Yakut Gazi’s appointment as Duke University’s inaugural Vice Provost for Learning Innovation and Digital Education in 2022 marked the beginning of a major transformation for both Learning Innovation and Continuing Studies. For the past year and a half, both teams have been reimagining their future as a combined unit, and that future is finally here: Learning Innovation and Continuing Studies have officially merged under the new name Learning Innovation & Lifetime Education (LILE).
Together, we bring innovative, evidence-based teaching practices and learning opportunities to Duke’s faculty and community of learners across a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, and geographies.
“Our new name is our next big step forward as one organization, serving lifetime learners in innovative ways around the world through intelligent use of learning science and technologies,” said Yakut Gazi, Vice Provost for Learning Innovation and Digital Education. “The professional, continuing, and online space within higher education is changing rapidly, and this name positions us to be flexible and forward-looking to meet the evolving needs of learners, from pre-college through post-career.”
Previously, both Learning Innovation and Continuing Studies were working towards similar yet parallel goals of serving learners: Learning Innovation’s efforts focused primarily on undergraduate and graduate students (with the exception of its online offerings available to global learners), while Continuing Studies worked with learners before and after the traditional university experience, from pre-college to post-career.
As Gazi has previously written, people are living longer lives, which has sociological, societal and personal implications. In order for people to survive and thrive in their longer lives and longer careers, they will need multiple opportunities to learn and upskill, so institutions of higher education need to be planning for a 60-year curriculum. Now, as a united organization, LILE can support learners no matter where they are in their learning journey, which we envision as a continuum along which learners may enter and exit at varying times:
This next chapter also allows us to focus on other learners of all ages, around the world, through partnerships with Duke Alumni Engagement and Development (AED) and Duke Kunshan University (DKU). With each unit, we share an Assistant Vice Provost (AVP) position, allowing easier collaboration in these shared focus areas.
For those who have previously engaged with either Learning Innovation or Continuing Studies, we are pleased to share that none of our former services or programs are going away. They may evolve as the landscape of lifetime education and learners’ needs change, but we will continue to serve Duke faculty, students, staff, alumni, and our global community of lifetime learners by:
- Increasing teaching and learning effectiveness through a culture of data-informed and research-driven educational innovation.
- Growing the community of Duke learners by creating in-demand educational programs and services.
- Broadening access to Duke learning opportunities for all through inclusive pathways to learn for all types of learners – anywhere, at any age.
- Being a trusted partner to our people, programs, and partners.
Information about our organizational activities and instructor-facing materials are available at lile.duke.edu, while our catalog of continuing studies programs can be found at learnmore.duke.edu.