Effective Practices - Institutional Context and Commitment

In this section, the campus-wide support services needed on your campus or in the district to develop a successful DE program will be explored.

Key points relating to ensuring institutional context and commitment include:

  • DE is consistent with the role and mission of the institution including its goals with regard to student access.
  • DE is included in the institution’s overall budget structure.
  • DE is included in the institution’s policies concerning the establishment, organization, funding, and management and there is an ongoing commitment to DE. 
  • The technical and physical plant facilities accommodate the curricular commitment to DE.
  • Provisions have been made to assure a robust, reliable, and secure technical infrastructure, providing maximum reliability for students and faculty.
  • Given the rapid pace of change in modern information technology, policies or procedures are in place to keep the infrastructure reasonably up-to-date.
  • The institution provides staffing structure appropriate (and fully qualified) to support DE. 
  • The institution develops and implements a marketing plan that takes into account DE's target student population.
  • The institution provides training and support to participating instructors and students.
  • The institution assures compliance with copyright law.
  • The institution provides funding for contracts for DE products and outsourced services.
  • The institution assesses and assigns priorities to potential future projects.
  • The institution assures that DE courses meet institution-wide standards.
  • The institution maintains appropriate academic oversight.
  • The institution maintains consistency with the institution’s academic planning and oversight functions,
    to assure congruence with the institution’s mission and allocation of required resources.
  • The institution assures the integrity of student work and faculty instruction.
  • The institution is internally consistent in its handling of articulation and transfer issues.
  • A help desk function is realistically available to students during hours when it is likely to be needed.
  • The selection of technologies is based on appropriateness for the students and the curriculum.