UIS online leader Vickie Cook named a 2017 Online Learning Consortium Fellow

Vickie Cook, executive director of the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service (COLRS) at the University of Illinois Springfield has been named to the Online Learning Consortium’s (OLC) 2017 class of fellows. She was recognized during the OLC Accelerate Conference in Orlando, Florida, Nov. 15-17.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the Online Learning Consortium as a 2017 OLC Fellow,” said Cook. “This award represents recognition of my service to the field of online learning and commitment to excellence in online teaching and learning. I am also honored to be included among other UIS recipients who have received this award in past years including Karen Swan, Ray Schroeder and Burks Oakley.”

Recognition as an OLC Fellow is conferred by the OLC Board of Directors on those who have contributed to advancing quality, effectiveness and breadth in online and blended education in areas represented by the OLC Pillars: learning effectiveness, access, faculty and student satisfaction and scale.

"Members of the OLC community continually strive to develop and deliver quality digital learning experiences," said Kathleen S. Ives, D.M., CEO and executive director of the Online Learning Consortium. "This year's class of Fellows and award recipients represent extraordinary examples of the innovation happening in digital teaching and learning today.”

Cook has been actively engaged providing consulting and faculty development with educational leaders across the U.S. and in Mexico. Her work has been published in a variety of national educational publications. She worked as part of a team that authored the University Professionals & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) Hallmarks of Excellence. She teaches online in the Teaching English as a Second Language concentration of the Masters of Arts in Education program at UIS.

Cook has served on several regional and national committees, as well as having been a long time member of Illinois Council on Continuing Higher Education (ICCHE) serving in multiple roles on the Executive Board; serves as a board member of UPCEA; serves as a mentor for the Association for Continuing and Higher Education (ACHE); is a member of OLC and serves on the Online Learning Journal Review Board.

The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) is a collaborative community of higher education leaders and innovators, dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences designed to reach and engage the modern learner – anyone, anywhere, anytime. Additional information can be found at www.onlinelearningconsortium.org.