| Although many colleges and universities are engaged in various forms of distance learning, no clear body of evidence illustrates how administrators come to support or discourage distance-education's planned growth. The term “distance learning” itself holds different conceptual meaning for administrators, students and faculty depending on their relationship with delivery technology, academic programs, and program support mechanisms.; This study explored the conceptual understanding high-level administrative leaders (president, provost, chief information and financial officers, deans) have regarding distance learning within three SUNY academic sectors (community college, comprehensive college and research university); and the impact this understanding has on program implementation and resource support. Evidence of leadership acumen included: congruence of shared vocabulary, description of academic programs, and technology delivery descriptions. The role of organizational culture influencing relationships between support staff, faculty and administrators was also examined as a possible source of program influence.; This study surveyed professional support staff across SUNY to explore how they perceive their leaders' understanding. The data then informed administrative interview questions probing for evidence of their conceptual understanding of distance learning, and the potential influence of market/peer pressure, political influence, opportunity cost; and whether organizational culture had an impact on distance learning adoption.; Findings suggest that SUNY is positioned to continue distance learning in low to moderate proportions, with individual campus efforts varying by sector and mission. Leaders using distance learning in their own teaching had the greatest conceptual understanding of both programs and technological details. Leaders indicated that a lack of discretionary resources limited freedom to explore distance learning.; The use of proprietary networks was found to be a significant detriment to planned growth for campuses, indicating that better, state-wide strategic planning is desirable to maximize resources through standards-based technology.; Findings also suggest that when a campus has good relations between leaders and professional IT support staff, greater productivity results. This includes cohesion among technology units, allowing individuals to capitalize on resources outside of their immediate department to support distance learning. |
