{"id":124,"date":"2025-06-09T09:00:40","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T14:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/?page_id=124"},"modified":"2026-03-18T13:26:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T18:26:09","slug":"program-administrators-responsibilities","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/program-administrators-responsibilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Program Administrators Responsibilities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"uwm-l-row\">\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col\">\n<p>Each online program should have a designated \u201cOnline Program Administrator\u201d (hereafter OPA) whose role it will be to oversee design and development of any new program, and then coordinate and manage the delivery of the program once it has been approved to be offered. In some cases, the same individual may develop a new online program and then act as the OPA after the program is launched, but often these duties are turned over to another faculty or staff member to act as the OPA once the program is being delivered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is a checklist highlighting some of the key responsibilities associated with the role of Online Program Administrator (hereafter OPA) along with links to available resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion\" data-accordion-prefix-classes=\"uwm\" data-accordion-cool-selectors=\"1\"><button class=\"uwm-p-accordion--toggle-button size-p-md\">Expand All<\/button>\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Program and Instructional Quality Assurance<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<p>The OPA and faculty\/instructional staff delivering the online program are encouraged to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Be well versed in current best practices regarding content development, pedagogy, assessment and related instructional methodology in the delivery of distance education. Available resources include the following:The Online Learning Commission\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/onlinelearningconsortium.org\/about\/quality-framework-five-pillars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Five Pillars of Quality Online Education<\/a>.<a href=\"http:\/\/onlinelearningconsortium.org\/about\/quality-framework-five-pillars\/\"><\/a>The Higher Learning Commission\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/download.hlcommission.org\/C-RAC_Distance_Ed_Guidelines_7_31_2009.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Distance Education guidelines<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Develop an online program assessment and evaluation plan, and ensure that students submit course evaluations. Click here for an example of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rit.edu\/academicaffairs\/outcomes\/assessing-student-learning-outcomes-online-environment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a model assessment plan<\/a>&nbsp;developed by the Rochester Institute of Technology.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consider creating engaging presentations describing your innovative program. See this recent presentation on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2017\/02\/2in1.pdf\">2-in-1 Master\u2019s\/Certificate Program in Administrative Leadership<\/a>&nbsp;as an example.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attend meetings of the UWM&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/facultystaff\/uwmonline-pgmtoolkit\/online-program-council\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Online Program Council<\/a>, a network of faculty and staff involved with developing and delivering online programs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Become familiar with the many campus resources available to support both student learning and instructional delivery in online and blended course modes. These include<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/online\/resources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">One Stop Student Services Information for Online Students<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/technology\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Campus IT Support<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/advancing-learning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UWM Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Accreditation and Compliance<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<p>Online program delivery has implications for UWM\u2019s institutional accreditation and, in some cases, program-specific licensure and accreditation requirements. OPAs therefore need to be aware of the following in developing any online program:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Program continuity, including a consistent and predicable schedule of course offerings over time, must be ensured. Should the program be discontinued, there may also be requirements regarding how it may be phased out so as to accommodate previously enrolled students. For more information on these requirements, consult&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:lpedrick@uwm.edu\">Laura Pedrick<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Accessibility of both online content and instructional support must be ensured, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For more specific information, contact the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/arc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Accessibility Resource Center<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pertinent institutional policies must also be followed with regard to students who are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/active-duty-military\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">military service members or veterans<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additional regulatory requirements may need to be met if the program includes internship, fieldwork, licensure, student teaching or clinical components. For more information on these requirements, consult&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:lpedrick@uwm.edu\">Laura Pedrick<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/facultystaff\/uwmonline-pgmtoolkit\/for-opas\/state-authorization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">State Authorization information<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Budget Development, Marketing &amp; Recruitment<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Visit the section for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/facultystaff\/uwmonline-pgmtoolkit\/for-opas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Online Program Administrators<\/a>&nbsp;for additional information on marketing, enrollment, budget planning, new program development and approval processes. Please note that certain pages linked off of the Online Program Administrators section require a valid UWM ePantherID &amp; password to access.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you are creating a new online program, be sure to contact&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:lpedrick@uwm.edu\">Laura Pedrick<\/a>&nbsp;for additional information and to ensure coordination of campus online marketing efforts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Course Scheduling<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Be aware of campus requirements regarding the designation of fully online versus blended courses and programs. In particular, note that programs with the \u201conline\u201d designation may not have any in-person meeting requirements, even for exams. (Some in-person activity such as campus-based orientation to an online program are within-scope for online programs; for more information, consult&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:lpedrick@uwm.edu\">Laura Pedrick<\/a>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Higher education has become essential to developing the 21st century knowledge and skills needed for the workforce, and the flexibility afforded by asynchronous online learning has opened access to a college education. Increasingly, the students enrolling in college are adult learners aged 25 and older, working students, part-time students, students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, and first-generation students, many of whom benefit from taking asynchronous online classes that fit within their busy schedules.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click here for more information about\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/sce\/online-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blended courses<\/a>, which are distinct from, but may in some cases also be of interest to, students enrolled in fully online programs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--header\">Data<\/div><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel\"><div class=\"uwm-p-accordion--panel-inner uwm-u-clear\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/facultystaff\/uwmonline-pgmtoolkit\/for-opas\/pwp\/enrollment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UWM Online Enrollment<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2017\/02\/chs-elearning-factbook.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">College of Health Sciences eLearning Factbook<\/a><br>A great model to follow to document the scope and impact of online courses and programs at the College level.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"uwm-l-col uwm-l-col--4 uwm-l-offset--1\"><div class=\"content_block\" id=\"custom_post_widget-215\"><nav aria-label=\"Sidebar\" class=\"uwm-p-navigation-list uwm-p-navigation-list--gold-border \"><div class=\"uwm-p-navigation-list--title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/\">Online Program Toolkit<\/a><\/div><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/\">Program Administrators<\/a><ul><li><a class=\"current\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/program-administrators-responsibilities\/\"><span aria-current=\"page\">Program Administrators Responsibilities<\/span><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/state-authorization\/\">State Authorization<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/faculty-support\/\">Faculty Support<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/student-support\/\">Student Support<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/blended-courses\/\">Blended Courses<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/online-seed-funding\/\">Online Seed Funding<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/policies-and-forms\/\">Policies and Forms<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/new-program-development\/\">New Program Development<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/marketing\/\">Marketing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/enrollment\/\">Enrollment<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-administrators\/budget-planning\/\">Budget \/ Planning<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/ensuring-quality\/\">Ensuring Quality<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/research\/\">Research<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/program-council\/\">Program Council<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/academicaffairs\/online-program-toolkit\/uw-flexible-option-degree\/\">UW Flexible Option Degree<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":0,"parent":122,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"class_list":["post-124","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - 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