Magellan Learning Solutions is pleased to announce that Dr. Emily Heady has joined the company as its third partner and Chief Academic Officer. Magellan, which was formed in 2017 to meet the complex needs of clients in the online educational space, including content development and academic operational services, understands the weight of this pivotal addition to the team.
“Anyone that has ever worked with Emily realizes, in very short order, she is a superlative leader, gifted administrator, and problem solver. Her knowledge of the broad educational landscape, its pitfalls and opportunities are vast. She is collaborative, relational, ethical, and fun. I will speak for Aaron and myself and say she has been an inspiration and mentor to us both for many years. Emily joining as a partner is the result of many years of planning, growing, hoping, and dreaming. We could not be more excited.”, said Magellan Founder and CEO Wayne Patton.
Magellan Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer Aaron Traphagen added, “Emily is, without a doubt, one of the most well-rounded, knowledgeable, practical, and respected people I have had the pleasure of working with during my career. Emily’s addition as a partner and as Chief Academic Officer will substantially impact Magellan’s ability to support our partner institutions and our potential for growth as a company. I could not be more pleased to welcome Emily aboard and look forward to years of good work ahead.”
Roger Ott, Partner in the joint venture Vigeo-Magellan, had this to say, “It is a rare privilege when you come across those with real talents that stand out like Emily. She is the consummate professional with the ability to command a room and lead through the tensest situations with grace.”
Dr. Heady was born and raised in Southern Ohio. She earned a BA in Spanish and English at The Ohio State University and an MA and PhD in Victorian Literature at Indiana University.
At Liberty University, Emily served as a faculty member in English, founded the University’s writing program, and eventually oversaw both general education and the majority of the University’s undergraduate programs. At Longwood University, Emily served as the founding director of the University’s Office of Student Success, and she also led the University’s admissions team.
Emily has published and presented extensively in the fields of Victorian literature, higher education administration, student success, and online program development. She is also an experienced SACS-COC reviewer and QEP Director and Evaluator.
Emily is married to Chene, and they have two children and a small black dog. In her free time, Emily serves as a pianist at Compassion Church of the Nazarene in Lynchburg, VA, and she loves to cook.
“My own educational training was as traditional as it gets—residential flagships with D1 sports. Working closely with a great team of online educators, though, I came to appreciate all the ways learning can happen. I get most excited when I see an educational program firing on all cylinders—great content, ease of use, strong interaction, clear goals and assessments, and real-world outcomes. This is how people’s lives change, and this is how education makes the world a better place.”
Dr. Emily Heady
Individual Service Description
Fleet Courses
Deploy and customize Magellan’s ready-built online courses and start running excellent online programs sooner.
Magellan provides ready-built course maps and populated LMS course shells with online course content that supports your goals. Our team works with yours to achieve any desired degree of customization, centering academic freedom and the student experience while slashing the runway to program startup. Our content is engaging, fully accessible and compliant with RSI standards. In addition, its alignment with stated outcomes and comparability to seated courses is thoroughly documented.
Individual Service Description
Teaching Effectiveness Review
Learn what course data says about your instructors’ performance and build a targeted plan for support.
Magellan delivers a targeted or comprehensive assessment of course-level interactions, focused on your unique goals and priorities. Our team analyzes grading feedback, discussions, announcements, and more to identify clear patterns you can learn from and act on.
A sense of human connection with peers and instructors is vital to students’ program persistence and completion. Seeing how interactions currently play out in your courses helps you target faculty support where it’s needed most.
Individual Service Description
Faculty Guidance
Prepare your faculty to build meaningful, productive relationships with students in any course modality.
Magellan’s custom workshops and 1:1 sessions on topics like best practices for online teaching, RSI, and accessibility give your instructors the targeted support they need. We tailor our focus and approach to your team and your needs, so our practical support brings you closer to your specific goals.
Your faculty have a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion to share with your students. Magellan helps overcome obstacles like technological barriers, modality changes, and unclear expectations, so that teaching and learning happens naturally and freely.
Individual Service Description
Content Creation or Revision
Content that engages every student with real-world value they recognize.
The Magellan team helps you create or improve assignments, assessments, rubrics, resources, and connective elements that support your goals. Our team works alongside yours to align student-facing course content with your mission.
Throughout our strategic partnership, we’ll offer practical solutions based on cutting-edge learning theory, technical knowledge, industry best practices, and data-driven insights. As a thought partner and force multiplier, Magellan facilitates targeted or comprehensive program improvements at scale. Our library of Fleet courses stands ready to deploy into your own program, with customization options that reflect your unique identity and priorities.
Individual Service Description
Course or Program Effectiveness Review
Understand what’s already happening in your courses to plan your next growth steps.
The Magellan team customizes our audit approach to your goals and priorities. Our team delivers actionable insights from existing course design, content, assessments, and other elements.
Knowing what is and isn’t working is key to improving student retention and outcomes. With data in hand, you’ll be prepared to focus your efforts on initiatives that matter most.
Individual Service Description
Program or Course-Level Standards Development
Standards that support your institutional values keep everyone working towards shared goals.
Magellan translates your priorities into practical expectations every team member can meet. A shared definition of quality keeps your program consistent as you build, evaluate, and maintain new content.
Our team helps to clarify what quality means in the context of your program and institution. Clear articulation of your goals helps everyone make course-level decisions with confidence.
Individual Service Description
Template Creation
Consistent formatting for courses and documents reduces cognitive load for a seamless student experience.
The Magellan team guides you in developing shared, repeatable structures that reflect what makes your program and institution unique. Our approach gives course developers an efficient starting point without stifling the individual character and goals of each course.
Your team spends less time making routine decisions and repeating processes and more time creating meaningful learning experiences. Students gain a familiar navigation experience so they can focus on learning in each course.
Individual Service Description
LMS Organization Support
The Magellan team ensures each course is intuitive and easy to navigate
The Magellan team helps to create a shared approach to course organization across your entire LMS. Intuitive, predictable course navigation reduces friction and keeps students focused on their progress.
Your team gains a plan for course organization that makes scaling achievable. Students enjoy less confusion and more confidence that their goals are attainable.