Distance Education
Statement Of Principles

(Web designer's note: This document covers the definition, application, and principles governing the delivery of distance instruction at San Antonio College. The topics treated in the principles section concern curriculum and instruction, library and learning resources, student support services, facilities and finances, and evaluation and assessment. Appended is the Internet and Intellectual Property statement of the Faculty Senate. See the links below for the official, original versions which remain unchanged here except for this paragraph, the links, navigation, format, corrected typos and changed capitalization.)

Definition

For the purpose of this statement, distance education is defined as a formal educational delivery system in which the majority of the instructional interaction occurs when the instructor and students are not at the same location. Instruction may be synchronous or asynchronous. Distance education may include audio, video, or computer technologies. This statement applies to all credit-bearing courses and programs offered through distance education by San Antonio College.

Application

This statement applies to new distance education offerings, as well as to existing offerings. Additionally, any department, faculty member, or group of faculty developing or offering distance education is expected to meet Southern Association of Colleges and Schools requirements, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board requirements, and college policies and procedures. Nothing in this statement of principles shall be construed to abridge the rights of students or faculty members as set forth in college or ACCD policy and procedure.

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Principles

Curriculum And Instruction
1. Distance education is an optional method of instructional delivery. Faculty participation is voluntary. Nothing in this policy implies that distance education is a required or preferred mode of instruction.

2. Distance education offerings are consistent with the mission of the college.

3. Any individual, department, or program within a department agreeing to deliver distance education to any private or public entity must follow normal college and district procedures; nor will the college agree to deliver distance education unless those procedures have been followed.

4. Departments determine class sizes for distance education courses in a manner consistent with that practiced for traditional classes. However, Internet classes are, if at all possible, limited to 20 students the first time a faculty member teaches the course and thereafter maintained at a level of 20-25 students.

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5. Distance education courses may be developed by teams of faculty members from more than one college within the district. When such a team develops a course, revenue generated through tuition, fees, and contact hour reimbursement will be credited to the college at which the student registers for the course.

6. Both tenure track and adjunct faculty may be involved in the development and delivery of distance education. The college offers appropriate training and support services for faculty that teach distance education. Faculty are required to attain distance education certification prior to teaching an Internet course.

7. While the college encourages innovation in instruction, it remains committed to the principles of academic excellence and academic freedom. In distance education courses and programs, as in all instruction, course content and grading standards are the responsibility of the faculty member within the parameters established by the home department.

8. As with any other course, faculty are encouraged, when possible, to have individual conferences with students.

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9. Faculty members who develop an Internet course may, depending on the nature of the course development, receive one class released time during a fall or spring semester or a stipend equal to the amount the faculty member would earn by teaching one class at the adjunct rate during the fall or spring semester. Course development in the summer will be compensated by a stipend equal to the amount the faculty member would earn for teaching one course in the summer at the adjunct rate. Faculty members may also choose to develop an Internet course without any compensation or released time. The faculty member may choose the option he or she prefers.

10. Course materials authored by the faculty member are the property of the faculty member. Neither San Antonio College nor the Alamo Community College District shall assert ownership of course materials. Copyright notices should be made in the name of the individual faculty member. For a complete explanation, please consult The Internet and Intellectual Property policy attached to this document.

11. Faculty members are expected, in the spirit of collegiality, to share the materials and courses they develop with their colleagues at San Antonio College. Releasing materials to those outside the college is at the discretion of the authoring faculty member. The authoring faculty member will retain royalties derived from the sale of the course material outside the college. If royalties are received, the faculty member must repay the college the amount of any stipend or released time received from the college to develop the course materials. Any royalties derived from use of course materials within the college shall be donated to a college or ACCD scholarship fund of the faculty member's choice.

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Library And Learning Resources
1. The college ensures that all students have the same privileges of access to the library / learning resources center and its materials and services.

2. The college provides laboratories, facilities, and other equipment appropriate to the distance education course offerings.

Student Support Services
1. Prior to students' enrollment, the college will provide them with information regarding the modes of delivery and technological requirements of each course, program and degree offered by the college. In addition, it will provide a self-assessment tool for students to gauge their capability to succeed in its distance education program. However, students bear responsibility for deciding whether they have the necessary knowledge, skills, connectivity and equipment required for enrollment.

2. Admissions and other criteria for students in distance education are identical to those involved in courses and programs delivered through traditional methods.

3. All students have the same privileges of access to the full range of student services including admissions assistance, counseling/placement services, financial aid advising, delivery of course materials, and technical support.

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Facilities And Finances
1. The college and the district provide technology that is adequate to deliver and support distance education offerings.

2. As with all programs, the long-range planning, budgeting, and policy development procedures of the college and district reflect the staffing, facilities, equipment, and other resources essential to maintaining a viable and effective distance education program.

Evaluation And Assessment
1. The college, through its established institutional effectiveness processes, will ensure comparability to other campus-based instructional programs by evaluating the distance education program's educational effectiveness. Evaluations include assessments of student learning outcomes, student retention, and student/faculty satisfaction.

San Antonio College Faculty Senate
Internet And Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property and Ownership
Internet courses may be constructed in total by the faculty member or may consist of a "shell" to which the faculty member adds his or her material or modifications as needed. In either case, the material authored by the faculty member remains the property of the faculty member. The Alamo Community College District should not assert ownership of any course materials. Therefore, copyright notices should be made in the name of the individual course developer.

Faculty members are expected, in the spirit of collegiality, to share the materials and courses they develop with their colleagues at the college. Releasing materials to those outside the college is at the discretion of the authoring faculty member. The authoring faculty member will retain royalties derived from the sale of the course material outside the college. If royalties are derived from the course or course materials within the college, then they should be donated to a scholarship fund.

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Academic Freedom
Internet courses, like all courses, are protected by the principles of academic freedom. Therefore, course content and grading standards are the prerogative of the faculty members within the parameters established by their home departments.

Course development and approval are the responsibility of the academic departments. Internet training and certification are the responsibilities of the college.

Compensation for Course Development
Faculty members who develop an Internet course shall receive one class released time during a fall or spring semester or a stipend equal to the amount the faculty member would earn by teaching one class at the adjunct rate during a fall or spring semester. Course development in the summer will be compensated by a stipend equal to the amount the faculty member would earn for teaching one course in the summer at the adjunct rate.

Faculty members may also choose to develop an Internet course without any compensation or released time. The faculty member may choose the option he or she prefers.

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Class Size
It is the prerogative of individual departments to establish class size. However, it is recommended that class size be held to a maximum of 20 the first time a faculty member teaches a course, and thereafter maintained at a level of 20-25 students.

Teams
Teams across the district are voluntary. When an Internet course is developed voluntarily by teams of members from different colleges in the district, the revenue generated through tuition and contract hour reimbursement will remain with the college through which the student registers for the course.

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Delivery Platform
Although District Information Systems has contracted for the use of Web-CT, faculty members are not required to use this or any other platform. Faculty members should take the opportunity to learn about different platforms in order to make an informed decision concerning their use.

[Approved by the San Antonio College Academic Council on July 14, 2000.]

Internet and Intellectual Property Policy

http://www.accd.edu/sac/sacmain/fasenate/internet.htm

The ACCD Electronic Publishing Standards

http://www.accd.edu/accdproc/webstand.htm