Is online learning valuable and legimitate?

In a recent US study, almost 71 % of academic leaders see online learning as a crucial part of their long-term strategy. Yet only 28% of the faculty value online learning and find it a legitimate educational model (http://tiny.cc/6equtx).

I would not be surprised if our Canadian numbers stacked up similarly. If so, then this is the listening we Instructional Designers need to speak into when we interact with our peers who teach face to face classes. This is our context, whether we like it or not.

The question becomes: Who do we have to be to be effective within this context?