Committee Meetings and Minutes

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Distance Education Committee

Meeting Minutes

Current Status of Minutes: Final
Date	March 26, 2010
Time	9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Location	HBC 103.2

Members Present
No member attendance has been recorded.
Guests Present
No guest attendance has been recorded.

Item # 1:	Call to order
Presenter
Discussion	In Attendance: Carol Hirsh, Clark Peterson, Erika Domatti-Thomas, James Webb, Janet Bickham, Kelly Petkus, Mary Parker, Phyllis Molina, Ray Valdez, Robert Bermea, Scott Gibby, Sharon Duncan, Tasha Davis, Tina Buck, Vic Smith

Item # 2:	Testing Center – assigning specific tests to students
Presenter
Discussion	This issue was discussed and suggestions were made as to how Blackboard can be used to offer tests that vary the exam questions. Students could respond to these Blackboard generated question exams using paper/pencil to provide answers. No Action Items

Item # 3:	SACS -Distance Education and Correspondence Courses – Policy Statement (July 2009)
Presenter
Discussion	Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2009 note: Basis for changes to SACS DE and CC Policy Statement (send to DLC 6/11/09) Committee discussed both the HEOA of 2009 and the updated SACS Distance Education Policy Statement, which is the basis for (ACC) Distance Learning Best Practices AR# 4.01.001 as well as the implications the changes have for the college. Committee voted on sending request to ACAC to update current administrative rule to reflect updated SACS Policy Statement. Action Items Forward DLC recommendation to Mike Midgley, that the current Admin Rule (4.01.001) be updated to reflect the changes in the updated Policy Statement. Recommend the college separate the current Distance Learning delivery modes into the SACS classifications of Distance Education (PCM/ONL, HYD, ITV) and Correspondence Courses (PRN and DIR) as well as inform the college and community of designations and how courses will be classified. Also look at where these courses would appear in the schedule. At a future date look at DE (Distance Learning) courses and determine whether they are truly DL courses or correspondence courses as per SACS definitions.

Item # 4:	CS Distance Education and the Principles of Accreditation Documenting Compliance Guidelines (January 2010)
Presenter
Discussion	This document was discussed as well as implications for ACC during the next SACS visit. Business Studies Division Distance Learning Standards was discussed and how this was developed. Discussion was that this be shared with the other divisions so that they are aware of this document. Action Items Send the Compliance Guidelines (above) to Division Deans and Department Chairs so they are updated on this. Later send these guidelines to ACC DL faculty. Send Business Division Distance Learning Standards to other Division Deans for review. Robert to meet with OIE staff to find out what SACS expects of ACC in regards to these guidelines.

Item # 5:	Online Syllabus for Class by Fall 2010 - House Bill 2504
Presenter
Discussion	Getting all college course syllabi on line was discussed as well as what the college is doing, via an ad hoc committee to ensure that the technology is in place to do this by FA 2010. Action Items ACC’s Public Information will send out information to departments as to status and implementation of this legislative requirement. Other Action Items Put the following items (and links to documents) on the Distance Learning website as an online resource for the college and community. SACS -Distance Education and Correspondence Courses – Policy Statement (July 2009), SACS Distance Education and the Principles of Accreditation Documenting Compliance Guidelines, Online Syllabus for Class by Fall 2010 - House Bill 2504, Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2009 Link to Business Studies Division Distance Learning Standards

Item # 6:	DL Faculty Evaluation (ad hoc discussion item)
Presenter
Discussion	Committee discussed current processes and procedures in regards to evaluation of DL faculty. Several ideas and suggestions were provided, and Robert asked the committee to send them to him via email so that he could relay these comments to the Faculty and Staff Evaluation office when he meets with them in regards to this. Several points mentioned were: getting students to do the evaluations, time period for conducting DL faculty evaluations should be the same as on-campus, evaluations only be available to all students during the fall semesters.

Item # 7:	Advising and Counseling (ad hoc discussion item)
Presenter
Discussion	Several committee members voice their concern that students were not getting accurate (DL) information from Student Services Advisors or Counselors, especially when it came to different modes of DL courses. Robert and Clark said that they would relay DL mode information to Student Services.

Item # 8:	Additional information about topics discussed at meeting
Presenter
Discussion	The SACS Distance Education and Correspondence Courses – Policy Statement (July 2009) now reflects the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) from US Dept of Education*. (See below) SACS now makes the distinction between Distance Education courses and Correspondence Courses. Three policy statements have also been added under the definitions of Distance Education and Correspondence Education a. Verification of students enrolled in DE or CE courses. b. Appropriate headcount on enrollment is provided to the Commission. c. Programs must comply with the Principles of Accreditation. SACS has added two additional statements under Curriculum and Instruction. What this means for ACC: The SACS Distance Education Policy Statement that is the basis for (ACC) Distance Learning Best Practices AR# 4.01.001 will need some adjustments. ACC will need to revisit the current DL delivery modes and determine where/how they should be listed. ACC will need to review the three policy statements listed in this document and determine how the college will comply with them. This email was sent on Monday, February 15, 2010 to Mary Hensley, Mike Midgley, Soon Merz Cc: Richard Smith, Subject: SACS Distance Education Policy Statement has been Modified Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2009 – (this was sent to the DLC committee on 6/11/09) From: Christine Mullins Instructional Technology Council: THE Community College Distance Learning Organization Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 1:13 PM To: Christine Mullins Subject: Higher Education Opportunity Act - Student Authentication - Secure Login and Password Higher Education Act 602.17 Application of standards in reaching an accreditation decision. (g) Requires institutions that offer distance education or correspondence education to have processes in place through which the institution establishes that the student who registers in a distance education or correspondence education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives the academic credit. The agency meets this requirement if it - (1) Requires institutions to verify the identity of a student who participates in class or coursework by using, at the option of the institution, methods such as - (i) A secure login and pass code; (ii) proctored examinations; and (iii) New or other technologies and practices that are effective in verifying student identification; (2) Makes clear in writing that institutions must use processes that protect student privacy and notify students of projected additional student charges associated with verification of student identity, if any , at the time of registration or enrollment. 600.2 Definitions Correspondence course: (1) A course provided by an institution 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. Correspondence courses are typically self-paced. (2) If a course is part correspondence and part residential training, the Secretary considers the course to be a correspondence course. (3) A correspondence course is not considered distance education. 602.16 Accreditation and pre-accreditation standards. (c) If the agency has or seeks to include within its scope of recognition the evaluation of the quality of institutions or programs offering distance education or correspondence education, the agency's standards must effectively address the quality of an institution's distance education or correspondence education in the areas identified in (a) (1). The agency is not required to have separate standards, procedures, or policies for the evaluation of distance education or correspondence education; 602.3 Correspondence Education means: (1) Education provided through one or more courses by an institution under which the institution provides institutional materials, by mail or electronic transmission, including examinations on the materials, to students who are separated from the instructor. (2) Interaction between the instructor and the student is limited, is not regular and substantive, and is primarily initiated by the student. (3) Correspondence courses are typically self-paced. (4) Correspondence education is not distance education. Distance education means education that uses one or more of the technologies listed in paragraphs (1) through (4) to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor and to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor, either synchronously or asynchronously. The technologies may include -(1) The internet (2) One-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communications devices; (3) Audioconferencing; or (4) Video cassettes, DVDs, and CD-ROMs, if the cassettes, DVDs, or CD-ROMs are used in a course in conjunction with any of the technologies listed in paragraphs (1) through (3). This is from an Email: From: Robert Bermea Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 2:42 PM To: 'Soon Merz'; 'Ben Ferrell'; 'Brett Lea'; 'Gerry Tucker'; 'Kathleen Christensen'; 'Linda Young'; 'Mary Hensley'; 'Mike Midgley'; 'Steve Kinslow'; 'Richard Smith'; 'Anna Troukhanova'; 'Charlene Knight'; 'Connie Wall'; 'Judith Wynn'; 'Lina Lee'; 'Richard Griffiths'; 'Roslyn Wallace'; 'Swapna Thati'; 'Ziv Shafir' Subject: RE: NACUBO Article: ED Proposes Changes to Accreditation Rules -Comments from Distance Learning: SACS Distance Education and the Principles of Accreditation Documenting Compliance Guidelines (January 2010) Mission and Organizational Structure - Institutional Effectiveness - Educational Programs - Faculty - Learning Resources -Student Support Services - Financial Resources This information was sent on Tuesday, March 02, 2010 to Mike Midgley, Mary Hensley, Soon Merz; Cc: Richard Smith, Subject: RE: NACUBO Article: ED Proposes Changes to Accreditation Rules - Comments from Distance Learning: Online Syllabus By Fall 2010, all Texas college courses/sections must have their syllabus on line for everyone to view. House Bill 2504 This information was sent on Thursday, February 11, 2010 to Distance Learning Department Chairs and Deans and Cc: Mike Midgley, Mary Hensley; Richard Smith - Subject: New Legislative Requirement - access to Syllabus

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