A Decade of Scaled Degrees
Affordable Degrees-at-Scale Symposium focuses on past, present and future
This year, Georgia Tech Professional Education’s Affordable Degrees-at-Scale Symposium will continue its tradition of serving as the premier event for academics and thought leaders to gather and hold intimate, transformative conversations about at-scale and online degree programs.
"This event is a prime example of Georgia Tech's commitment to ongoing innovation as a way to expand access to affordable, quality education," said Stephen Ruffin, the interim executive director of Georgia Tech Professional Education and associate dean of academic affairs. "By serving as a platform to share knowledge, we are harnessing the power of scale to dramatically increase inclusivity across higher education, impacting learners across the globe."
In recognition of the decade that has passed since the first at-scale degree — Georgia Tech’s Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) — this year's Symposium will offer attendees a chance to examine the past, present, and future of scaled degrees.
“We are not only celebrating the success of OMSCS but also recognizing how important it is that higher education offers accessible, high-quality programs for individuals who may not be able to attend a college or university in a traditional, in-classroom way,” said Symposium co-chair David Joyner.
Fellow co-chair Ronnie Godshalk noted that this year’s agenda will offer attendees a variety of opportunities to hear from thought leaders from across the at-scale community.
“One of the most valuable aspects of this Symposium is its ability to foster meaningful, candid conversations that give our attendees actionable ideas to take back to their home institutions,” she said. "Symposium attendees travel from across the country and globe to attend, making this a truly international learning community."
Running Oct. 14-16 at Georgia Tech’s Global Learning Center, the three-day event will include carefully curated programming — from a panel focusing on the origin story of the Affordable Degrees-at-Scale Symposium itself to presentations focusing on innovation, the future of scaled degrees, maintaining affordability and providing access, AI and student learning, developing collaborative learning communities and more.
Additionally, a keynote address will be presented by Raj Echambadi, president of the Illinois Institute of Technology, who noted the importance of the Symposium's focus.
“Online higher education, especially at-scale degree programs, offers significant opportunities to democratize education,” Echambadi said. “By making education more affordable, accessible, and flexible to a wide range of learners worldwide, these programs are truly inclusive and address a vital need for a more educated global population."
Echambadi has extensive experience in online education and at-scale programming, having previously served as the dean of D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northwestern University, as well as the senior associate dean of strategic innovation at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he helped conceptualize the school's iMBA program, which, like OMSCS, was an early leader in at-scale programs and benefitted from the community knowledge sharing that inspired the Symposium.
Other programming highlights include:
Online Master of Science in Computer Science: Building the Curriculum and the Faculty
Monday, Oct. 14
- Zvi Galil, former John P. Imlay, Jr. dean of Computing, Storey Chair, executive advisor for Online Programs, and professor, Georgia Tech
- David Joyner, executive director of Online Education & OMSCS and senior research associate; adjunct School of Computing Instruction faculty, Georgia Tech
Commitment to Access and Affordability at Highly Selective Institutions
Tuesday, Oct. 15
- Yakut Gazi, vice provost for learning innovation and digital education, Duke University
- Quentin McAndrew, global academic strategist, Coursera
- Joelle Miles, program director for the Master of Advanced Study in Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
- Kelly Otter, dean, Georgetown University's School of Continuing Studies
Teaching AI: The Art of Human Content Curation
Wednesday, Oct. 16
- Caleb Simmons, executive director of online education, University of Arizona
- Frederick Wehrle, assistant dean for academic innovation and learning, University of California, Los Angeles
“Every year, this event offers the online education community a chance to gather and drill into the best practices and standards for at-scale online programs," said Symposium co-chair Warren Goetzel. "By discussing and anticipating challenges that may arise in the future, we can ensure these learning opportunities can grow and sustain themselves.”
Registration is open for the 2024 Affordable Degrees-at-Scale Symposium, which is taking place Oct. 14-16 at Georgia Tech’s Global Learning Center in Atlanta. Pricing ranges from $100 for limited virtual attendance to $500 for in-person entry, which includes access to all sessions as well as meals, a Monday networking reception, and a Tuesday off-site dinner with attendees and speakers. A registration discount is available for Georgia Tech employees.
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