I write to share the news that Joseph Riquelme, who has served as American University’s vice provost and chief online officer since March 2020, is leaving AU to pursue other opportunities. His last day was June 29. Joseph joined AU only days before the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown began and he immediately contributed to our efforts to transition instruction online. Over the past three years, Joseph and the Office of Digital Learning and Strategy (ODLS) team have continued to make a significant impact on the digital learning landscape at AU and have promoted online learning excellence throughout our community.

Joseph managed AU’s relationships with our OPM partners 2U, Wiley, and Noodle. He supported the academic units in analyzing these OPM partnerships and provided key recommendations during contract negotiations. In addition, he played a pivotal role in shifting our programs from OPM learning management systems onto AU’s Canvas learning management system; moving all AU online programs onto one website owned and managed by AU (rather than individual sites managed by OPM partners); and launching Canvas Catalog, our non-degree course registration and marketplace platform. He and his team have also helped to enhance AU’s internal marketing and media production capabilities within digital learning.    

Under Joseph’s leadership, ODLS collaborated with AU’s schools and colleges on the creation of new in-house online degree programs, including the MS in Data Science with the College of Arts and Sciences and the MS in Accounting and MS in Sustainability Management with the Kogod School of Business.

During Joseph’s tenure, the ODLS team has expanded training and development resources to help AU faculty leverage educational technologies and deliver high-quality, engaging online learning experiences. Through the Eagle Online Excellence (EOE) initiative, instructional designers have provided tools and guidance on online course design, certifying dozens of courses with the EOE digital badge of online teaching excellence. The newly redesigned ODLS website is a central hub for the many services available.

In addition, Joseph and his team have managed the promising pilot of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) at AU. They offered faculty workshops in coordination with CTRL and worked with the Office of Global and Immersive Studies to identify international partners, leading to the development of five initial COIL courses in collaboration with four international universities.

Moving forward, the ODLS team will be reorganized and report to Wendy Boland, Dean of Graduate and Professional Studies. This new structure will allow for coordinated oversight across our graduate programs, regardless of modality, and facilitate the integration of marketing and admissions efforts.

Please join me in thanking Joseph for his years of dedicated service to AU!