Distance Education and the Principles of Accreditation: Documenting Compliance Guidelines

1. Distance Education and the Principles of Accreditation:Documenting ComplianceGuidelines What’s The Impact Presented at VPAA Meeting March 2-3, 2010 Norm Cherry

2. Purpose of Brief • Explanation of recently publicized Distance Education guidelines (see handout). • Definition of Distance Education • Institutions affected • Principles affected • What is in the guidelines • Example of an impacted standard

3. What is Distance Education? Definition of Distance Education • For the purposes of the Commission’s accreditation review, distance education is a formal educational process in which the majority of the instruction (interaction between students and instructors and among students) in a course occurs when students and instructors are not in the same place. Instruction may be synchronous or asynchronous. A distance education course may use the internet; one-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communications devices; audio conferencing; or video cassettes, DVD’s, and CDROMs if used as part of the distance learning course or program. Definition of Correspondence Education • Correspondence education is a formal educational process under which the institution provides instructional materials, by mail or electronic transmission, including examinations on the materials, to students who are separated from the instructor. Interaction between the instructor and the student is limited, is not regular and substantive, and is primarily initiated by the student; courses are typically self-paced. Distance and Correspondence Education -COC Policy Statement- June 2009

4. Who’s Affected? • Member and Candidate institutions completing a compliance certification or receiving a committee visit • Applicant institutions completing an application for membership

5. Which Principles Are Affected? • CoreRequirement • *CR 2.4 (Mission) & Administration • *CR 2.5 (Institutional Effectiveness) • *CR 2.8 (Faculty) • *CR 2.9 (Learning Resources) • *CR 2.10 (Student Services) • *CR 2.11.1(Financial Resources) • *CR 2.11.2 (Physical Resources) • Companion Standards • CS 3.1.1 also 3.2.7 • *CS 3.3.1 • *CS 3.7.1, 3.7.2 and 3.7.3 • CS 3.8.1, 3.8.2, 3.8.3 • CS 3.4.9, 3.9.3 and *FR 4.5 • CS 3.11.3 Educational Programs Comprehensive Standards CS 3.4.7, 3.4.10, 3.4.12 * Applies to the Application

6. What Do The Guidelines Say? • Describe distance education Expectations for the principle(s) • Provide relevant Questions to be considered/answered • Provide Good Practices that can be used to show compliance (Good practices are commonly accepted practices within the higher education community that enhance institutional quality. Good practices may be formulated by outside agencies and organizations and endorsed by the Executive Council or the Commission.)

7. Example Comprehensive Standard 3.2.7 • The institution has a clearly defined and published organizational structure that delineates responsibility for the administration of policies. (Organizational structure)

8. Rationale and Notes: • The institution’s administrative/organizational structure is designed to support the institution’s mission, goals, and priorities. Effective institutions ensure that administrative responsibilities for policy implementation are accessible and clear to key constituents. The distribution of organizational charts and policies and procedures manuals provides the necessary foundation for internal and external understanding of the institution’s operations. Relevant Questions for Consideration: • Where is the organizational structure published? • How is the organizational structure consistent with the written policies governing roles and responsibilities of the board, administration, and faculty? • How does the institution publish and disseminate its organizational structure? • What evidence exists that other documents, such as board manuals, minutes, and administrative procedures manuals illustrate the distinction? Sample Documentation: • Administrative/organizational chart and job descriptions • Bylaws of the institution • Institutional handbook and manuals • Description of the process by which major institutional policies are decided, implemented, and evaluated -RESOURCE MANUAL FOR THE PRINCIPLES OF ACCREDITATION: FOUNDATIONS FOR QUALITY ENHANCEMENT-

9. Expectations: • Administrative responsibility for all educational programs, including the offering of distance education courses and programs, should be reflected in the organizational structure of the institution. Questions/Considerations: • Does the organizational chart for the institution reflect distance education? • Does the organizational structure at the institution reflect the relationship between courses/programs offered in traditional formats and courses/programs offered by distance education? Best Practices: • Distance education courses/programs are administered at the institution in such a way as to ensure proper coordination and provision of adequate resources, training for faculty, and support for students. Distance Education and the Principles of Accreditation: Documenting Compliance Guidelines

10. Rationale and Notes: • The institution’s administrative/organizational structure is designed to support the institution’s mission, goals, and priorities. Effective institutions ensure that administrative responsibilities for policy implementation are accessible and clear to key constituents. The distribution of organizational charts and policies and procedures manuals provides the necessary foundation for internal and external understanding of the institution’s operations. Expectations: • Administrative responsibility for all educational programs, including the offering of distance education courses and programs, should be reflected in the organizational structure of the institution.

11. Relevant Questions for Consideration: • Where is the organizational structure published? • How is the organizational structure consistent with the written policies governing roles and responsibilities of the board, administration, and faculty? • How does the institution publish and disseminate its organizational structure? • What evidence exists that other documents, such as board manuals, minutes, and administrative procedures manuals illustrate the distinction?Questions/Considerations: • Does the organizational chart for the institution reflect distance education? • Does the organizational structure at the institution reflect the relationship between courses/programs offered in traditional formats and courses/programs offered by distance education?

12. Sample Documentation: • Administrative/organizational chart and job descriptions • Bylaws of the institution • Institutional handbook and manuals • Description of the process by which major institutional policies are decided, implemented, and evaluated Best Practices: • Distance education courses/programs are administered at the institution in such a way as to ensure proper coordination and provision of adequate resources, training for faculty, and support for students.