ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø Online welcomes new leadership as visioning process begins
Following the departure of Robert McDonald, former dean of libraries and senior vice provost for online and extended education, Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, interim vice chancellor for academic resource management, announced in July that McDonald’s online education responsibilities would be restructured. This leadership transition marks a formal separation between University Libraries and ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø Online, paving the way for a renewed strategic direction.
Effective July 1, Randall Fullington temporarily assumed some of the tasks held by former Dean McDonald and continues to lead the Office of Academic and Learning Innovation (ALI) within the Division of Academic Affairs. Scott Battle, vice provost and dean of Continuing Education (CE), will partner with Fullington to ensure strategic alignment in serving CU students and global learners in the online space. Rosario-Ortiz will serve as the administrative lead for ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø Online, reporting to and collaborating with Provost Ann Stevens.
Together, Battle, Fullington, Rosario-Ortiz, and Stevens are embarking on a visioning process to reimagine and strengthen ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø’s online programs, as the university continues to focus on the success of all students, faculty and staff. This visioning process will focus on developing strategies and processes designed to serve both campus-based students and broader national and global learners.
The following interview with Fernando Rosario-Ortiz addresses the background of online education and the goals for the visioning process for ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø Online.
The campus historically has had a scattered online presence throughout the university—CE, ALI, the graduate school, the colleges and schools and undergraduate microcredentials. What was the catalyst for a holistic review of our online offerings?
We’ve built a strong foundation in online education—including the formation of ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø Online—and I am thankful to those who led the way and have gotten us to where we are today. Now the provost has directed us to evolve our online model to be more scalable and sustainable, with the interest of supporting learners across different stages in their careers. Our goal is to create an online learning environment where students at all levels can more easily navigate campus resources while being intellectually challenged and supported throughout their journey, and where faculty can create rigorous and innovative coursework based on their research, scholarship and creative work. Ultimately, we seek to continue to expand the overall impact of ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø beyond our residential population, bringing our history of excellence in academics and research to other communities.
By undertaking a more holistic approach, what opportunities do you see for students, faculty, staff?
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Our goal is to create an online learning environment where students at all levels can more easily navigate campus resources while being intellectually challenged and supported throughout their journey, and where faculty can create rigorous and innovative coursework based on their research, scholarship and creative work.
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For students, to provide clearer opportunities to use online programming to complete their degrees, or to add skills and knowledge via microcredentials and industry certificates to enhance their degrees. For faculty, to provide the chance to innovate in their teaching and course development and reach new audiences in a more collaborative way. For staff, to be able to constantly upgrade their skills and knowledge, making their work and collaboration more enriching.
How does this vision process align with ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø’s institutional priorities?
This visioning process for our online education is a critical and timely undertaking for ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø and aligns seamlessly with two of our institutional priorities: fostering the success of all students, faculty and staff and aligning our resources and infrastructure to our mission to empower learners to thrive, innovate and lead in a rapidly evolving world.
Would you describe the timeline of this effort?
The provost and I have had conversations to clarify goals and expectations for the process, and I have started conversations with past and current leadership around online programs. Beginning in January 2026, I plan to engage with subject matter experts across campus—those who are envisioning the future, those who bring it to life and those who sustain it.Ìý
My aim is to have a well-defined, holistic vision in place by the end of spring 2026, with value-added changes beginning thereafter. We want the end result to make it easier for the campus community to engage in online teaching and learning, to have a clear sense of opportunities in this space and to add to the overall value of the academic experience ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø offers.ÌýÌý