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Module 4: Building Sustainable Online Programs

Preparing for Sustainability Planning

Denise Stockley

Embedding sustainability is critical in designing online programs as it sets the stage for longevity and currency. A sustainability plan is the “guidebook” your program will use to collect information, continue collaborations, and anticipate the resources that you’ll need to ensure the longevity and health of your program. A good question to think about before getting into creating a sustainability plan is, “can I summarize the benefits of creating a sustainability plan?” If you’re looking for ideas as to how to answer this question, consider looking at the “Sustainability and Online Programs” unit before getting started on this one. If you are already convinced of the importance of creating an online program sustainability plan and want to assess whether you are ready to begin creating your plan, read on.

 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Recognize the importance of using a systems approach as a blueprint to embed sustainability in the program design process
  • Determine institutional readiness to create a sustainability plan

You will take away:

  • An awareness of whether your institution is ready for a sustainability plan

License

Creating and Implementing High-Quality, Sustainable Online Programs Copyright © 2022 by Western University is licensed under a Ontario Commons License, except where otherwise noted.