Transformation Framework for Transitioning Traditional Universities to Online Open Education

We present a nine-dimension institutional framework that guides traditional universities in transitioning to high-quality hybrid and online provision. Extending ''EADTU's excellence through strategy, governance, and IT operations, the framework is organized into areas, Sub-areas, Topics, and Diagnostic questions, and delivered as a facilitation-ready checklist. We report on qualitative field validation through three one-week expert engagements (March–April 2025), which included leadership briefings, semi-structured interviews, artifact reviews, and synthesis reports. The framework proved usable for cross-unit dialogue, was diagnostically sensitive to system-level blockers (interoperability and operations, digitization of academic/administrative services, change management, and incentives), and was action-generative, informing 12–24-month roadmaps. We outline a maturity model (0–4) for future facilitated workshops and propose testable propositions linking governance/platform readiness to pedagogy, services, and outcomes. The full checklist and facilitation materials will be released in an open repository to enable institutional self-assessment and comparative research.