[University of Maryland Logo] UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND OFFICE OF THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND PROVOST [Stamp: Office of the VP for Academic Affairs MAY - 8 2000 Received UMCP] 1119 Main Administration Building College Park, Maryland 20742-5031 301.405.5252 TEL May 7, 2000 Memorandum TO: William B. Walters Chair, College Park Senate FROM: Victor Korenman Assistant Pr SUBJECT: Approvals for Off-Campus and Online Programs During this past year, the Senate PCC Committee and the Executive Committee have provided advice on policies concerning the approval processes for off-campus and online academic programs. The Office of Academic Affairs recently submitted the policies, as modified through Senate advice, to President Mote for his final approval. I am pleased to tell you that the policies have now been approved and are fully in effect. The policies in question are [Italics: Approval Process for an Existing Program to be Taught in New Off-Campus Location], [Italics: Approvals for Distance Education Programs], and [Italics: Principles and Guidelines for Online Programs]. These policies will be incorporated in the web base manual [Italics: Procedures for Changes in Academic Programs, Curricula, Courses, and Units]. Copies of the approved procedures are included herein for your information. We appreciate the Senate's advice and support in developing these policies. VK:vk Enclosures CC: C.D. Mote, Jr., President Gregory L. Geoffroy, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost George R. Helz, Chair, Senate PCC Committee [University of Maryland Logo] UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND OFFICE OF THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND PROVOST [Stamp: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT MAY 3 2000] 1119 Main Administration Building College Park, Maryland 20742-5031 301.405.5252 TEL May 7, 2000 Memorandum TO: C.D. Mote, Jr. President FROM: GregoryL. Geoffroy Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost SUBJECT: Approvals for Off-Campus and Online Programs Enclosed please find several documents related to the approval of academic programs to be taught in new off-campus locations or through distance education. These were reviewed by the Senate Committee on Programs, Curricula, and Courses and by the Senate Executive Committee, and require only your approval to go fully into effect. In summary, my office would be empowered to authorize the offering of in new off-campus locations or via distance education. New programs would undergo the normal approval process. Principles and guidelines are established for distance education programs that would have to be followed both for new programs or for those being modified for distance delivery. There are three items that require your signature. In addition, I have appended for your information the correspondence with the Senate that documents their review and agreement. Please let me know if you require further information. GLG:vk Enclosures Approval Process for an Existing Program to be Taught in a New Off-campus Location Since the program and its curriculum are already approved the critical issues here are the assurance that program quality will be maintained and that adequate support services for students will be provided by in the new location. For locations within Maryland, a brief proposal is required for MHEC approval that addresses these issues, as well as issues of mission, student demand, and financing. This proposal will be prepared by the unit concerned and submitted to the Provost's Office by the Dean with the approval of the College PCC committee. The Provost's Office will confirm that the academic and other requirements are in place, and will notify the Senate and the Senate PCC committee, and the Graduate Council and its PCC committee for a new graduate program, that the new location for this program is being submitted to MHEC for final approval. Note that subsequent proposals for a site whose student support facilities have once been deemed appropriate may require less documentation in this respect. Requests to offer existing programs at an out-of-state location do not require MHEC approval. For such requests, the same apply, except for the MHEC notification step. As defined in the Code of Maryland: an "off-campus program" is one of which: (a) More than 1/3 of the required course work in a major field of study leading to an undergraduate or graduate degree or graduate certificate is offered by an approved or chartered institution at a location other than the principal location of the sponsoring institution during any 12-month period; (b) Course work offered at a location other than the principal location of institution [that] is advertised as leading to an undergraduate or graduate certificate at that location, regardless of the portion of a program offered at that location. Approved C.D. Mote, Jr., President 5/3/00 Date Approvals for Distance Education A number of our departments are looking at at the possibility of offering programs wholly or in part online through web-based courses. Furthermore, being considered that would be designed from the start to be delivered mostly or completely online. Delivering a program in this manner requires rethinking many long-standing assumptions and procedures. While this is a new departure for us, it is a already by many of our peer institutions. It reflects important priorities in our Mission. Statement and Strategic Plan. We have strengthened the Office of Continuing and Extended Education in order to do this effectively. The purpose of this document is to propose procedures for approving the offering of programs online, and standards on which approvals will be based. Wholly New Programs and Modified Existing Programs Proposals for the offering of existing programs through technological submitted by a Dean after College review, will be evaluated by the Office of Academic Affairs and will be approved if they address the issues below in a satisfactory manner. The College Park Senate and its PCC Committee, and the Graduate Council and its PCC Committee for graduate programs, will be informed of this approval. No additional approval beyond required in this case. Approved C.D. Mote, Jr., President 5/4/00 Date Principles and Guidelines for Online Programs Our guiding principles in the development of these programs must be academic integrity and of program quality. The programs we offer must be consistent with our mission and must reflect our particular strengths, not simply be opportunities for profit. They must be developed by, be under the academic control of, and largely be taught by our regular faculty. Only fully qualified students should be admitted, and they should be offered programs that match in depth, breadth, and quality of instruction those offered to students. The design of programs and their delivery mechanisms, as well as the provision of supporting services, should allow educational outcomes fully consistent with those for on-campus programs. A number of educational associations (including the Middle States Association and the American Council on Education) have provided guidelines for distance learning programs, and the MHEC has now required that institutions offering distance education within Maryland comply with its "Standards for Good Practice." These guidelines and standards reach a consensus on what the critical issues are, and form the basis for the rules and procedures set out below. Issues identified in the several sets of guidelines include appropriate choice of programs be offered; faculty control of the curriculum and its presentation; the appropriate training and continuing support of faculty; student access to library and other learning resources; student access to technical support and bookstores, and to student services including advising, financial aid, bursar services, and career services; availability of appropriate facilities for course development; truth in advertising; and intellectual property rights. All proposals to offer a program in this manner must fully address all these issues, as described Office of Continuing and Extended Education (OCEE) can offer services that addressing the issues, but use of these services is never required. 1. Program Initiation and Choice: The proposal should initiate with an and must have the approval of the appropriate Dean (or Deans). It must develop naturally from the institution's strengths and be consistent with its strategic goals. The proposal should have a clear and well-thought-out financial plan, providing net revenue to time, and should include a thorough analysis of the potential market. 2. Program Development, Control, and Implementation by Faculty: Although professional help may be used in adapting it to the online medium, the academic content of the curriculum must be developed by institutional faculty. The instructional strategy be appropriate for this content. UMCP faculty must have overall control of the program, and should provide the bulk of the instruction. Appropriate resources, including technical support personnel, must be made available for course development and also for faculty support during the offering of these courses. The business plan for the proposal must spell out the arrangements whereby this will be accomplished. 3. Access to Academic Resources and Student Services: The proposal must indicate how students will have access to needed resources, such as library materials, other information sources, laboratory facilities, and others as appropriate. The arrangements in place for interaction with instructors, for advising, and for help with technical problems must be shown how student services such as admissions, enrollment, financial aid, bursar servces, career advisement, bookstore, and similar services available to on-campus students will be provided. 4. Intellectual Property Rights: The proposal must clearly delineate ownership and usage rights for materials that may be developed for courses in the program. 5. Full Disclosure, Standards, and Evaluation: All published materials describing the program must carefully lay out the instructional methods to be used, the skills and background required for success, and the arrangements in place for access to instructors, to technical help, to academic resources, and to student services. There should be a means available whereby potential students can evaluate their readiness for the special demands oAcademic admission standards must be clearly described, and must be consistent with those fir the on-campus program. Outcome expectations must also be consistent. The out a continuing process of evaluation that will determine if these requirements are being met. Approved C.D. Mote, Jr., President 5/4/00 Date