Some important outcomes of the June Executive Board meeting:

New Executive Board Members Welcomed

In July, Meghan Velez and Pavel Zemliansky will join the Executive Board as At-large members, starting two-year terms. In addition, Jennifer Burke Reifman will join the Executive Committee as Secretary. Along with these new members joining the Board, the following Board members will shift positions, starting new two-year terms at the beginning of July:

• Scott Warnock will move from President to Immediate Past President.

• Dan Seward will move from Vice President to President.

• Cat Mahaffey will move from Treasurer to Vice President.

• Tess Evans will move from Secretary to Treasurer.

Finally, founding President Beth Hewett will exit the role of Immediate Past President, while remaining engaged in GSOLE as a member of the Research Support Committee. The entire Board would like to thank Beth for efforts in launching GSOLE and for her early leadership of the organization. Thanks Beth!

GSOLE Statement on Antiracist OLI Approved

To reaffirm GSOLE’s commitment to access and inclusion in online education, the Executive Board approved a Statement on Antiracist OLI Pedagogy and Administration. Discussions are already underway for how GSOLE can support this important movement with real action, in particular, to diversify the organizational leadership and representation in GSOLE programs and membership. Toward that end, Webinar Committee Chairs Jenae Cohn and Mary Stewart proposed inviting scholars of antiracist pedagogies to lead GSOLE’s 2020-21 webinar series, as opposed to making an open call. Given the demands on these important scholars at this crucial moment, the Board approved offering honoraria for invited webinar leaders.

Certification Program Pilot Underway

At the end of May, the Certification Committee announced they would begin a free pilot program for a handful of GSOLE members. The pilot includes 10 students and will provide a useful test run of the certification’s course-contract and ePortofolio methodologies before the program starts in earnest this Autumn. Some key questions remain for discussion at the next Board meeting, including the cost of the program and how certification program instructors will be appointed and supported.

Jude Miller and Jen Cunningham Approved for the OLOR Editorial Board

Jason Snart, editor for the Online Literacies Open Resource (OLOR), proposed Jude Miller and Jun Cunningham for the OLOR editorial board. The Executive Board unanimously approved the appointments.