Walden University Earns a 2019 OLC Effective Practice Award

Pictured left to right: Jennifer Rafferty, director of the OLC Institute; Dr. William Schulz III; Dr. Lynn Wilson; and Lynette O'Keefe, director of the OLC Research Center for Digital Learning and Leadership (Photo courtesy of the Online Learning Consortium)

Minneapolis—May 23, 2019—Walden University is proud to announce its project, “Walden’s Social Change Skills Framework Intersecting With the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” has earned a 2019 Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Effective Practice Award, which recognizes innovative digital learning advances in higher education.

Dr. William Schulz III, director of academic initiatives and director of the Walden University Center for Social Change, and Dr. Lynn Wilson, faculty member in Walden’s PhD in Public Policy and Administration program, were honored for their work on integrating Walden’s Social Change Skills Leadership Framework with a more systems-oriented approach to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework.

“The goal is to assure that our curriculum helps students enhance their skills as social change leaders,” says Dr. Schulz. “Our framework can help curriculum designers and faculty make direct connections between what students are learning and how they can exercise those skills to improve the world.”

Through the OLC Effective Practices program, the OLC community shares techniques, strategies and practices that have worked effectively in their institution or program. Effective practices are peer reviewed and evaluated against OLC’s five pillars of quality in digital education: access, learning effectiveness, faculty satisfaction, student satisfaction and scalability.

“We’re honored to be recognized by the OLC and our peers in higher education for our efforts towards creating new digital learning pathways that empower our students as social change agents in their communities and fields,” says Dr. Wilson. “Integrating our students learning and research with real-world problems and processes enhances their education and leadership skills.”

Walden has received OLC Effective Practice Awards in 2016, 2017 and 2018 for our student and faculty support services and digital learning advancements. To learn more, please visit WaldenFacts.com.

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About Walden University
For nearly 50 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and communities. Students from across the U.S. and more than 150 countries are pursuing a certificate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree online at Walden. The university offers more than 80 degree programs with over 350 specializations and concentrations. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, hlcommission.org. It is also one of more than 35 institutions in 10 countries that make up the Laureate International Universities network. For more information, please visit WaldenU.edu.