About The Hardy Group
The Hardy Strategic Consulting Group, LLC (The Hardy Group) brings together leading distance and online learning strategists with deep experience across higher education, federal and state governments, and EdTech. The group is led by Dr. Darcy Hardy, who has over 35 years of experience in the field.
We believe the overall focus has to be on the outcome, not the consulting. In other words, we help you move from Point A to Point B with your online programming. Not sure about Point A? We’ll help you establish a realistic vision. What is Point B? It’s where you want to be in three to five years in this space. Our goal is to give you a plan that will get you there.
OUR MISSION:
We enable adaptation and change for colleges and universities that are balancing educational needs, expectations, and institutional capacity in service of high-impact, high-quality online education.
OUR VISION:
We believe education is a right, not a privilege. We further believe that high-quality digital learning can bring education to everyone, regardless of time or space. Our vision is to lead the way in reshaping the landscape of global education, where institutions seamlessly integrate technology, pedagogy, and inclusivity to deliver exceptional online learning experiences.
In this video interview, Dr. Darcy Hardy, offers her take on the shift towards a more blended learning approach and the opportunities and challenges this brings.
“I have known Darcy Hardy for many years as a preeminent leader in our field of online and technology-enhanced learning. Her skills and knowledge span the breadth of the field, including policy, practices, technology and effectiveness. I admire her creativity in finding solutions to difficult problems.”
— Ray Schroeder, Senior Fellow UPCEA and Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois Springfield
Meet Dr. Darcy Hardy
Dr. Hardy most recently served as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of the Anthology Education and Research Center at Anthology Inc. (formerly Blackboard Inc.). Her work continues to focus on the online learning ecosystem and how it impacts all parts of an institution or organization.
Areas of expertise include:
strategy and vision
organization and governance
policy, process and practice
quality oversight
course and faculty development processes.
Before her position with Blackboard, Dr. Hardy spent over 25 years in public higher education, including:
The University of Texas System
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Texas State University-San Marcos.
During her tenure with UTSA, she worked with the Obama Administration, completing a two-year Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) appointment at the U.S. Department of Labor, and a one-year IPA appointment at the U.S. Department of Education.
From 1997 to 2010, Dr. Hardy served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at The University of Texas System & Executive Director of the UT TeleCampus. She was a founding member and is a past president of the Texas Distance Learning Association (TxDLA).
Currently, she serves as Chair Emerita with the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) and is a member of the WCET Executive Council. She co-founded in 2004 the WCET-sponsored Annual Summit for Women in E-Learning (ASWE), formerly known as the USDLA International Forum for Women in E-Learning (IFWE), an event that focuses on issues faced by women in higher education as well as on the importance of networking and mentoring in the growth of women leaders for tomorrow.
Dr. Hardy was honored by Texas State University as a Distinguished Alumna in 2012. She was inducted into the USDLA Hall of Fame in 2009 and received the Mildred and Charles Wedemeyer Outstanding Distance Learning Practitioner Award in Madison, Wisconsin in 2006. In addition, she was inducted into the Texas Distance Learning Association Hall of Fame in 2006 and received the WCET Richard Jonsen Award in 2005.
She earned her PhD in Curriculum & Instruction (Instructional Technology) from The University of Texas at Austin in 1992.
“Through the years, I’ve always turned to Darcy for a better understanding of what’s next in learning technology, teaching techniques, and student support. Best of all, however, is that I know when I work with her the true north of any project will be about helping more and more diverse students learn well, finish strong, and launch effectively.”
— Mark David Milliron, President and CEO, National University