Applies to: (examples; Faculty,Staff, Students, etc)

Faculty , Staff , Students

Policy Overview:

The purpose of this policy is to provide institution-level standards and definitions for distance education and to provide a consistent approach to course design and delivery to ensure quality of education delivered distantly. This policy aims to facilitate academic excellence; support student achievement of course and program learning outcomes; support student retention and persistence; and ensure regulatory compliance with the U.S. Department of Education requirements for distance (online) education.

This policy applies to all University distance education courses and programs as defined in the Definitions section of this policy.

Definitions:

Details:

With the continued demand for and growth in postsecondary distance education in the U.S. and around the globe, the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP), in alignment with its strategic objectives, is expanding distance (online) education delivery. In doing so, to ensure high quality and academic rigor, UHSP commits to the following eight standards for all Distance Education courses and programs delivered by University faculty. The standards are aligned with the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) Proposed 21st Century Distance Education Guidelines which were developed as part of a commissioned project with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS). In addition, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) statement on Sample Distance Education Policy & Contract Language was consulted in the development of this institutional policy along with the Quality Matters Higher Education Standards and the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Quality Scorecard to ensure that online courses delivered at UHSP meet essential standards relative to instructional design and accessibility for online instruction.

Standards

1. The University publicly states the value of distance education in support of its mission.
2. As appropriate, the University’s distance education courses and programs align with stated institutional goals for the student experience.
3. The recruitment and admissions practices supporting distance education courses and programs appropriately focus on the student populations to be served and align with the University’s Policy on Diversity and Inclusion.

1. The University’s strategic planning processes include planning for distance education. The University conducts periodic distance education program evaluation for sustainability and alignment with institutional priorities.
2. Planning documents are explicit about any goals to increase the number of distance education courses and/or programs as well as student enrollment in new and existing distance education programs.
3. Plans for expanding distance education demonstrate the University’s capacity to assure an appropriate level of quality including adequacy of financial resources, technology infrastructure, data security, content expertise, instructional design, and support for students.
4. The University and its distance education programs regularly evaluate and respond to resource needs and availability as part of ongoing strategic planning. Resources for distance learning are sufficient and aligned with the scope of programming and enrollment.
5. The University prepares a budget for distance education that includes resources for assessment of program demand, marketing, and appropriate levels of faculty as well as academic, technical and support staff. Educational quality is advanced through support for faculty and staff professional development, library and information resources, student and academic services, and technology infrastructure. Professional development support is ongoing and includes attention to technology, instructional design, learning science, pedagogy, assessment, and methods for using data to drive course and/or program improvement.

3. SHARED GOVERNANCE

Distance education is incorporated into the University’s systems of shared governance and academic oversight.

1. The University faculty have a primary role in the content, design and implementation of its distance education offerings. Faculty members engaged in distance education shall have academic freedom as teachers and researchers in full accordance with UHSP’s Faculty Bylaws. The University’s intellectual property policies shall apply to distance education offerings.
2. Distance programs and courses should be designed by an academic team that includes individuals with expertise in the subject-matter, instructional design, interaction with students, and assessment of student learning. Thus, University faculty must collaborate with instructional design staff as part of the design process for distance education courses. Instructional design staff serve as a primary partner to the faculty member in ensuring alignment of the course with UHSP Quality Assurance Standards and Rubric for Online Courses.
3. Approval of distance education courses and programs follows the same standard processes used in the department, College and/or University as for traditional instruction courses and programs.
4. The University ensures the rigor of the distance education courses and programs and the quality of the instruction. Distance education courses are required to follow the design principles as specified in the UHSP Quality Assurance Standards and Rubric for Online Courses. 
5. Contractual relationships and arrangements with consortial partners are clear.

4. PROGRAM CURRICULA

Curricula for the University’s distance education programs and courses are coherent, cohesive, and comparable in academic rigor to courses and programs offered in traditional instructional formats.

1. Curricula delivered through distance education are benchmarked against traditional courses and programs if offered in both modalities. Learning outcomes and levels of student achievement must be comparable across modalities.
2. The distance education program curriculum is coherent in its content and sequencing of courses.
3. Scheduling of courses for distance education programs provides students with a dependable pathway to ensure timely completion of degrees.
4. Determination of class size for a distance education course is based on pedagogical considerations and support effective student learning.
5. Distance courses are independent of traditional, in-person course offerings. If a course is offered as both a traditional, in-person version and a distance, online version, a student can only enroll in one version. University policies on adding or dropping a course or withdrawing from a course apply to both traditional and distance courses. 
6. Curriculum, course design and delivery support regular and substantive interaction between students and faculty and student.
7. Learning activities and assessments in distance courses and programs are aligned with measurable learning outcomes. Formative and summative assessments of student learning provide feedback to students and serve as a basis for course and/or program improvement.

5. ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION OF PROGRAMS & COURSES

The University evaluates the effectiveness of its distance education programs and courses, including the extent to which the distance education strategic goals are achieved, and uses the results of its evaluations to enhance the attainment of the goals.

1. Assessment of student learning reflects effective practices for distance education.
2. Students taking distance courses are expected to engage regularly with their instructors, the course material and their classmates. To ensure adherence to the U.S. Department of Education’s regular and substantive interaction requirement, UHSP reserves the right to administratively observe student participation to ensure student success and adherence to requirements for regular and substantive interaction. The University may collect, analyze, and use data on student engagement (e.g., learning management system logins by students, completion of course activities, etc.) to improve the distance course or program and to foster improved student success.
3. Distance courses and programs are reviewed on a regular cycle that includes both internal and external perspectives. Student course evaluations are routinely administered and response analysis contributes to course improvements. Feedback is collected from distance program graduates along with graduate success metrics (e.g., employment and further education) and this empirical evidence is used to drive program improvement.
4. The University regularly evaluates the effectiveness of the academic and support services provided to students in distance education courses and uses the results for improvement.
5. The University documents its success in implementing changes informed by assessment and evaluation at the University and program levels.

6. FACULTY WORKLOAD, SUPPORT & DEVELOPMENT

Faculty responsible for designing and delivering the distance education courses and curricula and evaluating students’ success in achieving the goals are appropriately qualified and effectively supported.

1. Design phase, development phase and delivery of distance education courses are factored into faculty annual workload. Teaching responsibilities associated with distance courses as they relate to course assignments, scheduling, syllabi, and assessments shall be no different from those of traditional courses or course sections. Grades will be issued using normal University procedures. Faculty should provide office hours that accommodate distance education student needs.
2. Selection of courses and/or academic programs to be delivered distantly will be determined in consideration of strategic priorities of the department, college and/or University. If assignment of design, development and/or delivery of a distance education course results in a workload overage for a faculty member, appropriate compensation will be determined on a case-by-case basis in collaboration with the faculty member and can include but not be limited to, course load reduction for a term in order to develop a new distance course, stipend or additional compensation, or additional professional development funds. The compensation will be defined in a written agreement that also specifies distance course design, development and/or delivery timeline along with course-related deliverables required of the faculty member.
3. The University provides regular professional development programming for faculty teaching in distance education including best practices in distance education pedagogy, applicable technology tools, and institutional mission.
4. The University has in place practices to ensure faculty teaching in distance education courses and programs are appropriately prepared to teach in the distance education environment.
5. Effective support is available for faculty members in distance education pedagogy and technology use throughout the duration of the course or program.

7. STUDENT SUPPORT

The University provides effective student and academic services to support students enrolled in distance education courses and programs.

1. Publications and advertising for distance education programs are accurate and contain necessary information such as costs (e.g., tuition and fees, any additional charges associated with verification of student identity, books and materials), refund policy, program goals, curriculum, learning outcomes, requirements including any face-to-face expectations, academic calendar, and on-ground work (e.g., internships, specialized laboratory work) along with appropriate measures of student success (e.g., graduation rates, licensure passage rates, employment in the field, progression to a higher degree).
2. Students are provided with reasonable and cost-effective ways to participate in the identity authentication process to University’s systems.
3. The University's admissions process for distance education programs provides clear and effective information to students about the nature of the distance education environment, and assists them in determining if they possess the requisite skills for using technology tools (e.g., websites, software, and hardware) that are important to success in distance education. These requisite skills are reinforced during student orientation and matriculation.
4. Distance education orientation designed for the course or program is provided on the University’s learning management system and includes but is not limited to:
   1. the learning environment, learning management system or other technologies and academic resources used in the distance education course or program.
   2. the course syllabus, prerequisites, course delivery structure, class schedule, modes of communication, and academic integrity and other pertinent course or program policies.
   3. information regarding the processes the University uses to authenticate student identification and what students need to be successful in the course or program including technology and internet connection.
   4. expected amount of active engagement per week or per term (e.g., engagement with learning resources, faculty, other students and assignments, as appropriate).
   5. support services available for students including advising, tutoring, mentoring, coaching, counseling, and accessibility.
   6. opportunity for students to demonstrate their competence with the technology and learning format used in the course or program.
5. Support services are provided to students in formats appropriate to the delivery of the distance education course or program.
6. Academic and support staff help students develop as engaged learners with the information and skills to seek opportunities to enhance their success in the distance education course or program. Academic and student support services are available remotely, are easy to access and available at times when students need them.
7. Students in distance education courses and programs have easy access to effective tech support.
8. Students using distance education have effective access to learning resources appropriate for the course or program, such as library and information resources.
9. Collective responsibility for student success is accepted by academic, technical, and student support staff.
10. Student complaint, code of conduct, and appeal processes are clearly defined, accessible, and designed such that distance students are able to engage in the processes effectively from a distance.
11. Courses, services, and resources used in distance education employ strategies to comply with ADA accessibility regulations and assure privacy for students.

8. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The University assures the academic integrity of its distance education offerings.

1. The University has in place effective procedures to ensure that the student who registers in a distance education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives the academic credit. (Note: This is a federal requirement. All institutions that offer distance education programming must demonstrate compliance with this requirement.)
2. The University and any college-specific policies on academic integrity are relevant and appropriate for distance education.
3. The University makes clear in writing that the academic integrity processes protect student privacy and notifies students at the time of program admission and course registration of any projected additional costs associated with the verification procedures. (Note: This is a federal requirement. All institutions that offer distance education programming must demonstrate compliance with this requirement.)
4. Academic integrity policies and expectations are presented during the orientation for distance students.

Procedures:

The following procedure is intended to facilitate the design and development process, including strategic planning, developing, and sustaining online courses.  The process is guided by University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy’s mission, vision, and values; segmented into six actionable phases that rely on strong partnerships from University stakeholders; designed with a student-centered learning approach; and developed to ensure the course meets essential standards relative to instructional design and accessibility for online instruction that best reflects UHSP’s expectations for online courses in alignment with Quality Matters Higher Education Standards and OLC Quality Scorecard.   

PHASE 1:  INITIATION

In the Initiation Phase, the course is defined, explored, and evaluated by authorizing sponsors. There are two approaches to initiate the development of a distance (online) course.

1. University Strategic Planning Initiatives
2. Course Proposal from Faculty

The University’s strategic plans for developing online courses are integrated into its regular planning and evaluation processes and may initiate the development of an online course (e.g., a new course, redevelopment of an existing traditional course to become an online course, or significant revisions to an existing online course). Once determination is made to develop an online course, the Faculty Subject Matter Expert (SME) will develop a Course Proposal following the policies, procedures, and course proposal templates (if any) used by the Authorizing Sponsor (e.g., the sponsoring faculty department,  College or program). The Course Proposal for an online course follows the same standard processes used in the department, College and/or University as for traditional instruction courses.

Upon approval of a Course Proposal, the Authorizing Sponsors will establish a design and development team to begin the Initial Planning and Analysis Phase as described below. The design and development team will consist of a Faculty Subject Matter Expert (SME), Instructional Designer, and Design Team Specialist.

Phase 1 Steps

• University strategic planning initiation and faculty completing and submitting a Course Proposal for approval
• The Course Proposal for an online course follows the same standard faculty approval policies and processes used in the department, College and/or University as done for traditional instruction courses.
• Once the Course Proposal is approved by faculty, the Authorizing Sponsors assign a design and development team

PHASE 2:  INITIAL PLANNING & ANALYSIS

In the Initial Planning and Analysis Phase, the design and development team collaborate to create and submit a Course Plan for evaluation and approval by the authorizing sponsors.  The Course Plan expands on the Course Proposal, establishes a framework, shapes ideas for the course delivery, and provides an opportunity to plan important design components, such as the following:

• Student-centered learning outcomes based on Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Initial assessment strategy, active learning activities, engagement, and customizable innovative components which align to learning outcomes
• Sources for content and/or methods for the development of course materials
• Instructional technology and multimedia assets that matches course goals
• The learning path consists of the course sequence, structure, workload, pacing, and student learning experience
• Copyright, universal design, equity principles, accessibility, and quality assurance considerations

The Course Plan provides a road map to follow when designing and developing the course. 

Phase 2 Steps

• Faculty SME and Instructional Designer collaborate to complete and submit the Course Plan
• Authorizing Sponsors (e.g., department, College or program) evaluates and approves the Course Plan

PHASE 3:  DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

In the Design and Development Phase, the design and development team partners to transform the Course Plan into an online course that meets quality assurance standards. Instructional design models, strategies, learning theories, and standards are implemented throughout the design and development phase to ensure the course meets essential standards relative to instructional design and accessibility for online instruction that best reflects UHSP’s expectations for online courses in alignment with Quality Matters Higher Education Standards and OLC Quality Scorecard.

Throughout the design phase, the Instructional Designer will partner with the Faculty SME on developing a Course Development Plan, which consists of a project matrix, workflow, a timeline with related milestones, and an action plan for preparing learning materials, multimedia assets, and LMS tool resources to ensure that the course will meet the unique needs of the online student audience.  In addition, the Faculty SME will prepare and author the learning materials for the first module.  The Instructional Designer will integrate UHSP LMS Course Template and work closely with the Faculty SME to create the prototype module, which will be a polished, completed module in the LMS.  The prototype module will form the basis for how the rest of the course is developed.

Throughout the development phase, the Faculty SME will create learning materials for the remaining modules in the LMS, all of which will follow the structure of the prototype module.  In addition, the Faculty SME will create the course essentials, including syllabus, course overview, and key information to meet quality assurance.  The Instructional Designer and Design Team will create the learning materials, multimedia assets, and LMS tool resources that were identified in Phase 2 and provide support throughout the development phase.  Finally, the design and development team will evaluate the course using the UHSP Quality Assurance Standards and Rubric form.

Phase 3 Steps

• Faculty SME and Instructional Designer collaborate to create a Course Development Plan
• Faculty SME prepares and authors the course learning materials for the first module
• The Instructional Designer integrates Course Template and creates the prototype module in the LMS
• Faculty SME prepares, authors, and develops the course learning materials for the remaining modules in the LMS while receiving support from the Instructional Designer
• The Instructional Designer and Design Team Specialist creates the defined multimedia assets in partnership with the Faculty SME
• Faculty SME prepares, authors, and develops the course essentials (e.g., course syllabus, course overview) in the LMS
• Instructional Designer implements LMS tools and resources
• Faculty SME and Instructional Designer collaboratively complete a Quality Assurance evaluation using the criteria included in UHSP Quality Assurance Standards and Rubric
• Faculty SME and Instructional Designer submit course development for Quality Assurance Review (see Phase 4 below)

PHASE 4:  QUALITY ASSURANCE

In the Quality Assurance Phase, the fully designed and developed course is reviewed by the Authorizing Sponsors (e.g., department, College or program) using the Quality Assurance Rubric to ensure the course meets essential standards relative to instructional design and accessibility for online instruction that best reflects UHSP’s expectations for online courses in alignment with Quality Matters Higher Education Standards and OLC Quality Scorecard.  A course refresh and revisions may be completed based upon the QA review.  Upon approval of the course development, technical training will be provided, a Management and Evaluation Plan is created, and the design and development team will meet to close out the development.

Phase 4 Steps

• Authorizing Sponsors complete the Quality Assurance Review
• Faculty SME and Instructional Designer complete the course refresh and revisions based on QA Review
• Instructional Design and Design Team Specialist provides technical training
• Faculty SME, Instructional Designer, and Authorizing Sponsor create a Management and Evaluation Plan
• The Design and Development Team meet to complete the Close-Out Document

PHASE 5:  IMPLEMENTATION

During the Implementation Phase, the course is published, students are enrolled, and faculty are assigned to deliver the course.  The Instructional Designer will provide teaching support during the first term of the online course offering.  LMS and IT Support will also be provided via the LMS Tech Support Team and UHSP Help Desk. 

Phase 5 Steps

• Academic Technology publishes the course
• Academic Technology enrolls students and faculty in the course
• Faculty teach the course
• Instructional Designer provides teaching support during the first offering
• LMS Tech Support and UHSP Help Desk provide LMS and IT Support accordingly

PHASE 6:  MANAGEMENT & EVALUATION

The course is managed by the stakeholders who are identified in the Management and Evaluation Plan. Towards the end of the first offering, the design and development team will meet for a debriefing of the course experience.  Minor revisions may be made after the debriefing.  Additionally, evaluation data may be collected and shared with stakeholders to the success of the course, the effectiveness of the initiative, and determine maintenance.  If maintenance and updates are needed, the design and development process may begin, which starts a new iteration of the product.  When the course is re-offered, Academic Technology will communicate with the assigned faculty before the start of the term and assist with preparing the course for a successful term.

Phase 6 Steps

• Identified Stakeholders manage the course
• The Design and Development Team meets after first offering for a course experience debriefing
• Identified Stakeholders may collect evaluation data and share the data accordingly
• Identified Stakeholders may determine maintenance and updates
• Academic Technology will communicate and assist with preparing for re-offerings

Responsibilities:

Resources:

Policy Contacts:

Supplemental Information:

UHSP Quality Assurance Standards and Rubric

Project Matrix for Design and Development Process