VER. January 1, 2018ACICS INITIAL GRANT OR RENEWAL OF ACCREDITATION REPORTPage 1 of 9

REPORT QUESTIONS

Note to reviewers: Previously a check “Yes” implied documentation had been reviewed. Now we will have specific questions that require the report writer to describe the documentation reviewed for “Yes” responses. If a narrative response indicates a campus does not meet a criterion/criteria, you will list the section number(s) and explain, even if there is not a “No” box associated with the finding. (The Chair will delete this note when preparing the full report.)

CRITERIA / QUESTIONS
NONTRADITIONAL EDUCATION
  • H-A Distance Education (Online and Hybrid/Blended)
Up to 50% 50% or more
31500 – Educational Activities
31511. Program Administration. The administration of the academic programs shall be assigned to individuals whose academic or experiential qualifications are related to the programs of study. The amount of time devoted to the administration of the program(s) must be commensurate with the size and scope of the institution and its program offerings.
Within the administrative structure of the institution, program administrators or department heads shall have authority and responsibility for the development and administration of the programs and have adequate time and resources to fulfill these responsibilities. / A.01Who is assigned to provide administration of the distance education activities at the institution, and what are this person’s qualifications and any other responsibilities currently held at the campus (if applicable)?
A.02Does this individual possess appropriate academic or experiential qualifications?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.03Is there evidence that the program administrator has sufficient authority and responsibility for the development and administration of this mode of delivery?
Yes No
Describe documentation that was reviewed which enabled the team to make this determination.
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.04Are the time and resources devoted to the administration of distance education sufficient?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
Glossary
Distance Education or Distance Learning. A structured educational situation in which the students and instructors are physically separated. Distance education supports regular and substantive interaction synchronously or asynchronously between instructor and learner, among learners, and between learners and learning resources through one or more interactive technologies.
Appendix H - Principles and Requirements for Nontraditional Education
SECTION II
Distance Education
In addition to the general standards in Title III, Chapter 1, which apply to all institutions, and applicable standards in Chapters 2 through 6, the following standards apply specifically to distance education delivery methods. These principles and guidelines are designed to inform institutions of the policies of the Council and to guide institutional representatives when designing, implementing, and evaluating distance education forms of educational delivery.
Institutional Readiness
(a)Institutions must notify and receive approval from ACICS prior to using distance education as a mode of delivery. (See Section 2-2-106.)
(b)Institutions must have a plan to implement distance education instruction. At a minimum, the plan should include the rationale, resources, course/program objectives, content, and student assessment. Institutions must integrate this plan into the Campus Effectiveness Plan.
(c)The instructional delivery method must be appropriate for students and the curriculum.
(d)Institutional policies and procedures should be consistently applied using procedures that are appropriate to the mode of delivery.
(e)Institutions must designate a qualified individual to oversee the distance education activities. / A.05Does the institution have a plan to implement distance education instruction?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.06If the institution has a plan, does it include the following:
(a)Rationale?
Yes No
(b)Resources?
Yes No
(c)Course/program objectives?
Yes No
(d)Course content?
Yes No
(e)Student assessment?
Yes No
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.07Does the institution integrate this plan into the Campus Effectiveness Plan?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.08Is the delivery method appropriate for students and the curriculum?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.09Describe the distance educationdelivery method(s) the campus utilizes: fully online, hybrid/blended, or both.
Students and Student Services
(a)The institution must orient online students to its learning management system, resources, and support services, including technical support. / A.10Are admission requirements for distance education courses/programs identified by the institution?
Yes No Not Applicable (There are no additional admissions requirements.)
If Yes, describe the admissions requirements.
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.11If an admissions test is required, is it administered in a manner which verifies the student’s identity?
Yes No Not Applicable (No admissions test is required.)
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.12Does the institution make it clear in writing at the time of enrollment how the student’s identity will be verified throughout the course and program and how the student’s privacy will be protected?
Yes No
If Yes, explain how and when this information is disclosed.
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.13Does the institution make it clear in writing at the time of enrollment if the student will be assessed any additional charges or fees associated with the verification of student identity?
Yes No Not Applicable (There are no additional charges or fees associated with the verification of student identity.)
If Yes, explain how and when this information is disclosed.
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.14Do students confirm that the institution clearly and appropriately states any requirements they must possess or have access to in order to access this mode of delivery during the admissions/enrollment process?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.15Describe the online orientation program that the institution provides to familiarize students with the equipment, learning management system, and resources used in the distance education activities, as well as the available support services (including technical support).
Is this orientation adequate?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
Curriculum and Instructional Delivery
(a)Regardless of the instructional delivery method, the syllabi must identify the course learning objectives. Each course learning objective must support one or more program learning outcomes. (See Glossary definition of Syllabus.)
(b)The course must provide sufficient and appropriate opportunities for interaction between faculty and students and among students.
(c)Institutions must demonstrate to the Council that the clock or credit hours required and awarded are appropriate for the degrees and credentials offered using a thoroughly developed rationale. Credit award rationales for distance education delivery of courses or programs generally do not use the traditional lecture/laboratory/externship formulas for credit calculations (See Section 3-1-516, Course and Program Measurement).
(d)Curriculum must be administered in a way that maintains security of access.
(e)Institutions must demonstrate that the student who registers for a distance education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives the academic credit. The verification method, at the option of the institution, may include a secure login and pass code, proctored examinations, and other appropriate student authentication or verification technology. / A.16Do syllabi identify course learning objectives, and does each course learning objective support one or more program learning outcomes?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.17Describe how the courses provide opportunities for interaction between faculty and students and among students.
Are these opportunities sufficient and appropriate?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.18 Does the institution demonstrate that the clock or credit hours required and awarded are appropriate for the degrees and credentials offered using a thoroughly developed rationale?
Yes No
If Yes, describe documentation reviewed by the team to evidence this.
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.19Is the curriculum administered in a way that maintains security of access?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.20Describe the student identity verification method used by the campus.
Is this method adequate?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
Faculty and Instructional Support
(a)The institution must employ academically and/or experientially credentialed faculty to teach online courses appropriate to the subject matter.
(b)Faculty hired to facilitate online instruction must be properly trained to utilize the institution’s learning management system for purposes of instruction, communication, and assessment.
(c)The instruction must provide an accessible and reliable learning management system and technical support to effectively facilitate online instruction and learning.
(d)The institution must demonstrate that the student/teacher ratio appropriately supports faculty and student interaction, facilitation of interaction among students and interaction with curriculum content.
(e)The institution must have a faculty development plan on file that is appropriate for each individual. For further information, see Section 3-1-543. / A.21Does the institution employ academically and experientially credentialed faculty to teach online courses?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.22Describe the institution’s learning management system and the technical support provided for the system.
Is the learning management system accessible and reliable and does the technical support effectively facilitate online instruction and learning?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.23Are the faculty properly trained to utilize the institution’s learning management system for purposes of instruction, communication, and assessment?
Yes No
If Yes, explain how and when faculty members are trained to utilize the institution’s learning management system.
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.24Does the institution demonstrate appropriate faculty student ratios to support the following:
(a)Faculty and student interaction?
Yes No
(b)Facilitation of interaction among students?
Yes No
(c)Facilitation of interaction with curriculum content?
Yes No
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.25Is there evidence that appropriate faculty development plans have been developed and implemented on an annual basis for those faculty members teaching online courses, including documentation to support completed activities listed on the plans?
Yes No
If No for missing plans and/or documentation, insert the section number in parentheses, list faculty names, and explain:
Resources and Equipment
(a)The institution must demonstrate that it has adequate financial resources to support the form of delivery.
(b)The institution must demonstrate that students taking online courses have access to the same or equivalent library resources and support as students taking courses in a physical classroom. If 50% or more of the student’s program is approved for online delivery, these resources must include at a minimum access to a virtual library collection of program-related books, journals, and periodicals and access to virtual library and information technology services. / A.26Does the institution have adequate financial resources to support the courses/program(s)?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.27Do students who are in a program, of which 50 percent or more is delivered online, have access to, at a minimum, a virtual library collection of program-related books, journals, and periodicals, and virtual library and information technology services?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
Students and Student Services
(b)Student support services available to students enrolled in online programs must be the same or equivalent to those provided to students enrolled in ground-based programs, including but not limited to student services such as counseling, academic advising, financial aid, and employment assistance. / A.28Does the institution provide support services for online students which are the same or equivalent to those provided for on-ground students in the following areas:
(a)Counseling?
Yes No
(b)Academic advising?
Yes No
(c)Financial aid?
Yes No Not Applicable (The institution does not participate in financial aid.)
(d)Employment assistance?
Yes No Not Applicable (The institution enrolls only international students on a student visa.)
If Yes for any item, describe how the institution provides these support services to students.
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
Student Evaluation and Program Assessment
(a)The course learning objectives for a course delivered online must be the same as the learning objective for the same course delivered on ground.
(b)Regardless of instructional delivery method, assessments and assignments should demonstrate student achievement of course learning objectives.
(c)The institution must document that it conducts course/program evaluations, including assessment of student learning outcomes; student retention and placement; and student, graduate, faculty, and employer satisfaction. (See Section 3-1-111.) / A.29Are the course learning objectives for online courses the same as the learning objectives for the same on-ground courses?
Yes No
IfNo, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.30Do assessments and assignments demonstrate student achievement of course learning objectives?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
A.31Does the institution document that it conducts the following:
(a)Course/program evaluations (including assessments of educational outcomes)?
Yes No
(b)Student retention and placement?
Yes No
(c)Student satisfaction?
Yes No
(d)Faculty satisfaction?
Yes No
(e)Employer satisfaction?
Yes No
If No for any item, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
Publications
(a)The institution must fully disclose what form(s) of instruction it uses in its catalog and website and, when appropriate, in its advertising and promotional material. The catalog disclosure must follow the requirements as described and outlined in Section 3-1-701 and Appendix C. / A.32Does the institution fully disclose what forms of instruction it uses in its catalog and website and, when appropriate, in its advertising and promotional material?
Yes No
If No, insert the section number in parentheses and explain:
GENERAL COMMENTS:
COMMENDATIONS:
RECOMMENDATIONS: