AOP 10.16 Distance Education

AOP 10.16

AOP 10.16: DISTANCE EDUCATION

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Academic Operating Policy and Procedure (AOP) is to ensure an

understanding of the procedures for the development, implementation, and maintenance of

formal distance learning degree programs, courses, minors, and certificates offered for academic

credit at Mississippi State University (MSU).

POLICY/PROCEDURE

MSU uses the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

(SACSCOC) definition of distance education.

(http://www.sacscoc.org/pdf/DistanceCorrespondenceEducation.pdf)

1. Students: A distance education student is defined as one who has been admitted into a

distance education program at MSU. Although geographically dispersed, distance

students meet the definition of a “student at Mississippi State University” as defined

under OP 31.01 Definition of a Student.

2. Programs: All Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Board of Trustees and Mississippi

State University policies, standards, and guidelines for on- and off-campus instruction

apply to distance education, unless otherwise stated. Any academic unit may provide

distance education programs, courses, minors, or certificates that serve populations of

students with a demonstrated need, who are not on campus, and whereby the curricula can

be developed and effectively delivered in a distance format. All such academic endeavors

are housed within their respective colleges and academic units, and are the responsibility

of the assigned faculty and administrators.

3. Compliance Guidelines:

• All distance education degree programs, courses, minors, and certificates must be

consistent with the role and mission of both Mississippi State University and the

units providing them.

• All distance programs, courses, minors, and certificates are subject to the same

University curricula approval processes, guidelines, and requirements as is

required for on-campus programs and courses. This includes on-campus programs

and courses that are reconfigured for delivery via distance education methods.

• Programs, courses, minors, and certificates will comply with all requisite approval

processes of state, regional, or other agencies or associations germane to the

conduct of the academic program at MSU. Distance education programs must

comply with all on-campus program and course requirements.

AOP 10.16

• Academic units must demonstrate and maintain equivalency between on-campus

and distance degree programs relative to academic rigor, breadth, and expected

outcomes.

• The colleges and departments that choose to offer distance degree programs,

courses, minors, and certificates have full control over their content. The

respective teaching faculty are responsible for all academically-related functions.

• Only persons holding a faculty position, approved and assigned by their

department head, may teach distance classes. The required credentials for an

instructor of record for distance courses and on-campus courses must be identical,

and appropriate for the discipline in which they are teaching.

• Contingent on programmatic needs and upon approval of their college academic

deans, all qualified faculty members may teach distance classes as part of their

normal teaching assignment. Faculty participation in distance education must be

clearly defined by workload assignment and performance evaluation.

• Ownership of intellectual property developed for distance courses will be

determined by the MSU Intellectual Property, Policy and Procedure Statement.

• Distance education students must have access to a range of student services that

are comparable to those provided for on-campus students, e.g., academic and

career advising, and general library and reserve materials.

• Once a distance degree program is implemented, the academic units and MSU are

committed to ongoing financial and technical support, and to ensure that all

admitted students are allowed an appropriate timeframe to satisfy the program

requirements.

• Faculty must use best practices to ensure the highest standard of academic integrity

in the preparation of exams and other graded activities in distance courses.

Similarly, best practices must be followed to prevent student academic misconduct

in distance courses.

• All distance courses must comply with the guidelines of the Americans with

Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2008,

and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

• The University Policy on Use of Copyrighted Works for Education and Research

OP 1.20 applies to all distance education degree programs, courses, minors, and

certificates.

4. Evaluation, Assessment, and Recognition: Distance education courses will use the

same course evaluation procedures as on-campus courses. Each distance education

program shall be assessed at the same frequency as that of programs offered on campus.

Student learning in distance education programs must compare favorably to that in on-

AOP 10.16

campus based programs. Faculty will receive recognition for teaching and scholarly

activities for distance education commensurate with those for traditional activities and

programs.

5. Library Support. Faculty are encouraged to use library resources and personnel in their

distance education courses.

6. Faculty and Faculty Services. The university will assure an effective and efficient

distance education support infrastructure that provides development opportunities for

faculty that will increase their awareness of distance education methodologies and

improve their instructional skills. The university will also provide adequate equipment,

software, and communications access to faculty to support interaction with students,

cooperating institutions, and other faculty for approved programs and courses.

7. Student Services. The rights of and services provided to distance students will be

comparable to those offered to on-campus students.

Distance education students shall receive clear, accurate, complete, and timely

information needed to complete their studies. All information regarding application,

admission, enrollment, course activities, and so forth, for any distance education program

must be easily accessible and provided in a well- organized and complete manner.

8. Technology. MSU will provide a central learning management system that departments

and colleges are encouraged to use. Selection of technology for electronically-delivered

distance education courses and programs shall be the responsibility of the faculty and the

department offering such courses and programs, and shall be based primarily on

pedagogical objectives, student demographics, and available information technology

resources.

9. Financial Administration and Teaching of Distance Classes. For details regarding

financial administration and teaching of distance classes please refer to the guidelines

located under the Provost and Executive Vice President’s Office web site at the following

link: http://www.provost.msstate.edu/resources/staff/distance/

REVIEW

This AOP will be reviewed every four years, or whenever circumstances require an earlier

review, by the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs with recommendations for revision, if

any, presented to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.

AOP 10.16

REVIEWED:

/s/ Susan Seal

Executive Director

Center for Distance Education

02/12/2020

Date

/s/ Peter L. Ryan

Executive Vice Provost and

Dean of the Graduate School

02/12/2020

Date

/s/ David Shaw

Provost and Executive Vice President

06/29/2020

Date

/s/ Randy Follett

President, Robert Holland Faculty Senate

06/29/2020

Date

/s/ Tracey N. Baham

Director

Institutional Research and Effectiveness

06/29/2020

Date

/s/ Joan Lucas

General Counsel

06/29/2020

Date

APPROVED:

/s/ Mark Keenum

President

06/29/2020

Date