ONLINE VANGUARD UNIVERSITY. Policies and Procedures. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19a)

Transcription

1 ONLINE VANGUARD UNIVERSITY Policies and Procedures Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19a) Office of the Provost February 2011

2 CONTENTS Introduction.. 3 Current and Proposed Programs 6 Administration 7 Faculty Guidelines. 8 Student Guidelines P a g e

3 I. INTRODUCTION GENERAL INFORMATION Vanguard University of Southern California is a co-educational comprehensive university of Christian liberal arts and sciences. VU has over 2,000 students and offers over 40 undergraduate and graduate majors. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Vanguard University of Southern California operates under a Board of Trustees which is the legal body responsible for the corporate existence of the institution. VANGUARD UNIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT The purpose of Vanguard University is to pursue knowledge, cultivate character, deepen faith, and equip each student for a life of leadership and service. ONLINE LEARNING MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Online Learning Department is to deliver Christ-centered, integrational, transformational Vanguard education to students anywhere who desire Christian higher education to be equipped for leadership and service. FAITH CONFESSION As a Christian comprehensive university informed by its evangelical persuasion and Pentecostal heritage, VUSC CDP affirms the following confession of faith. We believe: the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible and authoritative Word of God. that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. In the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal future return to this earth in power and glory to rule over the nations. that the only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious blood of Christ. that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation. that the redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides healing of the human body in answer to believing prayer. 3 P a g e

4 that the baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to Acts: 2:4 is given to believers who ask for it. in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, by Whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy life. in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost the one to everlasting life and other to everlasting separation from God. STATEMENT OF DIVERSITY Because we stand within the Judeo-Christian tradition, we affirm the biblical view that God is creator of and sovereign over all the earth and that all people are equally valuable in God s sight. Because we embrace the Bible as the authoritative rule for faith and practice, we affirm the prophetic concept of justice which combines personal piety with social justice. By personal piety we mean that aspect of character and behavior, consistent with biblical morality, which seeks to be in right relation with God. By social justice we mean the state of social, political, and economic relationships in which all people are treated equitably. Because justice is rooted in the character of God, it would flower in the community of faith. One ought to seek justice because God seeks justice. We affirm that the pursuit of justice raises perennial issues that recur wherever social groups assert competing claims for resources and competing understandings of fair and equitable treatment. These difficulties we understand to be inherent in the human condition. Yet we also note an apparently inevitable tendency of human cultures to resolve issues of justice in fragmented and self-serving ways. By contrast, we wish to affirm that the Christian s pursuit of justice is rooted in the character of God Himself and that it therefore, differs profoundly from the mandate of our prevailing pluralistic culture. DEFINITIONS Online learning at Vanguard University is offered in three different models. Online Hybrid Web-enhanced. Online courses are defined as any course which consists of more than 51% of instruction time delivered exclusively online through the use of the Course Management System (CMS), currently Moodle 2.0. In most cases, there is no requirement for any on-campus sessions unless such a visit is required for examination, cohort meetings, or other program specific requirements. Instances where an on-campus requirement exists will be noted within the course catalog. 4 P a g e

5 Hybrid courses are offered both with seated and online class sessions. Web-enhanced courses are offered in the classroom for all sessions. In addition to in-class instruction, professors utilize the CMS to offer students enhanced learning opportunities including, but not limited to, offering resources (PowerPoint, lecture notes, audio/visual files, website links, etc.), establishing interactive forums to allow for out of class discussions, accepting digital copies of student assignments, and securely posting student feedback and scores through an integrated gradebook. 5 P a g e

6 II. CURRENT AND PROPOSED PROGRAMS CURRENT ONLINE OFFERINGS Child Development Program The Child Development Program offers students the opportunity to complete individual coursework necessary for professional development. Courses are offered fully online and are taught from a Christian worldview. Presently there are 19 courses being offered throughout the school year. Each course is an accelerated five week session. School for Professional Studies The School for Professional Studies (SPS) currently offers six general education courses online and plans to expand this offering to twelve courses by the Spring 2012 semester. Each course was designed by a content expert with the help of an online instructional designer. Graduate Psychology The Graduate Psychology department currently offers three courses online. PROPOSED PROGRAMS Early Childhood Education, A.A. & B.A. The Early Childhood Education program offers students the opportunity to complete their degree (associate's or bachelor's) or individual course for professional requirements. All courses are offered fully online and are taught from a Christian worldview. Small class sizes enable relationships and interaction with the professor and other students. Projects and assignments offer students experiential learning early childhood classrooms with young children. With the accelerated format, students complete each 3-semester unit course in five weeks, enabling working professionals to complete their degree in less than two years. Graduate Education Beginning Fall 2011, the Graduate Education department will be offering four online courses (12 units) in the M.A. degree program. The goal of this offering is to allow students who have already completed a teaching credential the opportunity to finish the coursework necessary to attain the full M.A. degree. Future plans include the development of a completely online M.A.T. degree. An exploratory committee is established to identify the issues related to offering a fully online program which include the submission of a WASC substantive change request, market surveys, budgets, etc. 6 P a g e

7 III. ADMINISTRATION ONLINE EDUCATION TASK GROUP The primary body tasked with administration of online learning is Office of the Provost. The Office of the Provost has established an Online Education Task Group to serve as an advisory panel to aid in the development of online learning. Members include: Cindy Bartlett Child Development Program Coordinator Jamie Brownlee Director of School for Professional Studies and Administrative Faculty Member Derek Densberger Chief Information Officer Dr. Doug Grove Director of Graduate Education and Professor of Education Dr. Jeff Hittenberger Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Education Dr. Carl Renold Chair of the Faculty Senate and Professor of Psychology Michael Shurance Director of Online Learning and Adjunct Professor Dr. Bonni Stachowiak Associate Professor of Business DIRECTOR OF ONLINE LEARNING The Director of Online Learning is the head of the Online Learning Department and is tasked with the implementation and evaluation of the directives recommended by the Online Education Task Group, endorsed by the Provost, and approved by the President. Contact information for the Director of Online Learning is: Michael Shurance x4016 TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT Support for online learning is provided by the Information Technology department. 7 P a g e

8 IV. FACULTY GUIDELINES The guidelines that follow are specific for online education at Vanguard University. Nothing within this guide is meant to replace or amend the Vanguard University Faculty Handbook 1 as approved by the Board of Trustees or any other program-specific faculty guidelines. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Profile of an Online Instructor Online pedagogy is a unique form of instruction. Although certain aspects of online pedagogy necessarily overlap with other modalities, faculty who are successful in the online modality possess certain characteristics and skills which may not be as critical in other areas. Below is a brief list of some of the skills necessary for successful online pedagogy. Creativity Teaching online requires a creative mindset. Simply posting your notes or presentation slides online will not necessarily enhance learning. Although it can have its place, the one-way expository instruction common in seated classes is not necessarily the best way to teach online. Instead, faculty must think creatively about their online pedagogy and explore new ways of engaging students who have different learning styles. Some learning styles to explore include active or discovery learning and interactive learning exercises. Communication Online courses require extensive written communication between faculty and students. Faculty who are not used to this level of written interaction may initially find it difficult to operate within an online course especially when some items can take longer to explain in written form than in person. When these circumstances arise, faculty are encouraged to use other means of communication and should not feel as though every interaction with students must be a digital message. Encouraging Attitude As with all teaching, maintaining a positive and encouraging attitude is a vital factor for success in the classroom. Students may feel overwhelmed with the challenge of college coursework. When we add the online component, it can sometimes prove to be a shock to students who might, as a result, feel as though they are unable to complete the amount of work required to succeed in the course. Enthusiasm Students learn best when their teachers are passionate about the subject which they are teaching. It is important for faculty to share their enthusiasm with their 1 For a copy of the faculty handbook, please visit 8 P a g e

9 students and attempt to ignite a passion about learning generally and about the given subject specifically. Enthusiasm for online courses is aided by allowing enough time to experiment and play with the course design and delivery. An instructor s inquisitive attitude will translate to students. Patience Students come to an online course with a wide range of relevant experience. For instance, some students have extensive technical skills, but lack formal educational background. Others have taken multiple college level courses with success but have a difficult time handling technology. Still others can have the technical background and educational experience but might be weak in the area of time management. The variety of students backgrounds can lead to challenges that are not necessarily present in a seated course. The best way for faculty to handle the many issues that arise in an online course is to maintain a patient attitude. Remember, you are not just teaching your students concepts, content, and skills. You, being their primary contact for all course issues, are also teaching them how to operate within an online world. Social Networking By its very nature, online learning does not allow for the same faceto-face social element that traditional seated classes provide. However, this does not mean that student-to-student and student-to-faculty social connections cannot happen. Often students who are quiet in the classroom come alive in online environments. Faculty can help foster the social networking dimension of the course. This task involves establishing opportunities for students to collaborate on assignments, share spiritual insights, share personal anecdotes, and participate in other interactive, relationship building occasions. Technical Skills Various technical skills are necessary to successful teach online. Teachers must be proficient in the use of word-processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software. Teachers must effectively use internet browsers, programs, and online etiquette. In addition, faculty should be able to troubleshoot typical software and hardware problems independent of University support services. Faculty should also demonstrate a desire for continued growth in their technological skills to stay current with ever changing technology. Time/Course Management Since online courses consist of more than lecture seat time, faculty must be able to manage multiple aspects of courses. Some of these management tasks are foreign to those who are used to teaching exclusively in the traditional model. Some management tasks include: the ability to keep up on discussion topics and provide guidance to students when the discussion seems to be moving into tangential topics, grade and return assignments with detailed feedback on a regular basis, and answer technical or content questions from students. 9 P a g e

10 Training and Certification Faculty who desire to teach an online course are required to complete the online certification program offered by the Online Learning Department. The certification course addresses the technical, pedagogical, and design skills necessary for a successful online course. On-going training will be required to maintain a current certification status. In order to be considered for the certification program, faculty complete the Online Faculty Certification Application (appendix 01) and return it to the Director of Online Learning. If approved, the faculty will be enrolled in the next available certification session. Upon successful completion of the certification course, the Director of Online Learning will issue a Certificate of Completion. Once certified, faculty are able to petition their academic chair for online teaching opportunities. Salary Full-time faculty and Adjunct faculty are paid according to their respective program salary scale. There is presently no extra compensation or release time given for those faculty who teach online. Course Ownership/Intellectual Property Vanguard University takes seriously the contributions of the faculty in the creation and teaching of online courses. In order to protect both the interests of the faculty and the university, the ownership of courses designed for Vanguard University has been outlined within the Intellectual Property Policies. 2 Class Size The ideal class size for online courses consists of a range between students. Courses should not exceed the 25:1 student to faculty ratio. Course Readiness Approval Process The following steps are followed when converting a traditional course into a hybrid or fully online modality. If substantial changes to the curriculum are necessary, then the faculty follow the procedures outlined in the Curricular Change Form. For new courses to be developed exclusively for online delivery, faculty should follow the procedures outlined by the Provost s Office and in the Curricular Change Form. 2 For a copy of the Intellectual Property Polices please visit 10 P a g e

11 1. The Department Chair or Program Director recommends a course that is deemed appropriate for conversion to an online or hybrid format and identifies possible instructor(s) 3 for the online course. 2. The identified instructor, Department Chair, or Program Director shall complete the Proposal for ONLINE Course Conversion (appendix 02) and submit it to the Director of Online Learning. Approval signatures must be obtained on the Proposal for ONLINE Course Creation form before the conversion process begins. 3. After initial approval has been obtained, the Director of Online Learning directs the creation of an inactive course shell in the current online learning Content Management System. 4. A detailed meeting schedule between the Director of Online Learning and the instructor is established. The minimum number of meetings should include an initial consultation, a follow up, and a post-conversion debrief. The goal of these meetings is to ensure the quality of the content and pedagogy of the course as it progresses. 5. The identified instructor begins the conversion/creation of their course. This process should begin at least one full semester prior to the course being taught. Under certain circumstances, the timeline may be shortened with approval from the Department Chair or Program Director, the Dean, and the Director of Online Learning. In the event of an accelerated course creation schedule, the course must be ready and submitted for approval no later than six (6) weeks before the start of the semester in which the course is scheduled to be taught. 6. The instructor submits, no later than four (4) weeks prior to the start of the course, a completed Preparation Checklist (appendix 03) to the Director of Online Learning for review and approval. 7. Once approved, the Director of Online Learning signs the Proposal for ONLINE Course Creation form and forwards it to the proper department chair. 8. Final approval for the course comes from the academic department in which the course resides. The department chair, or their appointed agent, reviews the converted course to ensure it meets both the departmental and college academic standards. 9. Upon final approval, the course will be included in the course catalog and scheduled with the Registrar s Office if necessary. 3 In order to teach online at Vanguard University, faculty must possess a valid online teacher certification status. 11 P a g e

12 PEDAGOGICAL MATTERS Assignment Feedback Since online students do not have face-to-face access to the professor, the importance of prompt and thorough feedback is essential for student success. The following guidelines are helpful for providing student feedback. 5 and 7 Week Courses The preferred timeline for returning student assignments in online courses is within 72 hours after submission. Graded assignments should always be returned within one week of submission. 15 Week Courses The preferred timeline for returning student assignments in online courses is within one week after submission. Graded assignments should always be returned within three weeks of submission. Communication with Students Excellent communication between faculty and students is necessary for a successful online course. The following communication guidelines should be followed for every course. Contact Information Faculty provide their contact information including name, , and phone number(s) in the student guide, course summary section, and in all correspondence. The use of an signature is recommended. Virtual Office Hours Faculty establish virtual office hours of at least 1 ½ hours per week per course. The hours can be divided as best fits the instructors schedule but should not be less than a 30 minute block. Faculty balance office hours to allow access for students in different time zones or with varying work schedules. Tools helpful in establishing connections with students include chat sessions, phone calls, and video conferencing. Faculty s to students Faculty contact their students on a regular basis. A suggested communication schedule would include weekly update s. These s can explain the next week s assignments, ask students for possible questions, and offer insights from the professor. Student initiated contact Students seeking help from the professor are typically answered within 24 hours. If the professor is unable to answer within this time period, an acknowledging receipt of the request and a timeline for an answer are provided to the student. Copyright Issues Vanguard University has established policies to ensure faculty compliance with the Technology, 12 P a g e

13 Education, and Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act of 2002 which governs the fair use of copyright materials in online courses. A detailed copyright checklist (appendix 04) has been developed to guide you in implementing the established policies. Course Evaluations/Departmental Reviews As with traditional courses, course evaluations are necessary to ensure courses meet the established learning outcomes. Furthermore, course evaluations provide an opportunity to identify areas where the course organization or design might be improved. The facilitation of course evaluations will be administered by academic department which houses the online course. Student Evaluations Students will be sent an online evaluation form after the completion of each course. Each evaluation will be anonymous and will include general feedback for online courses, specific feedback for the course, and any departmental items to be surveyed. Departmental Reviews After the course has been completed and grades submitted, faculty may be required to send a personal review of the course to their department chair or program director. If necessary, the department chair will schedule an in-person meeting with the faculty member to discuss the observations of the course review and to encourage continued refinement if required. Course Logistics Faculty are encouraged use the following logistic chart when developing their own course. One week prior to course start Verify the students who registered in MYVU are also enrolled in the course CMS. Send out welcome s to students through the CMS messaging system. Include in the a short introduction to yourself and what tasks the students should have accomplished (download syllabus, order the book, log into the course, etc.) prior to the official first day. First day of the course Send to students officially welcoming to the course. Explain your office hours and how students might contact you in the event they have questions. Check the reports within the CMS to see if any students have not yet logged into the system. Possibly send a specific to these students asking if they need help in logging into the system. Weekly Send a logistics sharing what topics will be covered this week and what assignments are due. 13 P a g e

14 Keep track of students who might be falling behind. If necessary, contact the student via or phone to touch base with them as soon as possible. Run activity reports to ensure students are engaged within the course. Post course Send a follow up to students with any closing thoughts you might wish to share. Complete and submit final grades to the department within the time frame outlined by your department. Review student evaluation responses and note any areas which might be suitable for improvement. Share these ideas with your department chair or the online learning department as is necessary. If required, submit the personal review of the course to the department chair. Student Attendance Faculty keep attendance for their online course. Each department maintains the procedure for handling students who have failed to login to the course within the first week. In the event a student does not login to the course after the first week, faculty follow their respective departmental procedures. Grading In order to provide students with ready access to their progress throughout the course, all grading is completed and available using the CMS gradebook. Grading on assignments and tests is determined by the instructor of the course in accordance with the guidelines established by each department. Faculty are encouraged to keep a local copy of the gradebook on file in the event of technical issue. This can be accomplished by exporting the gradebook into an excel file on a weekly basis. It is also helpful to keep a digital, graded version of each assignment in a local folder. It is never a good idea to grade solely online without having a copy of the graded file to access at a later date. Spiritual Formation Vanguard University places a high value on mentoring and spiritual formation for all students. Therefore, online faculty provide opportunities for students to engage with the faculty, other students, and the Vanguard community. Below are some suggested outlets to achieve this goal. Although none of these activities are required, each department reserves the right to add a spiritual formation requirement at any time. For more information about integrating faith and 14 P a g e

15 learning within their course, faculty may request a copy of the book The Ideas of a Christian College from the Provost s Office. Prayer Request Forums Public Private Weekly Scripture Online Devotions Posting of a Weekly Verse Chapel Resources Faculty may share with their students a link where students can access chapel resources online. Faculty can also provide opportunities (forums, chat sessions, etc.) where students can share any thoughts on the chapel sessions or on other spiritual resources provided by the faculty member. 15 P a g e

16 V. STUDENT GUIDELINES The guidelines that follow are specific to online education at Vanguard University. Nothing within this guide is meant to replace or amend the Vanguard University Student Handbook. 4 COMMUNICATION WITH VANGUARD Any communication from Vanguard will be sent to the student s Vanguard address (i.e., john.doe@vanguard.edu). It is the student s responsibility to check their Vanguard address on a regular basis to ensure they are up to date with all important correspondence from their professors and the university. If students have another address they prefer to use as their primary address, students may also forward their Vanguard address to another address. Directions on how to forward your can be obtained from the Information Technology website or by contacting helpdesk@vanguard.edu. REGISTRATION Students wishing to enroll in online courses must first complete the online learning orientation. The orientation is akin to a virtual tour of the campus which mirrors the experience an oncampus individual might experience during Welcome Week. The orientation will consist of an introduction to the university s CMS, directions on how to access university services including the library, business office, chapel resources, information technology, writing center, and others. WITHDRAWAL Students wishing to withdrawal from an online course must follow the procedures outlined within their respective program. ATTENDANCE AND TARDY POLICY Although online classes do not keep attendance in the same manner as a traditional course, you will need to make sure you watch all online lessons, participate in every online forum, and continue to check in with the course website as often as necessary to stay current with the course. COURSE PARTICIPATION You must be prepared and participate in all online discussions. Criterion: Is the student engaged in classroom discussions? Does the student demonstrate an ability to handle assigned material with a degree of proficiency? Does the student demonstrate genuine engagement with the assigned material through the types of questions he of she asks and the kinds of comments he 4 For a copy of the Vanguard University Student Handbook please visit 16 P a g e

17 or she posts? Student contributions are evaluated according to quality, not quantity, of participation. SUBMISSION OF FINAL EXAMS / PAPERS The method for the submission of homework and the final exam or final paper will be determined by the professor. The professor will inform students of the method of submission in the course introduction. All exchanges of papers will be between the student and the professor. LATE PAPER POLICY You are responsible for submitting assignments on time. Unless authorized by the Professor in advance, no credit will be given for assignments not turned in when due. Any assignments that are accepted late may be subject to a reduction of the student s grade as deemed appropriate by the professor. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Work submitted for assessment purposes must be the independent work of the student. Plagiarism, or copying and use of another s work without proper acknowledgment, is not permitted. Nor is it permissible for any former or present student to allow another student to refer to, use as a sample, or in any way copy or review their work. If a student needs guidance, he or she must seek the Professor s assistance or refer to the catalog policy on plagiarism. DISABILITY SERVICES For students with documented medical or psychological disabilities, please contact the Coordinator of Disability Services to request reasonable accommodations. The Coordinator of Disability Services is located in the Counseling Center on the second floor of the Scott Academic Center and can be reached at extension 4489 or by at disabilityservices@vanguard.edu For students with a documented learning disability who would like to request appropriate accommodations, please contact the Director of Learning Skills at extension 2540 or by at disabilityservices@vanguard.edu 17 P a g e