Sponsors
Overview
The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) will be virtually hosting the 2020 Annual Legislative Policy Forum on Friday, October 9, 2020 from 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM (ET). The association is the first non-profit distance learning association founded in 1987 in the United States to support distance learning research, development and praxis across the complete arena of education, training, and communications. Distance learning and training constituencies served include pre-K-12 education, higher and continuing education, home schooling as well as business, corporate, military, government and telehealth markets.
This year unlike another, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact nearly every country around the world with almost 30 million cases confirmed, 20 million recovered, and almost a million deaths. Countries around the world including the United States are beginning to re-open with some level of uncertainty due to a resurgence of COVID-19 and in some cases closing back down because of it. No one knows for sure how long this pandemic will last, and it continues put distance learning in the spotlight on a global scale as businesses and institutions of education remain predominantly online until 2021.
Distance learning includes e-learning, texting, social networking, virtual worlds, game-based learning, webinars. It’s the Internet. It’s Google. It’s broadband and satellite and cable and wireless. Corporate universities. Virtual universities. Blended learning, mobile learning. It’s using our phones and computers and whatever technology comes next, in new ways. Distance learning brings education and training to where students or trainees are connecting their world to worldwide learning communities.
The purpose of the Legislative Policy Forum is to maintain USDLA’s leadership in the application and promotion of distance learning with relevant policy issues to serve society. Specifically, the Forum will focus on the insights and ideas being circulated by Washington, DC policy makers. Furthermore, it will give USDLA members and others the opportunity to hear what is most current in government policy and listen to new ideas and thoughts being shared about the distance learning industry. Broadband Inequity will be the focus of this forum, however there will be other policy areas that will be integrated into the dialog.
Agenda
Welcome:
- 5 min. – (11:00-11:05 am) – Welcome – Dr. Reggie Smith III
Introduction:
- 5 min. – (11:05-11:10 am) – Introduction – Dr. Robbie Melton, Chairwoman and Board Member, Public Policy, USDLA
- 10 min. – (11:10-11:20 am) – Broadband Context – Dr. Trina Coleman, Board Member, USDLA
Keynote Speaker (Sponsored by NC-SARA):
- 5 min. – (11:20-11:25 am) – Greetings – Dr. Rhonda Blackburn, President, Board of Directors, USDLA
- 5 min. – (11:25-11:30 am) – Introduction – Dr. Lori Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer, NC-SARA
- 20 min. – (11:30-11:50 am) – Keynote – Dr. Francine Alkisswani, Telecommunications Policy Analyst, Minority Broadband Initiative, National Telecommunications and Information Administrations, U.S. Dept. of Commerce
Panel Discussion (Sponsored by Verizon):
- 5 min. – (11:50-11:55 am) – Introduction – Mr. Emilio Gonzalez, Executive Director, Policy & Strategic Alliances, Verizon (Introduction)
- 15 min. – (11:55-12:10 pm) – Mr. Michael Goldstein, Managing Director, Tyton Partners and Dr. Francine Alkisswani, Telecommunications Policy Analyst, Minority Broadband Initiative, National Telecommunications and Information Administrations, U.S. Dept. of Commerce (Co-Moderators)
- 15 min. – (12:10-12:25 pm) – Mr. Drew Clark, the Editor and Publisher of Breakfast Media LLC
- 15 min. – (12:25-12:40 pm) – Ms. Britney Johnson, Research Assistant, Georgia Institute of Technology
- 15 min. – (12:40-12:55 pm) – Mrs. Janet Major, Chairwoman, Board of Directors, USDLA and Associate Director Facilities, Arizona Telemedicine Program, Arizona Health Sciences Center
Call to Action:
- 10 min. – (12:55-1:05 pm) – Wrap-Up and Call to Action – Dr. Ronnie Lowenstein, President, Lowenstein & Associates, Inc.
Conclusion:
- 5 min. – (1:05-1:10 pm) – Dr. Robbie Melton, Chairwoman and Board Member, Public Policy, USDLA
- 5 min. – (1:10-1:15 pm) – Dr. Rhonda Blackburn, President, Board of Directors, USDLA
Post Program Content
Call to Action Plan: Coming Soon
Next Policy Forum
To Be Determined
Join USDLA
USDLA through its mission of … supporting the development and application of distance learning … focuses on all legislation impacting the distance learning community and its constituencies.
Speakers
- Dr. Francine Alkisswani, Telecommunications Policy Analyst, Minority Broadband Initiative, National Telecommunications and Information Administrations, U.S. Dept. of Commerce
- Dr. Rhonda Blackburn, President, Board of Directors, USDLA
- Mr. Drew Clark, the Editor and Publisher of Breakfast Media LLC
- Biography: http://broadbandbreakfast.com/about/
- Dr. Trina Coleman, Board Member, USDLA
- Biography: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtrinacoleman/
- Mr. Michael Goldstein, Managing Director, Tyton Partners
- Mr. Emilio Gonzalez, Executive Director, Policy & Strategic Alliances, Verizon
- Dr. Britney Johnson, Researcher Assistance, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Dr. Ronnie Lowenstein, President, Lowenstein & Associates, Inc.
- Biography: Download PDF
- Mrs. Janet Major, Chairwoman, Board of Directors, USDLA
- Dr. Robbie Melton, Chairwoman and Board Member, Public Policy, USDLA
- Dr. Lori Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer, NC-SARA
- Biography: https://nc-sara.org/people/lori-williams-phd
Media Partners
- HBCUSmartTV and HBCUiRadio ( www.hbcunation.org )
- Khan’s Digital World ( www.khansdigitalworld.com )
- USDLA Distance Learning Magazine / Information Age Publishing ( https://www.infoagepub.com/distance-learning.html )
- USDLA Soundbites ( https://rss.com/podcasts/usdla/ )
Revised 10/07/2020 @ 4:00 pm (ET)