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Our mission is to help colleges and universities scale their online programs and courses, and provide value-added instructional support at a low cost, which enables more students to obtain a college education.
Commitment Academic Standards and Accreditation
Building Relationships
Focusing on Student Success
Moral and Professional Integrity
Flexibility to University Needs
As a lifelong learner, I enjoyed my personal college experiences and I took my education seriously. From my own experiences going to college in a traditional setting, taking graduate classes on weekends – both on campus and online – and taking doctoral courses completely online, I gained a deep appreciation for the various ways colleges and universities meet the needs of 21st Century students – particularly adult learners.
We started Instructional Connections with the goal of helping colleges and universities grow, expand, and scale programs; thereby, giving more students an opportunity to get an education. We pioneered the use of online teaching assistants, AKA “Academic Coaches,” in college programs and courses. In addition, we have created other low-cost services that help institutions meet their goals.
In the day and age where costs for higher education continue to rise and increasingly smaller amounts of students get a chance to go to school, Instructional Connections saves universities substantially, while providing services that enable both high quality and scale for online college courses and programs.
Earning a college degree is an important life goal for a student and Instructional Connections’ coaching and mentoring helps students, faculty, and colleges achieve it.
— Bob Williams, President/CEO
Bob has over 35 years’ experience in leadership positions, beginning as an armor officer in the U.S. Army, where he rose to the rank of Major. Bob’s work experiences have been in transportation, logistics, operations, and online higher education. Bob holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from West Virginia University, a graduate degree in Leadership and a Liberal Studies from Duquesne University, and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Argosy University. Bob has over 13 years direct experience with four high-growth organizations building and sustaining instructional support for over 200,000 students.
Diane (DeDe) Meek serves as Chief Information Officer in managing the course programs offered by our partner universities. DeDe has served in roles, including Dean of Academic Affairs, at several for-profit, proprietary universities for 12 years. She also has held management positions in a variety of companies and has worked with several companies in a technology role, including Microsoft. DeDe holds a bachelor degree from Williams Woods College and a graduate degree in Organizational Management from University of Phoenix.
Alexandra (Alex) Forrester is the Chief Administrative Officer and Executive VP of Strategic Partnerships. She oversees a robust recruiting effort, business development, and client management. Alex has a strong healthcare background, having been a member of the Network Nursing Education Team at the Seton Family of Hospitals in Austin (Ascension Seton), where she managed the opening and operations of the Clinical Education Center at Brackenridge, Central Texas’ largest clinical educational facility and academic collaboration involving Ascension Seton and area education leaders. Alex’s strengths include human resources, recruiting, and knowledge of the healthcare industry.
Harriet is the Chief Academic Officer serving as a liaison between IC and our partner institutions, as well as Grant Administrator overseeing our small grants and conducting research and ensuring that the academic support needs of the institutions are met. She has 17+ years in the adult and higher education sector. Formerly, Dr. Watkins has held leadership positions as the Director of Online Learning for the newly established University of Arkansas System eVersity and as Manager of Academic Partnerships at the University of Texas at Arlington among others. Harriet holds an Ed.D., from Regent University in Distance Learning, and an M. Ed. in Instructional Technology.
Jacquelyn is Vice President of Operations & Partner Relations and oversees education, business, nursing, and general education course programs. She is responsible for the management of the Operations Team and works to maintain exceptional relationships with existing University partnerships. Jacquelyn has served in various roles within higher education for over 15 years. She holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi, a graduate degree in Biological Sciences from Saint Joseph College, and a bachelor’s degree in Science from Florida State University. Jacquelyn’s strengths include excellent communication skills, effective training techniques, online course development, and various Learning Management Systems administration.
John Forrester cultivates connections with potential university partners for Instructional Connections, focusing on ensuring exceptional customer service. He graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a BBA in Marketing. John has 15 years of sales and marketing experience with Marriott International, the leader in hospitality, where he achieved many accolades and was recognized for his efforts in going above and beyond for Marriott’s top strategic accounts.
P.O. Box 223696,
Dallas, Texas 75222-3696