Effective Instructor-Student Contact for Distance Education Courses

Fall
1997
Resolution Number
11.03
 
Contact
Assigned to
Unassigned
Category
Technology
Status
Completed
Status Report

Title 5 Regulations were changed Spring 1998. The document entitled "Guidelines on Minimum Standards for College Technology" was adopted at Spring 2000 plenary session. The adoption resolution also recommended its incorporation into aspects of the Technology II plan. Other related issues were covered in the Educational Policies Fall 1999 paper "Academic Freedom, Privacy, Copyright and Fair Use in a Technological World" and Spring 2000 paper "Technology in Education: A Summary of Practical Policy and Workload Language."

Whereas the faculty of the California community colleges have been leaders in innovative curriculum and have been dedicated to the quality and accessibility of that curriculum, and

Whereas the faculty of the California community colleges have been dedicated to the crucial role of instructor-student contact in the learning process and the right of faculty to determine the nature and effectiveness of that interaction,

Resolved that the Academic Senate support changes in the "regular personal contact" requirement in Title5, 55376 (attachment at the end), only under the following conditions:
a. The Title 5 standard for all credit distance education instruction, transferable and non-transferable, become "effective instructor-student contact."
b. Title 5 recognizes effective instructor-student contact in distance education courses as an academic and professional matter and specifies that local governing boards rely primarily on the advice and judgment of their academic senates in developing policies and procedures relative to this matter.
c. Title 5 continues to specify that courses taught in distance education mode be separately reviewed and approved by the curriculum committee, now to include a review of the effectiveness of instructor-student contact following the college policy and procedures as developed through collegial consultation.
d. Current Title 5, section 55376, is amended to extend the sunset date for the changes in the distance education regulations to allow at least two years until 2002) to investigate the effectiveness of these changes, at which time an evaluation will be presented before any of these changes continue to be apart of Title 5.
e. Add "(e)" to read: That (a) and (b) above are considered a pilot test through the year 2002, to investigate the effectiveness of these changes, at which time an evaluation will be presented before they continue to be a part of Title 5, and

Resolved that the Academic Senate direct the Executive Committee to develop guidelines to assist local senates in developing policies and procedures on effective instructor-student contact in distance education courses and present these guidelines for adoption at the 1998 Spring Plenary Session.