BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//ddaysoftware.com//NONSGML DDay.iCal 1.0//EN
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTEND:20260728T233000Z
DTSTAMP:20260410T051254Z
DTSTART:20260728T170000Z
LOCATION:1 Main Street 12th Floor Cambridge\, MA 02142 US
SEQUENCE:0
SUMMARY:2026 SOLAR Pre-Conference: Online Learning by the Numbers
UID:0c6088a3-a35f-480f-bdc4-d606a81e7896
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:<p style="text-align: left\;"><span style="fon
 t-size: 14px\; font-family: arial\;"><strong></strong></span></p>\n<strong
 >2026 SOLAR Pre-Conference<br />\nOnline Learning by the Numbers: An Enter
 prise Data Institute for Chief Online Learning Officers</strong><span styl
 e="font-size: 14px\; font-family: arial\;"><em><br />\nHosted by MIT Profe
 ssional Education at the MIT Industrial Liaison Program Office</em><br />\
 n<br />\n</span><span style="font-size: 14px\; font-family: arial\;">July 
 28</span><span style="font-size: 14px\; font-family: arial\;">\, 2026\, 1:
 00-7:30 PM<br />\n<br />\n</span>\n<div><span style="font-family: arial\;"
 ></span></div>\n<p>MIT Industrial Liaison Program Office: 1 Main Street\, 
 12th Floor\, Cambridge\, MA</p>\n<p><span style="font-size: 14px\; white-s
 pace: normal\; font-family: arial\;"></span></p>\n<div><span style="white-
 space: normal\; font-size: 14px\; font-family: arial\;">\n<p dir="ltr" sty
 le="line-height: 1.2\; margin-top: 0pt\; margin-bottom: 0pt\;" id="docs-in
 ternal-guid-4d4b7dd6-7fff-bc93-b3b9-00b1b9f35fb2"><strong>Event Descriptio
 n:</strong></p>\n</span></div>\n<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2\; mar
 gin-top: 0pt\; margin-bottom: 0pt\;" id="docs-internal-guid-436a49ba-7fff-
 d28e-0b34-e4e0daef2841">Online Learning by the Numbers is a data summit de
 signed exclusively for Chief Online Learning Officers seeking to lead with
  clarity in a metrics-driven environment. Featuring expert insights from U
 PCEA\, IDEBP\, Quality Matters\, and U.S. News &amp\; World Report\, the p
 rogram explores benchmarking data\, quality and student experience trends\
 , institutional performance metrics\, and the mechanics behind online rank
 ings. Each speaker will deliver focused\, actionable presentations tailore
 d to the strategic needs of senior online leaders. Through peer discussion
  and guided reflection\, attendees will translate complex data into leader
 ship insights and leave with a personalized action plan to inform institut
 ional strategy and executive communication.<br />\n<br />\nWe will start o
 ur afternoon with presentations on the landscape of online learning\, foll
 owed by a break\, which will allow COLOs to stretch their legs and explore
  MIT&rsquo\;s campus. We&rsquo\;ll return for our final presentations and 
 then make our way to a reception featuring a brief fireside chat with a gu
 est speaker. Throughout the day\, COLOs will have the opportunity to share
  ideas with our presenters and one another. As this will be a travel day f
 or most\, and there&rsquo\;s some walking on campus\, attendees are encour
 aged to dress in their most comfortable business casual attire (blazers ca
 n remain in your suitcases\, walking shoes are recommended).</p>\n<br />\n
 <br />\n<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2\; margin-top: 0pt\; margin-bo
 ttom: 0pt\;" id="docs-internal-guid-436a49ba-7fff-d28e-0b34-e4e0daef2841">
 12:00 - 1:00 PM<span style="white-space: pre\;">	</span>Arrival\, Check-in
  and Lunch <em>(Boxed Lunch Provided)</em><br />\n1:00 PM<span style="whit
 e-space: pre\;">			</span>Program Begins<br />\n2:30 PM<span style="white-
 space: pre\;">			</span>Break &amp\; Time to Explore MIT<br />\n3:45 PM<sp
 an style="white-space: pre\;">			</span>Program Resumes<br />\n5:45 PM<spa
 n style="white-space: pre\;">			</span>Adjourn to Reception<br />\n6:30 PM
 <span style="white-space: pre\;">			</span>Fireside Chat with MIT Speaker<
 br />\n7:30 PM<span style="white-space: pre\;">			</span>Reception Ends</p
 >\n<div><br />\n</div>\n<br />\n<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2\; mar
 gin-top: 0pt\; margin-bottom: 0pt\;"><strong>Making Sense of Online Rankin
 gs</strong></p>\n<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2\; margin-top: 0pt\; 
 margin-bottom: 0pt\;">Eric Brooks (U.S. News &amp\; World Report) presents
  a detailed analysis of the methodology underpinning USNWR's online progra
 m rankings. The session will explore the factors and weights used to gener
 ate the annual results. Furthermore\, Mr. Brooks will provide COLOs with p
 ractical guidance for data submission and offer insights into new developm
 ents impacting the ranking landscape. Attendees will gain a clearer unders
 tanding of how to interpret institutional positioning and prepare for futu
 re cycles.</p>\n<br />\n<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2\; margin-top:
  0pt\; margin-bottom: 0pt\;"><strong>Benchmarking the Online Enterprise</s
 trong></p>\n<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2\; margin-top: 0pt\; margi
 n-bottom: 0pt\;">Bruce Etter (UPCEA) presents findings from the Benchmarki
 ng Online Enterprises Study (BOnES)\, offering insights into how top-perfo
 rming online units are structured\, staffed\, and resourced. Attendees wil
 l learn which operational models and metrics distinguish scalable and sust
 ainable digital enterprises.</p>\n<br />\n<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:
  1.2\; margin-top: 0pt\; margin-bottom: 0pt\;"><strong>The State of Online
  Quality &amp\; Student Experience</strong></p>\n<p dir="ltr" style="line-
 height: 1.2\; margin-top: 0pt\; margin-bottom: 0pt\;">Bethany Simunich (Qu
 ality Matters) highlights trends from the Changing Landscape of Online Edu
 cation (CHLOE) reports\, focusing on institutional investments in online q
 uality assurance and student support. The session explores how COLOs can u
 se these insights to enhance learner experience and demonstrate impact.</p
 >\n<br />\n<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2\; margin-top: 0pt\; margin
 -bottom: 0pt\;"><strong>Strategic Use of Online Program Data</strong></p>\
 n<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2\; margin-top: 0pt\; margin-bottom: 0
 pt\;">Kevin Shriner [International Distance Education Benchmark Project (I
 DEBP)] shares strategies for aligning internal data systems and dashboards
  with external demands and institutional goals. This session will help COL
 Os better leverage performance and enrollment data to inform portfolio pla
 nning and decision-making.</p>\n<br />\n<br />\n<em>Attendance at the pre-
 conference is free and limited to Chief Online Learning Officers (COLOs) a
 nd Institutional Representatives separately <a href="https://conferences.u
 pcea.edu/SOLAR26/registration.html" style="text-decoration: none\;" target
 ="blank">registered for the 2026 Summit for Online Leadership and Administ
 ration</a>. Each UPCEA member institution has the opportunity to identify 
 a COLO to represent them in the Council for Chief Online Learning Officers
  (C-COLO). Registration for the pre-conference will close Monday\, July 20
 .</em><br />\n<span style="font-size: 14px\; font-family: arial\;"><span s
 tyle="font-size: 14px\;"><br />\n<br />\n</span><span style="font-size: 14
 px\;"><strong><span style="color: #ff0000\;">Registration for <a href="htt
 ps://conferences.upcea.edu/SOLAR26/registration.html" target="_blank" re_t
 arget="_blank">2026 SOLAR</a> is required to register for the 2026 SOLAR P
 re-Conference.</span></strong><br />\n<br />\n</span></span>\n<div><br />\
 n<br />\n</div>\n<span style="font-size: 14px\; font-family: arial\;">\nFo
 r more information or for any questions please contact info@upcea.edu.</sp
 an><span style="font-size: 14px\; font-family: arial\;">\n</span>\n<p styl
 e="text-align: left\;"><span style="font-size: 14px\; font-family: arial\;
 "><em><br />\n</em></span></p>
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR