No. ES 2.20 Page 1 of 6 Effective Date: 12/02/15

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1 TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE STATEWIDE OPERATING STANDARD No. ES 2.20 Page 1 of 6 Effective Date: 12/02/15 DIVISION: SUBJECT: Educational Services Online Learning AUTHORITY: Minute Order #75-15 PROPOSED BY: TITLE: RECOMMENDED BY: TITLE: APPROVED BY: Original Signed by Elton E. Stuckly, Jr. Executive Vice Chancellor & Chief Operations Officer Original Signed by Elton E. Stuckly, Jr. Executive Vice Chancellor & Chief Operations Officer Original Signed by Mike Reeser Date: 12/02/15 Date: 12/02/15 TITLE: Chancellor Date: 12/02/15 STATUS: Approved by the BOR Executive Committee 12/02/15 HISTORICAL STATUS: Approved by the VCs 11/20/15 Proposed 10/2015 POLICY It is the policy of Texas State Technical College to provide online and distance education that is consistent in instructional quality and in accordance with the mission of the college and strategic plan. PERTINENT INFORMATION Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is committed to providing quality online learning (OL) courses and materials through Internet- based delivery, interactive videoconferencing, and other methods of synchronous and asynchronous instruction in courses of all formats. TSTC will remain in compliance with: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Distance and Correspondence Education Policy Statement. TSTC Guidelines and Standards for Online Course Development, SACSCOC Best Practices for Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs

2 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Principles of Good Practice for Academic Degree and Certificate Programs and Credit Courses Offered Electronically. OL courses and programs are provided by TSTC in accordance with its mission of contributing to the educational and economic development of the State of Texas by offering occupationally oriented programs with supporting academic course work, emphasizing highly specialized advanced and emerging technical and vocational areas for certificates or associate degrees. DEFINITIONS Course Developer: Person(s) responsible for the creation of course materials including lectures, examinations, syllabi, and other course activities, for delivery in an electronic format. Online Academy: A training program designed to provide faculty with requisite skills to develop and teach online courses. Online Learning Advisory Committee (OLAC): Standing committee that may be appointed by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Learning, composed of faculty and staff who are involved in the creation and delivery of online learning courses. Hybrid Course: A course in which the majority of planned instruction (between 50 and 85 percent) takes place with the instructor and students in different places. Instructor: Person identified as instructor of record who delivers the online or hybrid course. Intellectual Property: Any product of human intellect that is unique and unobvious with some value in the marketplace. Intellectual Property may be protected through patents, trademarks, or copyrights (Statewide Operating Standard ES 1.01). Major Course Revision: Revision of an existing online or hybrid course in which at least 75% of the course is substantially revised. Revisions may include content and technology for delivery of content (e.g., video lectures, audio podcasts, etc.). Online Enhanced Course: A face- to- face TSTC course supported by TSTC s Learning Management System (LMS). All courses at TSTC in every format are supported by Moodle. Online Course: A course in which 85 percent or more of planned instruction is offered through Internet- based delivery. The Virtual College of Texas (VCT): A collaboration of Texas community colleges and the Texas State Technical College System, to provide and host distance education courses.

3 DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY The Chancellor or designee has the authority and responsibility to establish procedures to meet the requirements of this Statewide Operating Standard. OPERATING REQUIREMENTS 1. Responsibilities The Office of Student Learning shall be the administrative unit responsible for ensuring administrative compliance with accreditation and institutional requirements, acting as a liaison between the various groups involved with providing online learning for our students, and ensuring appropriate technical expertise for online learning. Representatives from each location s Professsional Development Office will support faculty in their development of online learning courses, content and serve as Student Learning representatives on the Moodle Governance Team. 2. Review of Online Learning Procedures The Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Learning (AVCSL) is responsible for evaluating and revising online learning procedures. CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION 1. Academic Rigor of Courses While Professional Developoment staff provide training and support services for online faculty and courses, faculty have primary responsibility for the quality and rigor of instruction in online classes. Fully online and hybrid courses are subject to the same policies and procedures as other TSTC courses in regard to syllabi, textbooks, grading, methods of evaluation, and learning outcomes. Each course and program offered online must have appropriate learning outcomes. TSTC and online faculty ensure that the student who registers for a course or program is the same student who completes the course or program through the use of (1) a secure login and password for all classes and (2) the optional use of proctored examinations. 2. Oversight of Courses The AVCSL oversees online learning activities at TSTC. The AVCSL may appoint an Online Learning Advisory Committee to meet regularly to review and approve new fully online and hybrid course offerings as well as online and hybrid courses that have undergone a major course revision to ensure compliance with SACSCOC and THECB criteria. Pursuant to SOS ES 2.15, new and revised curricula must go through the

4 approval process of the Curriculum Committee. The faculty hold primary responsibility for ensuring the rigor of online courses and the quality of instruction. The process for approving new fully online or hybrid courses is as follows: a. A faculty member, Assistant Department Chair, or Departmental Chair may initiate the request for a new online or hybrid course or a major revision to an existing online or hybrid course. b. The request must be approved by the Department Chair, Division Director, and the Campus Academic Officer (or designee) prior to the course being developed. c. The course developer works with the designated Professional Development staff for development or revision of a course. d. Upon course development completion, the course outcomes and content must be reviewed and approved by the content- area Department Chair. e. When appropriate, the OLAC then reviews completed course for quality using a rubric based on SACSCOC and THECB best practices for online courses. 3. Ownership of Materials All online and hybrid courses taught at TSTC will be developed through the College s approved course development process. That process may include a stipend for course creation and major revision as indicated on the Course Development Approval Form. Statewide Operating Standard ES 1.01 defines ownership of instructional material. 4. Copyright All materials created and used by faculty for instructional use will adhere to copyright law of the United States and applicable TSTC Statewide Operating Standards. 5. Proctored Examinations Policies regarding proctored examinations will meet requirements of state, federal, and accrediting agencies. Instructors may require students to take proctored examinations for fully online and hybrid classes. Test proctoring is available at TSTC for students required to take proctored examinations. Students are responsible for scheduling their proctored examinations, and students must show identification in order to take the test. FACULTY 1. Qualifications for Full- and Part- Time Faculty Faculty credentialing requirements are the same for all TSTC courses, as specified in Statewide Operating Standard ES Training

5 Instructors who have not previously developed or taught a fully online or hybrid course must successfully complete online course development and/or delivery training for new online instructors prior to teaching online. Additionally, the Professional Development Office is responsible for working with the faculty development, faculty members, and other relevant entities to develop and provide initial and ongoing technical and pedagogical training for instructors who teach online. Trainings should be available in a variety of formats and cover a variety of topics. 3. Faculty Evaluation Faculty members who teach fully online or hybrid courses are subject to the same evaluation protocols and procedures described in Statewide Operating Standard ES Mentoring Faculty members who are approved to develop a fully online or hybrid course may be provided a mentor to guide and assist them during the course development process. Mentors will be from the same location, and the same department if possible. STUDENTS 1. Academic Standards Students enrolled in online and hybrid courses are subject to the academic standards detailed in applicable TSTC Statewide Operating Standards. Students enrolled in online learning courses are subject to the Student Rights and Responsibilities, including Scholastic Integrity, and Code of Student Conduct that are outlined in the Student Handbook. 2. Student Services Regardless of class format, students have access to appropriate services to support their learning including, but not limited to, learning resource centers, bookstores, registration, testing, tutoring and financial aid. It is the policy of Texas State Technical College to administer all policies and practices in accordance with federal and state laws without discrimination against any qualified individual with a disability. Students who need assistance should contact the Student Support Services Office. 3. Attendance and Course Participation For the purpose of verifying a student s attendance in the course, the student is considered a participant in the course through submission of an assignment, assessment, or contribution to discussion.

6 4. Admissions and Testing Students taking online learning classes are subject to the same admissions policies, admissions testing procedures, and course prerequisites as traditional students. 5. Tuition and Fees Any additional tuition and fees incurred by students in fully online or hybrid courses or programs will be published and available to students at time of registration. Evaluation and Assessment 1. Academics The relevant instructional department is responsible for developing a plan to continually assess student success, retention, instruction, course quality, and faculty and student satisfaction. Students in fully online and hybrid courses will have access to Course Improvement Surveys. The OLAC may also regularly review assessment data and, when appropriate, provide recommendations for improvement to the designated Campus Academic Officer or the AVSCL. 2. Student Services Areas such as the Learning Resource Centers and Student Services are responsible for appropriately assessing services provided to online learning students. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS Online learning is administered in accordance with this Statewide Operating Standard.