Southeastern’s Christala Smith (third from left), was among the six awardees honored.
The State Regents’ Council for Online Learning Excellence (COLE) recognized faculty members, administrators and two university teams for their outstanding work during Friday’s State Regents meeting.
Christala Smith, the director of the Center for Instructional Development and Technology at Southeastern, received the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Individual Leadership.
Smith was noted for her work in micro-credentialing and implementing research-aligned course templates and review processes for online instruction. Additionally, she led Southeastern’s transition to a new learning management system and designed virtual reality enabled modules for online, blended and face-to-face courses. She also works with Southeastern’s Career Management Center to facilitate online and/or blended course modules to meet local workforce needs. She is a founder and chair of the Oklahoma Canvas Area Network and now shares her expertise in online and blended learning among the recently established Oklahoma Education Commission
“Online learning is a vital component of Oklahoma higher education,” said Chancellor Allison D. Garrett. “With more than 300 fully online degree programs available across the state system, our colleges and universities provide innovative, academically rigorous online education options that expand college access and enhance flexibility for the students we serve.”
The State Regents’ Online Education Task Force formed the COLE in 2016. COLE is comprised of faculty, staff and administrators representing each tier of Oklahoma’s public and private colleges and universities, as well as other entities connected to online learning technologies.
