Most of the program is live and virtual, built for working professionals. One required 2.5-day in-person summit sits at the emotional and academic center — because this field runs on relationships, and relationships aren’t built over webinar chat.
10–12 live sessions over 4–6 months, 90 minutes each — a short lesson, then small-group, case-based discussion. Not a lecture series.
Readings and short recorded lessons released weekly, so live time is spent on discussion, not content delivery.
Groups of 5–6 — cross-institution, mixed-track where useful — that meet between sessions and stay together through the capstone.
This field is small and relationship-driven: people hire, refer, and mentor within a network they trust. A fully online program forfeits the single biggest asset ROLA can offer — a real, in-person peer network across institutions. One required summit keeps the program accessible while preserving that asset.
Graduation is the start of the relationship, not the end. ROLA’s credential is tiered, with an annual continuing-education expectation that keeps it meaningful.
| Tier | Earned by | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Completing the cohort program and capstone | Completed a rigorous, practice-based leadership program |
| Advanced Practitioner | 2+ years post-graduation in role, plus annual CE requirement met | Applied the training and stayed current |
| Fellow | 5+ years, sustained CE, plus a contribution back — mentoring, teaching, or advisory service | Senior standing in the field; candidate for faculty and advisory roles |
Maintaining Advanced Practitioner or Fellow standing requires 10 CE hours per year, earned through the annual alumni summit day, live refresher webinars, or the self-paced update library.
A one-day add-on at the summit, open across all tracks and to non-cohort attendees: practical governance for AI-enabled recruitment, consent, monitoring, and data tools in human subjects research. If your institution is writing an AI-in-research policy this year — and it is — this day pays for itself.
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