COLO Profiles & Competencies 2024

A National Research Project about Chief Online Learning Officers

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v29i3.5017

Keywords:

online learning, leadership, higher education, UPCEA COLO competencies

Abstract

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning has become a central component of higher education in the United States, elevating the importance of the Chief Online Learning Officer (COLO) role in implementation, leadership, and strategic development. This national study builds on previous COLO research conducted in 2017 and 2018, as well as insights from the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) reports. During the summer of 2024, data was gathered from more than 500 online learning leaders, exploring their backgrounds and experiences as they drive online learning initiatives at their institutions. The study provides organizational context and comparative insights. A notable addition to this research is the introduction of the UPCEA COLO Competencies, which assess the relevance of various competencies to their colleges and universities, alongside a self-evaluation of their skills. This comprehensive analysis aims to illuminate the evolving role of COLOs and inform best practices in online education leadership.

Author Biographies

Bethany Simunich, Quality Matters

Dr. Bethany Simunich is the Vice President of Innovation and Research at Quality Matters (QM), an educational non-profit dedicated to quality online learning at all levels of education. In this role, Dr. Simunich leads efforts to help institutions, faculty, and staff make data-driven, research-based decisions to implement quality assurance best practices and promote online student success. In her 20+ years in higher education, she has held faculty roles for both in-person and online teaching, and also worked in educational technology, instructional design, and faculty development for online learning. As an online learning administrator, she has created and managed instructional design processes and teams, led faculty development for online teaching, and served in leadership and consulting roles for institutional, state, and national efforts for online quality assurance. Dr. Simunich is also co-Director of the CHLOE Project (the Changing Landscape of Online Education), which presents the unique perspective of senior leaders in online learning from U.S. higher education institutions, and co-author of High Impact Design for Online Courses (HIDOC), which presents an instructional design model purpose-built for the unique considerations of online learning modalities.

Julie Uranis PhD, UPCEA - University Professional and Continuing Education Association

Julie Uranis, Ph.D. serves as the Sr. Vice President for Online and Strategic Initiatives at UPCEA. In this capacity she leads the planning efforts for both the Summit for Online Leadership and Administration (SOLAR) as well as the Council for Chief Online Learning Officers convenings. Her portfolio consists of all online-focused affinity groups and content within UPCEA. Prior to joining UPCEA she led the distance learning and continuing and professional development teams at Western Kentucky University as the Director of Distance Learning and Innovation. She began her career at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) where she held both teaching and administrative positions. Uranis has a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, a Master of Science in Technology Studies, and a Graduate Certificate in Community College Leadership from EMU. She completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She consults and publishes on many topics, viewable on her ORCID.

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Published

2025-09-01

How to Cite

Fredericksen, E. E., Simunich, B., & Uranis , J. (2025). COLO Profiles & Competencies 2024: A National Research Project about Chief Online Learning Officers. Online Learning, 29(3), 1–38. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v29i3.5017

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 3 (2025): Online Learning Journal (OLJ)

Section

2025 OLC Conference Special Issue

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Copyright (c) 2025 Eric E. Fredericksen, Bethany Simunich, Julie Uranis PhD

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