The Virtual View from the Top: Strategies for Maximally Effective Administration of Higher Education Online Programs

Nearly all of online instructional research focuses on students and teachers. Research from the perspective of administrators is virtually non-existent. Yet especially with the required migration of instruction to the virtual classroom due to the pandemic, effective leadership of online programs is even more crucial. The purpose of this study was to understand and explore administrative perceptions of leadership effectiveness in a higher education online instructional environment. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with a former provost, one current college of education dean, and five current or former department chairs in the college of education of a four-year higher education institution. Results suggest specific recommendations in the areas of support of online faculty; ensuring adequacy of instructional design, library, and technology support; evaluation of online faculty performance; and supervising ongoing formative improvements in online learning. Maximizing leadership support of effective online instructional initiatives also maximizes the chances of successful student learning in the virtual environment.