Service 1:

Calibrate Your COEO's Role

Your Possible Needs

Are you not sure where to start when it comes to creating the role charged with overseeing online education at your institution? How to write the job description? What to call this role, even? How to scope the job? How to determine if some level of reorganization may be needed to move some reporting lines around this new role? Or perhaps you already have hired your online leader but need to further formalize their role? Or something else along these lines?

Our Solution

Whether you're at the initial stages or seeking refinement for your Chief Online Education Officer (COEO) role, our solution is designed to (re)calibrate this pivotal position within your institution. Dr. Laws' research underscores the significance of title selection for the COEO, indicating its strong positive correlation with the leader's ability to influence online program quality (Laws, 2021). Our experienced consultants collaborate with key stakeholders to guide you through a strategic recalibration process, as outlined below, ensuring alignment with your institution's mission and goals.

1. Needs Assessment: Conduct a comprehensive examination to identify challenges and opportunities in online education leadership, guiding the COEO role's focus.

2. Organizational Analysis: Analyze your institution's structure, culture, and resources to align the COEO with organizational goals.

3. Stakeholder Engagement: Interview key stakeholders to gather insights and expectations, ensuring a diverse perspective on online education leadership.

4. Best Practices Research: Conduct research on best practices, incorporating benchmarking against successful models in higher education.

5. Title Optimization: Evaluate the effectiveness of the COEO's title, leveraging research findings to enhance the leader's influence and alignment with institutional goals.

6. Custom Recommendation: Develop a bespoke recommendation for the COEO's role, encompassing org chart placement, reporting lines, and resource allocation. Tailor the job description to address unique institutional needs.

7. Integration and Empowerment: Ensure seamless integration into the organizational structure, empowering the COEO with appropriate authority and scope reflective of online education's strategic importance.

8. Strategic Planning Alignment: Align the recalibrated COEO position with your institution's online strategic plan, ensuring a direct contribution to strategic goals.

9. Succession Planning Collaboration: If applicable, collaborate with your executive search firm to align recalibration efforts with succession planning for a smooth transition.

10. Documentation and Reference: Document the recalibration process, recommendations, and decisions, providing a comprehensive reference for ongoing clarity and transparency in the COEO's role.

This holistic approach ensures that your COEO position is finely tuned, strategically aligned, and well-documented, contributing to the success of your institution's online education initiatives.

Laws, G. (2021). Powerful or powerless? Chief online education officers’ legitimate power over online program quality in U.S. higher education institutions. Online Learning, 25(2), 120-139. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i2.2101

Service Outcomes

Upon completion of this service, your online leader will have all the precursors for success in enacting your institution's vision for online education.

Geo Laws Consulting Mission Alignment

This service is directly or indirectly related to the following aspects of our mission:

1. COEO Role Awareness

2. COEO Role Calibration

3. Online Education Leadership Services.

UNESCO SDG Alignment

This service is directly or indirectly aligned with the following UNESCO goals for sustainable development:

1. No Poverty

3. Good Health and Wellbeing

4. Quality Education

8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

10. Reduced Inequalities