CADE-ACED / AMTEC Conference 2006 (Part 1)

As many of the 3 or 4 people who actually read this blog are aware, I am at this year's CADE conference. We are hosted by UQAM who have done an excellent job thus far, with the exception of not having wireless access for the conference itself.

A few thoughts at the start of it all...

In the past few weeks in CAAP, the administrative elements have been discussing budgets, staffing, and organizational structure. What has emerged from this process is a clash of culture (or, maybe not yet a clash, but definitely a cultural divide) that will need resolution if CAAP is to retain its academic and cultural (there's that word again) autonomy from its three sponsors.

This morning Dr. Abrioux, President Emeritus of AU spoke about the Canadian evolution and institutional models of delivering open and distance education. What struck me as key to the discussion was the various approaches to management found in this field. He contrasted 3 Canadian approaches, Thompson Rivers University (the old OLBC group), AU, and TeleUQ/UQAM.

In essence, CAAP is not unlike the TeleUQ/UQAM experience. We exist as a quasi-independent body within the larger community of three university structures. That 3-way partnership in itself has been a hell of a ride to stay on top of. According to today's talk, TeleUQ works within but has some autonomy from UQAM, who in turn, seem to be open to the different and unique needs of a distance delivery model.

Here's my point. CAAP is not understood in the same way by each of its partners. Our program and its delivery needs seem to be reduced to "simple technology delivery issues", or "staffing issues", or differences is funding and budget philosophies. All of these are important, and we have recently learned, perhaps the hard way, what happens when a specialized program falls prey to institutional budgeting and staffing models that don't scale.

I have no solutions yet, but I do see a need - -a need to advocate strongly for a cultural autonomy that is uniquely CAAP.

Paul