Oregon State University is hosting a regional conference early next year with a focus on improving student success and affordability for online learners.

The event brings the Online Learning Consortium – regarded as one of the world’s leading online education organizations – to OSU’s Corvallis campus for a one-day event in the Memorial Union.

Scheduled for Feb. 7, OLC Collaborate – Oregon will draw faculty, administrators and online learning professionals together to address the opportunities and challenges facing the future of affordability in higher education.

Registration is open now.

Oregon State Ecampus, the university’s nationally ranked provider of online education and co-organizer of the conference, will lend its leadership and strengths for a full day of discussion and ideation.

“Making college more accessible and affordable is at the heart of everything we do at OSU Ecampus, and this interactive event will help us further our mission,” said Ecampus Associate Provost Lisa L. Templeton. “Oregon State takes pride in being a leader in online teaching and learning, and having the OLC visit our university is an honor.”

The conference features four general sessions that will be followed by facilitator-led breakout discussions, allowing participants to delve into each topic in greater detail.

Here are brief descriptions of the four main presentations:

Measuring success: Introduction to open educational resources (OER) affordability metrics

Stefanie Buck, director, OSU Ecampus Open Educational Resources

Amy Hofer, coordinator, Oregon’s Statewide Open Education Library Services

Join a discussion on the challenges of measuring the success of an affordable learning initiative on the institutional and statewide levels. The presenters will review various methods used for determining success in Oregon and discuss their benefits and drawbacks.

Improving access: Emerging corporate partnership models

Jessica DuPont, executive director, Market Development and the Student Experience, OSU Ecampus

Learn how higher education can partner with corporate entities to grow enrollment and provide access to adult learners as part of employee tuition benefit plans. DuPont has helped establish corporate collaborations with Ecampus and will relate those experiences.

Passport to education: A subscription-based tuition model

Peter Risse, associate dean, Boise State University Extended Studies

Hear about Boise State’s subscription-based tuition model, Passport to Education, that reduces the overall cost of the degree, offers cost certainty over time, and provides adult students with a consistent framework for incorporating education within their busy lives.

Vision 2030: Reimagining the future of affordability in online education

PANEL MODERATOR:

Angela Gunder, vice president of learning, Online Learning Consortium

PANELISTS:

Jessica DuPont, executive director, OSU Ecampus

Amy Hofer, coordinator, Oregon’s Statewide Open Education Library Services

Peter Risse, dean, Boise State University Extended Studies

Lisa L. Templeton, associate provost, OSU Ecampus

Significant changes are coming to online education – from balancing the need for educational innovation against regulatory realities to using data-driven approaches to better understand and manage change. The day’s final interactive session brings together the thoughts and conclusions generated from earlier discussions to formulate a regional response to the shifting educational landscape.