Winning friends and influencing others is a useful skill in open education, and doing so among executive leaders can prove invaluable for OER advocates working to secure support, funding, and sustainability for open education projects. This panel session brings together seasoned OER champions who have achieved success in educating and managing upward—building productive alliances with executive leaders to align priorities and advance open education. Representing diverse zones of influence, operating styles, institution types, and populations served by their organizations, panelists will share proven strategies and lessons learned about how to effectively engage institutional leadership to support long-term open education initiatives when institutional priorities, resources, and leadership are liable to change. To capture and promote community wisdom, this session will use an “open fishbowl” structure to invite participants to join the conversation and share their collective expertise.
Attendees of this session will be able to:- Identify advantageous executive leadership alliances that productively advance the interests of open education
- Implement practical tools and best practices for growing open education advocacy in the contexts of their own institutions, to enhance the effectiveness of their OER initiatives
- Align OER initiatives with institutional goals and priorities to sustain support, Increase visibility, and maintain representation for open education at the decision-making table
- Apply strategies for adapting to leadership transitions and ensure continued support and advocacy for OER projects with new leaders
