

"Kathleen has demonstrated exceptional leadership since becoming interim CEO and executive director last fall," said Joel Hartman, president of OLC's board of directors. "She has skillfully led the recent transition of Sloan-C to OLC. Her deep experience and understanding of our members' complex needs will ensure the continued advancement of the Consortium and expansion of our services, as well as the constituencies we serve."

Before joining OLC, Ives oversaw alternative instruction at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, MA and has taught in face-to-face, online and blended formats for several universities.