WCET Steering Committee

Matthew Melton

WCET Steering Committee, Vice President, SACSCOC

LinkedIn Profile

J. Matthew Melton has been with SACSOC (the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools, Commission on Colleges) since January 2023. He spent twenty-two of his twenty-nine-year academic career in faculty administration. Before joining SACSCOC, Melton served as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Lee University in Cleveland, TN, and before that as chair of the Communication Arts department, Director of the Honors Program, and Director of Student Media. A recipient of the university’s student advising award, Melton taught courses in media, speech, journalism, and film, along with a general education course in classical world humanities. He has led multiple study-abroad experiences in Europe and South America. He has authored textbook materials for communication courses and the freshman collegiate experience. Melton has an MA in journalism and a PhD in communication studies from Regent University. He began working with higher education accreditation at his former institution in 2004 and began serving on SACSCOC committees in 2006 and as a committee chair in 2014. These latter experiences sparked a strong interest in higher education accreditation that ultimately led to his joining SACSCOC.

Claire Renaud

WCET Steering Committee , Director of Insights and Effectiveness, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)

Claire Renaud is a director of insights and effectiveness at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC). In this role, she conducts analyses and develops insights to support the evaluation, effectiveness, planning, and decision-making for the department she’s assigned to. She remains committed to enhancing access to quality learning experiences for all learners by leveraging data-driven decision-making and human-centered design principles.

Claire previously served as a foreign language educator, as a coach and writing consultant, and as project lead for several teams of individuals with disabilities in the workplace setting. Most recently, she worked as a curriculum designer and manager of quality frameworks for UMGC, working across academic units and with external partners to improve the quality of the students’ learning experiences. Being a lifelong learner herself, she approaches every interaction with a curious mindset to continuously grow and expand her capacities as well as those of the people around her.

Erika Swain

Assistant Director of Academic Compliance and Authorization, University of Colorado Boulder

@ErikaGSwainLinkedIn Profile

Erika Swain serves as the assistant director of academic compliance and authorization at the University of Colorado Boulder and the associate director for state authorization at the University of Colorado System, working to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations relating to state authorization and accreditation requirements. In addition, she works closely with campus leadership and academic affairs to coordinate the process for new and revised university program offerings to verify compliance with state and federal regulations as well as university policies and procedures.

Prior to joining CU, Erika worked for many years in regional accreditation, overseeing training and federal compliance programs in her various roles at both the Higher Learning Commission and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and has also previously served as the Registrar at North Country Community College in Saranac Lake, NY. Erika also currently serves on the SAN Advisory Committee and leads the SAN Special Interest Team on Professional Licensure.

Karen Watté

WCET Steering Committee, Senior Director, Course Development and Training, Oregon State University Ecampus

Karen Watté serves as the Senior Director of Course Development and Training at Oregon State University Ecampus where she leads a large team of instructional designers, multimedia developers, and faculty development specialists to support faculty and departments across the institution in designing their courses for online delivery. She’s involved in multiple initiatives focused on improving quality in online course design and teaching. Her areas of focus include faculty professional development, organizational behavior, and online program management, and she has special interest in the use of AI tools in online teaching and learning.

Sahara Haney

Director of Digital Learning & Academic Support, Baton Rouge Community College, Louisiana's Community & Technical Colleges

Sahara Haney is the director of the Digital Learning & Academic Support Center at Baton Rouge Community College. With 14 years of experience spanning K-12 and higher education, she has advanced digital learning through roles in academic support, faculty development, and digital literacy. Haney has developed faculty onboarding programs, guided the integration of proctoring and AI tools, and advanced inclusive approaches to instructional design. Her work centers on developing innovative digital learning practices that improve access, affordability, and student success.
 

Ryan Faulkner

WCET Steering Committee Vice Chair, Dean of Online Learning, College of Eastern Idaho

ryan.faulkner@cei.edu

LinkedIn Profile

I am celebrating my 23rd year of professional distance education work experience and my 6th year at CEI. I began my professional career at Idaho State University managing video courses and later transitioned to online learning. While at ISU and working full-time I completed my Master’s degree in Instructional Technology and later my Doctoral degree in Higher Education Leadership in 2015. In January of 2018, I was hired by CEI to develop an online learning program from scratch as CEI transitioned to a community college from EITC. I have previously served as a WCET steering committee member and am also in my second term serving on the SAN Advisory Group representing 2-year colleges. For fun I spend as much time with fiance and my dogs as possible. I also have a pet turtle named Pokey.

Cheryl Carroll

Manager of Academic, Distance Learning and State Authorization Compliance in the Office of Academic Compliance, University of Virginia

As UVA’s liaison to SCHEV, NC-SARA, and SAN, Cheryl Carroll manages components of institutional academic compliance and guides faculty and administrators on distance learning regulations. Cheryl leads efforts to streamline tracking academic actions, learning placements, and licensure program disclosures. She chaired the 2024 Virginia-SARA workshop and led a WCET/SAN team to expand SPE/institutional engagement. With 10 years of SARA experience, she advocates for a best-practice compliance culture and supports stakeholder education on state authorization challenges.

Robert Saum

WCET Steering Committee, Senior Strategy and Deployment Specialist, Division of Academic Innovation, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

LinkedIn Profile

Robert Saum serves as the Senior Strategy and Deployment Specialist for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In this role, he collaborates with faculty and academic leaders on new learning approaches and ways to innovate distance and online learning. He recommends, plans, deploys, and continuously improves learning operations and the learner experience, enhancing student success.

Gloria Niles

WCET Steering Committee Chair, WCET Executive Council, Director of Online Learning, University of Hawai'i System

gniles@hawaii.edu

@teachtoreachmeLinkedIn Profile

Gloria Niles is an internationally recognized thought leader in neurodivergent and technology-enhanced learning. Gloria currently serves as the director of online learning for the University of Hawai’i System, providing systemwide planning and direction of the university’s online learning programs, including all related institutional strategies for online delivery of instruction. In this role, she drives the implementation of policies, procedures, and systems necessary to execute the university’s vision and strategies for the statewide UH system with ten independently accredited campuses across the Hawaiian islands.

Brittany Dudek

Director of Learning Resources, Colorado Community College System

Brittany Dudek is a leader in library and information science, specializing in Open Educational Resources (OER) and equitable access to education. As the director of learning resources for the Colorado Community College System, she has established the online library serving 13 colleges and oversees course material processes for central online courses. A passionate advocate for student success, Brittany manages system-level OER projects, serves on WCET’s Steering Committee, and contributes to local and national OER and library communities of practice like DOERS3 and the Colorado Consortium of Libraries. Her innovative leadership reflects a commitment to increasing the accessibility of digital learning.

Nick White

Chief Learning Officer, Sophia Learning

nick.white@sophia.org

LinkedIn Profile

Nick White is the Chief Learning Officer of Sophia Learning. Nick led the CBE program design and the digital badge initiatives at Capella University and currently leads the academic and program design functions for Sophia Learning. Nick was previously the chair of the WCET steering committee and is currently a member of the IMS Global Digital Credential Executive Board. Nick has a master’s degree in instructional design, is an award-winning instructional designer and administrator, and is a frequent speaker at national conferences.

Kim Scalzo

Interim Senior Associate Provost, Digital Innovation and Academic Services (DIAS), Open SUNY

Andrea Butler

Vice Provost eLearning, Dallas College

Melody Buckner

Associate Vice Provost, Digital Learning Initiatives and Online, The University of Arizona

Melody Buckner is the associate vice provost of Digital Learning and Online Initiatives for the University of Arizona. In this role, she collaborates with university leaders, faculty, and academic staff to articulate the implementation of online education and assist in defining the institutional values for digital learning to align with the University’s mission. Her faculty affiliation is with the College of Education, and she conducts research and teaching in the areas of educational technology, digital and creative literacies, and multicultural education.

She serves on the board of BYTE, a cross-border youth development program offering tennis and academic classes on both sides of the Nogales US/Mexico border. She became involved with this organization because of her passion for digital storytelling and love of the game of tennis. Her informal education consists of living in over 40 different places, including several countries overseas.

Michelle Singh

Steering Committee, Vice President for Strategic Educational Alliances, University of North Texas

Dr. Michelle Singh, vice president for strategic educational alliances at the University of North Texas, is a recognized leader in learning transformation. With over two decades in higher education, she brings strategic vision to digital infusion, AI, open education, and change management. Renowned for her ecosystem approach to digital transformation, Michelle is celebrated globally for her advocacy of open education and adaptive innovation. She has led initiatives in artificial and business intelligence, data-informed strategy, and the use of OER to strengthen digital communities.

Michelle has held leadership roles with the Texas Distance Learning Association, United States Distance Learning Association, WCET, SREB Educational Technology Cooperative, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Her honors include induction into the TxDLA Hall of Fame, the USDLA International Outstanding Leadership Award, and Corpus Christi’s Top Under 40. With expertise in computer science, counseling, and educational leadership, she champions a human-centered approach to innovation in higher education. Her work consistently demonstrates a commitment to holistic, forward-thinking solutions in the ever-evolving landscape of digital learning and higher education.

Robert Griffiths

WCET Steering Committee Chair, WCET Executive Council, Assistant Vice Provost, Online Learning and Innovation, The Ohio State University (Re-elected October 2022)

griffiths.44@osu.edu

@griffiths44LinkedIn Profile

Robert Griffiths is assistant vice provost for online learning and innovation at The Ohio State University Office of Academic Affairs where he has led the university’s online education initiative since 2013. He remains passionate about the affordances and possibilities of technology-empowered learning opportunities.

Robert also guides other initiatives, including those related to state authorization, non-degree student support, and organizational culture. He is a team member for university-level projects related to the curricular redesign for general education, workforce development, and scaling teaching and learning support. Prior to his current role, he created the Office of Distance Education and eLearning grants program and served as principal investigator in a study of how the use of technology can engage students, increase instructor efficiency, and support anytime/anyplace learning. Robert earned his bachelor’s degree from Denison University, and his master’s and doctorate from Ohio State and is the author or co-author of numerous book chapters and journal articles.