Texas Woman s University Guidelines for Implementing Distance Education Degrees 1

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1 Texas Woman s University Guidelines for Implementing Distance Education Degrees 1 The offering of entire programs via distance technologies involves rigorous approvals both on and off campus. Individuals interested in developing such initiatives should contact the Office of Distance Education at the initial stage of the planning process for assistance in developing the proposed initiative and in preparing the necessary reports. Proposals must be developed for all DE initiatives regard of whether the degree is already part of the University s approved inventory courses/degrees for face-to-face delivery. The completed proposal must be sent for approval through appropriate departmental administrative channels (usually program director, chair, and dean) then forwarded to the Office of Distance Education, who will serve as the clearinghouse for the remainder of the process. The Office of Distance Education is available for consultation and support at any point during this process. The proposal will be forwarded by the Office of Distance Education to the following individuals/units (as appropriate) for feedback: Distance Education Advisory Committee (DEAC) Graduate Dean (on behalf of Graduate Council if applicable) Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Studies (on behalf of Undergraduate Council if applicable and TWU Curriculum Committee) Blagg-Huey Library Technology and Information Services After the initial reviews, the proposal and recommendations will be submitted to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs for approval prior to submission to the TWU Board of Regents and others. The academic unit is responsible for ensuring that all faculty members involved in approved initiatives complete recommended training and are prepared to teach online before courses can be offered. The Office of Distance Education and other TWU units can provide professional development and training to support these efforts. 1 A program is considered to be offered as Distance Education if a student may complete a substantial majority of the courses via instructional technologies.

2 TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY DISTANCE EDUCATION Proposal for Distance Education Degrees, Certifications, Specializations, or Tracks Name of proposing unit: Name of proposed degree (title, degree awarded): Proposed date for implementation of degree: Person to be contacted for further information about the proposed degree: Name: Title: Phone: Fax: Director/Chair/Associate Dean Dean Distance Education Advisory Committee Graduate School /Undergraduate Studies Curriculum Committee Technology and Information Services Blagg-Huey Library ******************************* Approved Approved with Modifications Not Approved Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

3 PROPOSAL NARRATIVE Proposal for Distance Education Degrees I. Background Information II. Need A. What are the benefits in offering this degree utilizing distance technologies? B. How is the proposed degree related to the University's purpose and mission? C. How is this degree related to other planned or implemented activities at the University? III. Administration A. How will the degree be administered? If it is interdepartmental or interdisciplinary, explain. B. Describe arrangements to share administrative responsibilities through consortia with other institutions (if applicable). IV. Location A. Describe where the degree will be offered, including group sites and/or geographical areas of individual access. If Internet-based, will out-of-state students be encouraged to enroll? B. Identify the delivery system being used at each location. C. Include any arrangement made with other entities to deliver instruction or to share educational resources (if applicable). D. In the case of videoconferencing, attachment statement from Instructional Support Services of compatibility with TWU resources. V. Description A. Course requirements List course sequence and tentative time line. Are the requirements for the Distance Education degree different from those used on campus? 2

4 Explain. Are any departures from these requirements anticipated? If yes, explain. [Note: Any deviations in curriculum will require approval from departmental and University curriculum committees and the Graduate Council prior to submission to the Office of Distance Education.] B. Teaching format - Describe the format for instruction. Include information on opportunities for student-to-student and student-to-instructor interaction and faculty contact hours. Will the calendar for the proposed degree differ from those on campus? C. Describe the academic and student support services for the proposed degree (e.g., counseling, advising, registration, testing, and bookstore services) and indicate how these services will be provided and evaluated. D. Describe the means used by the department to evaluate, monitor and ensure the quality of the overall academic degree offered through distance technologies and assessment of student learning outcomes across the entire program. E. Describe how the degree will be marketed. F. Does the proposed degree meet the criteria outlined in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Principles of Good Practice for Academic Degree and Certificate Programs and Credit Courses Offered Electronically? VI. Resources A. Personnel 1. List the name and rank of each faculty member who will teach in the Distance Education degree. Indicate for each whether he/she is full-time or part-time. (If part-time, indicate the portion of time for which he/she is employed.) Will any additional faculty be needed? 2. Indicate procedures for ensuring that faculty involved in Distance Education activities receive recommended training and for providing ongoing faculty support development. 3. Describe the procedures for evaluating faculty involved in the degree. B. Facilities, Equipment, and Library 1. Describe facilities, equipment, and library resources that will be used to support the degree. 3

5 2. Describe and/or attach copies of any contractual agreements that may be used to secure facilities, equipment, or library resources to support the degree. 3. Describe the instructional modalities to be employed in the program. 4. Describe the procedures for evaluating these resources. VII. Costs Provide estimates of additional costs to the University which would result from approval of this request and describe sources of funding to cover these increased costs. Note: A variable Distance Education fee ranging from $12/credit hour to $300/course will be charged for all Distance Education courses at TWU. This fee is in addition to the course fee. Revenues generated from the assessment of this fee will be distributed as follows: $12/credit hour University Distance Education Fund Revenues beyond the base DE Fee Account for the Academic Unit 4