The last decade has seen explosive growth in the availability of flexible eLearning opportunities that can positively affect instruction and education at all levels. As such, 21^st century learning must embody not only relevant and innovative content but also provide a rewarding learning and supportive experience for students; however, this rapid growth can pose significant institutional challenges when trying to establish and sustain online learning initiatives. This presentation aims to provide attendees with insight into how academic schools within a provincial college-system have embraced the concept of collaboration to inform a strategic mandate for institutional online growth. To support a key college strategic goal, which is to advance the use of eLearning methodologies and technologies to provide students the opportunity to access flexible learning options, different departments across an institution including academic and student services must work in together to develop, implement, maintain, and champion online learning. Integrating flexible delivery modes into existing academic and institutional plans and evaluating strategies for growth and support of quality online learning can be hampered by both financial constraints and limited mechanisms for faculty and student support.

This panel discussion explores two academic schools’ collaborative five-year journey towards implementing and supporting online delivery within a publicly-funded college system through a shared belief in student success and a commitment to faculty development. By showcasing collaboration between two diverse academic areas, key advocates from the schools of Business and Language and Liberal Studies will provide attendees with a series of lessons-learned and share their challenges with existing and emerging initiatives across all levels of the institution.