1. Academic Efficiency Through Online Communities
Phil Moss Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

3. Needed for Collaboration:
Technical Infrastructure
Administrative Infrastructure
Faculty Development
Learning Resources

4. Technology 2000 Recommendation 10:
The State Regents should use its Quality Incentive Grant Program for collaborative initiatives aimed at content development.
Strengthen capacity
Strategically target state resources
Expand the options for learners
Improve
Access
Quality and
Productivity
through the power of technology
Inter-Institutional Issues
Collaboration
Consortia
Standards
Infrastructure

5. MERLOT is OK

6. OK is MERLOT

7. OK is (in) MERLOT Chancellor Hans Brisch President of SHEEO, 1999-2000
APQC Benchmarking Study
Member of MERLOT’s 1st Advisory Board

8. Fast Forward to 2003

9. Chancellor Paul G. Risser
Native Oklahoman
Strong faculty background
Former university president, researcher, provost

10. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

11. Email from the New Chancellor
“The premise is that by working together, faculty from our institutions in specific topical areas can provide higher-quality learning experiences in more cost-effective ways. Moreover, this academic collaboration can be accomplished without diminishing academic freedom or losing the individualistic creative ingenuity that is the hallmark of outstanding colleges and universities.”
“The product of this work would be a toolkit of teaching processes/materials for voluntary use in specific topical areas that can be used by faculty across Oklahoma colleges and universities.”

12. Concluding Observation “The intention of the project to achieve uniformly high-quality ecology teaching at all of our universities—not to teach to the lowest common denominator. With time and resources saved by pooling ideas and approaches, faculty would free up time for other uses, such as spending more time with students, developing new teaching material, conducting research or providing public service.”

14. Some Initial Advisory Council Reactions
Council on Instruction
Do we have to?
Not if it takes $ away from us
Faculty Advisory Committee
Don’t call it efficiency
Council of Presidents
Go beyond course materials to courses/programs

15. The 2-Pronged Plan
A specialized, low-enrollment discipline not currently identified as a MERLOT community
Ecology
A general, high-enrollment discipline established as a MERLOT community
Mathematics
Convene an assembly with campus representatives

16. MERLOT Services Faculty development Facilitation Collaborative Tool
Customized Services

17. My Testimony
"MERLOT...is a unique organization, approaching common issues and challenges in ways no others do. MERLOT extends our reach and resources by partnering with other systems, organizations, and agencies. I don't think we could accomplish nearly as much if we tried to do these things by ourselves."

18. QUESTIONS & COMMENTS? Phil Moss
Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
(405)
(video)