I. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to align current University practices with Higher Learning Commission and National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity  (NC-SARA) compliance requirements for electronically delivered courses.

HLC and NC-SARA have adopted the “Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC): Interregional Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance Education” as the standards by which online programs are evaluated and accredited. Nine specific categories are identified and cover all aspects of online program delivery and assessment. Demonstrated compliance with these guidelines is a requirement for regional accreditation through HLC and membership in SARA. Lack of compliance with these guidelines can lead to loss of institutional accreditation or other significant penalties and sanctions. Third party rankings, such as the U.S. News Ranking of Online Programs, use evidence of compliance with the C-RAC guidelines to review and rank institutions.

II. Scope

This policy applies to all faculty who teach electronically delivered courses and the departments involved in offering these courses. 

III. Definitions

“Electronically delivered courses” include   for credit courses that are defined as online (asynchronously or synchronously), flex,  or hybrid. Hybrid classes are offered 50-99% online.

IV. Procedures

A. Terms and Administration

1. Academic departments in consultation with Online and Learning Engagement will determine the availability and scheduling of online and hybrid courses.

2. Academic departments are responsible for assigning qualified faculty to teach each course. 

3. The Academic department in consultation with the Digital Learning and Instructional Innovation instructional designers will ensure the most suitable delivery technology is matched with the objectives of the course. Refer to Academic Policy and Procedure: Syllabi for guidance related to program quality and learning outcomes, student engagement, and accessibility. Digital Learning and Instructional Innovation's instructional designers are available for consultation.

B. Instructor educational development for online teaching (HLC 6)

1. UCM ensures that training and educational development in instructional design, pedagogy, accessibility, and online best practices is available through the Digital Learning and Instructional Innovation (DLII).

2. Faculty who teach electronically delivered courses will complete online learning pedagogy training.  DLII provides several options for online learning pedagogy training and continual professional development.  Academic departments determine faculty qualifications requirements. The DLII liason for each college is responsible for documenting faculty qualifications.

C. Course Development and Design (HLC 3)

1. Discipline-specific best practices in course design are expected for all courses and will be evaluated by the department in consultation with the Digital Learning and Instructional Innovation.
2. Faculty developers of electronically deliveredcources are encouraged to adopt one of the UCM course templates available through the DLII. If faculty developers decide to use their own models, these models shoud be demonstrated to meet all best practice, quality, accessibility, and legal requirements and may not have the support of the university. DLII and the Office of Accessibitity Services can provide consultation on the best practices, accessability and legal requirements for campus supported technology. Whether or not the course meets these requirements will be determined by trained course reviewers using established guidelines and standards.
3. Instructional design of online courses is supported through the DLII. Instructional designers are available for training, consulting, designing, developing, and quality assurance review of online courses and instructional materials.
4. Departments offering electronically delivered courses are responsible for maintaining quality standards consistent with best practices in online course design and pedagogy by ensuring courses undergo online design certification coordinated by Digital Learning and Instructional Innovation before being offered online and renewed every five years. This requirement will begin in the fall semester 2018. Current online courses offered before Fall 2018 are grandfathered for certification until 2023. 

D. General Guidelines

1. Students in electronically delivered courses shall have access to the same university resources as on-campus students. Consistent quality student services will be provided to all student, regardlessof where they are located by the offices of Online and Learning Engagement, Technology, Registrar, Academic Advisement, Financial Aid, Library, Office of Accessibility, and other appropriate entities. (HLC 7)
2. The University uses a learning management system, which is the officially supported gateway to content and materials for electronically delivered courses,. DLII provides support for using the learning management system. (HLC 7)
3. Technology, connectivity, and academic integrity technology is provided through the Office of Technology and DLII. (HLC 8, 9)
4. The number of seats in an electronically delivered course should be determined by the department based upon rationales that reflect faculty workload expectations. Faculty will be compensated using existing policy for faculty load, i.e., in-load, overload, entrepreneurial, etc. (HLC 2)
5. Departments shall ensure faculty members maintain regular and substantive contact with students as required by federal guidelines and accrediting bodies, and that faculty are accessible and respond to student communications in a timely manner. Best practices state that 48 hours during the course week and by the next working day after a weekend or holiday are appropriate. Refer to Academic Policies and Procedures: Availability of Faculty Who Teach Classes (Office Hours) and Academic Policies and Procedures: Class Attendance (see the Online Participation section) for additional guidance. 
6. Departments shall consult with the Office of Accessibility Services and DLII in order to ensure courses meet best practices in accessible course design as is required by university policy and federal law.

 

Revision History:

Approved 2000

Edited for web links, formatting and plain language. Approved December 2015.

Policy and current practice under review by Faculty Senate Distance Education Committee 2017.

Previously annotated as VII.11 Electronically Delivered Course Guidelines. Renamed Electronically Delivered Course Guidelines for alphabetical listing, grammar and spell check, and transitioned into policy library April 2017 
Policy reviewed and revised by the FS Distance Education Committee the Digital Learning and Instructional Innovation, and Online and Learning Engagement to align with current university practices and compliance requirements for electronically delivered courses. Approved by Provost March 2018.

 

Policy reviewed and Revised in January 2025 to reflect updated terms and processes for electronically delivered courses.