As you know, I have been connecting with you every week for a long time now. This adventure started in November 2015 – I’ve mused in the past that I have a knack to commit to projects that just keep going. I did the first ITC National Distance Learning Survey in 2004 – had Ian Coronado and I just reported out the 21st survey results at the recent ITC conference (the results will be shared with all members – Ian has developed a wonderful infographic! And this weekly endeavor is like a Timex watch – it just keeps ticking!
One of my absolute joys is seeing so many of you at the annual conference. And you have been so kind to indicate your commitment to reading the weekly tomes. I appreciate any feedback, and I feel that the weekly communication has pulled us closer together over the past 10+ years. I’ve been told that especially career and job related topics seemingly are so well-timed and resonate just when you needed to know that you weren’t alone. I get it. I’m a recovering administrator and have dealt with an abundance of crazy over time. I’ve been lucky over the years and enjoyed the many administrators I worked with. But enrollment downturns and budget cuts are brutal. As the need to consolidate vacant positions accelerates, remaining administrative positions transform into an amalgamation of responsibilities – and workload. For me, it hit after the 2008 recession. My dream administrative job became overwhelming. At ITC board meetings, I often updated what my job entailed – it kept changing and represented such an eclectic combination of responsibilities. The list would not fit on a business card, and I indicated my title had become the “dean of stuff”.
Unlike universities, community colleges are normally “lean and mean”. We have enough administrators but if that number suddenly shrinks, it becomes a real challenge. Not the fault of senior administrators, nor was it for anyone that took a buy-out or decided to retire. Life – and careers – are mostly about timing. And unfortunately, we sometimes lose our organizational rhythm and have to regroup. I was fortunate as I could return to the classroom (tenured) but most administrators don’t have that as an option. This situation is being experienced at many of our institutions right now. Don’t take it personally. Demonstrate strength, confidence and calm. Try to determine the “must” elements of new responsibilities – and don’t get fancy. Focus on capable management and stability. This is not the time for bold initiatives. Create a culture of regular communication. Make yourself available as your staff is also taking on new responsibilities. Find ways to deal with the stress. Maybe it’s a regular potluck lunch with your colleagues. Or bringing pizza or sandwiches. And be on guard for signs of staff burnout.
And know that the ITC is here – feel free to reach out to me if you need someone to listen. As an organization, we go through good times and not-so-good times together. We care. We’ve been there. Everything will be ok. Email: [email protected] Phone: 775 673-7148
Recommended Reading
Keep e-Learning Weird, CCDaily
By “weird,” we mean beautifully, stubbornly unconventional. Design for eLearning means architecting spaces both invisible and visible where learning happens without the usual signals for time, place or presence, but with tremendous need for all three. We design and study learning experiences that are simultaneously real and intangible. And that’s pretty weird.
White House Releases National Policy Framework For AI (POLICY), Campus Technology
The White House has issued a four-page AI policy framework document focusing on, among other things, protecting children against harmful uses of AI and addressing the high energy costs of AI-optimized data centers.
Colleges Are Adopting AI Faster Than They Can Govern It, eCampus News
Colleges and universities are moving AI into admissions, curriculum, student support, and enterprise contracts faster than they are building the governance structures needed to protect learning, privacy, and academic judgment.
Creating Educational Value In The Age Of AI, eCampus News
Higher education is in the midst of its next major digital transformation: artificial intelligence. Conversations around technology make one thing clear: AI will shape the future of teaching and learning more than any technology in recent memory.
Articulating Skills Acquisition Marketable Skills & Digital Badging Initiatives At Dallas College, The Evolllution
Digital badges at Dallas College are intended to fill in the gaps between courses and degrees, helping students tell the story of what they know and can do because of their time at Dallas College. Importantly, they are intentionally bound to academic outcomes, operationalized through marketable skills.
From Prompt To Practice: A Framework For Transparent GenAI Use In Higher Education, Educause
As generative artificial intelligence reshapes instructional workflows at colleges and universities, a four-level transparency framework can help education developers calibrate documentation and disclosure practices to support ethical responsibility and maintain student trust.
Video Of The Week
10 Insane CES 2026 Gadgets That Look Like The Future, YouTube
CES 2026 has revealed some of the most incredible technology the world has ever seen. From futuristic AI devices to mind-blowing smart gadgets, the future is arriving faster than we ever imagined.
