ChadronState College Higher Learning Commission 1

APPLICATION

Special SAS Reconciliation Project

For

Distance Learning Degree Programs

By

ChadronState College

Chadron, Nebraska

January 6, 2006

Contact

Lois Veath

Interim Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs

ChadronState College

1000 Main Street

Chadron, NE 69337

Phone: 308-432-6203

Facsimile: 308-432-6064

E-mail:

Specific change proposed

Chadron State College requests that the Higher Learning Commission extend institutional accreditation for additional Baccalaureate and Master’s level degree programs delivered via distance learning in the online and correspondence (DIS) modalities. This application builds on a previously approved accreditation extension in distance learning programs granted in 2002 to deliver online the Baccalaureate (B.S.) in Mathematics and the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.). The request is two-fold: (1) immediate addition of the specific programs outlined below and (2) permission to offer additional distance-learning programs hereafter without prior Commission approval.

1) The specific programs for implementation in the immediate future are listed below, along with the identification of the distance learning modalities utilized, e.g. online, or DIS (correspondence):

Bachelor of Arts – Majors

Business Administration , General Business Option—combined online and DIS

Information Resource Management—completely online

Psychology—combined online and DIS

Family & Consumer Science, Child Development Option—combined online & DIS

Bachelor of Science in Education – Endorsements

Library Media Specialist—completely online

Special Education—completely online

Minors –

Applied Statistics (subset of previously approved mathematics major)—completely online

Business—combined online and DIS

History—completely DIS

Information Resource Management—completely online

Library Information Management (K-8)—completely online

Mathematics (subset of previously approved mathematics major) —completely online

Psychology—combined online and DIS

Social Science (K-6)—completely DIS

Master of Arts in Education, Mathematics—completely online

Master of Education, Elementary Education Administration—online & campus hybrid

Master of Education, Secondary Education Administration—online & campus hybrid

Master of Education, Curriculum & Instruction with specialization in Education Technology—completely online

Master of Education, Curriculum & Instruction - Mathematics—completely online

Certificate in Education Technology (subset of C & I degree above)—completely online

2) The request for a broader permission to offer additional distance learning programs without submitting specific requests to the Commission for prior approval is intended to improve Chadron State College’s ability to respond in a timely manner to the regional needs of learners across its vast service region, as required by the college’s legislative mandate and its legally defined mission. The evidence provided in response to the Commission’s questions will demonstrate that CSC has adequately assessed an immediate need for the additional, specific programs requested. Moreover, in offering a detailed description of the various procedures used to identify, implement, and assess appropriate distance learning programs, the college will justify the Commission’s confidence in CSC’s ability to make reasonable judgments about adding distance learning programs in the future to the extent that prior approval for specific programs will not be necessary.

Chadron State College history with distance education

Question 1: Describe your college’s experience with distance education

  • Since the 1930’s Chadron State College has been involved in distance learning, offering the first correspondence courses with all interactions being accomplished via mail delivery. Directed independent study (DIS) or correspondence courses continue to be an important part of the college’s delivery system, with 368 students enrolled in such courses in the spring 2005. Some of these courses are completed in an electronic format with assignments, exams and projects completed utilizing the college’s online Blackboard portal.
  • In 1949 the first CSC professor providing on-site delivery of coursework drove over 120 miles southeast of the campus to the small, isolated ranching community of Hyannis. This began an era of professors-on-the-road, with numerous courses delivered to communities across the college’s service region, supported by a fleet of cars and dedicated faculty. This delivery modality peaked in the 1970’s and 1980’s until the advent of interactive television technology.
  • In 1985 the college established the electronic delivery of instruction via black-and-white video and two-way telephone connections between a classroom at WesternNebraskaCommunity College in Scottsbluff and the Chadron campus. This two-way audio and visual instructional transmission called Slo-Scan technology, with images changing three times per minute, was slow and unreliable. But it allowed CSC to deliver more curricula more regularly to off-campus locations with reduced travel and weather risks and with less inconvenience to faculty. More importantly, students did not need to travel great distances for classes at Chadron, but could drive to the nearest interactive television site.
  • Today, the College provides interactive television (ITV) instruction utilizing T-1, fiber, running at 384 kbs and utilizing Polycom codec and wireless control systems in each classroom. All delivery to remote locations is fully audio- and video-interactive and full-motion. CSC averages about 1000 hours of ITV instruction each month from September through April. Enrollment in ITV courses since 2001 has risen from 18% to 23% of off-campus duplicated headcount.
  • ITV sites include 17 high schools in the Panhandle via the Western Nebraska Distance Learning Consortium and 4 community college locations, as well as several remote sites served by the Nebraska Video Conference Network.
  • In the fall of 1997, CSC taught its first online course with an enrollment of 9 students. Top Class software was utilized to develop and deliver the first courses until 2000, when the college migrated courses onto the Blackboard system and began full-scale training of faculty in online pedagogy and the Blackboard delivery system.
  • To provide Blackboard mentorship and pedagogical guidance for faculty, a full-time instructional design coordinator was hired in the summer of 2000. Dr. Robin Smith has developed templates to assist faculty with web-enhancement or online migration of courses and is available 24/7 to provide technical assistance for both faculty and online students.
  • From 1997 to 2001 online duplicated headcount comprised less than 1% of all student enrollments. Since 2001 online enrollments have grown steadily to the present level of 6% in the fall 2005.
  • In the fall 2000 the college formed a committee to develop and formalize policies regarding migration of courses to online format and the implementation of plans for growing technology needs and student services. These policies were adopted in June 2001.
  • In March 2002 Chadron State College applied for an extension of its HLC accreditation to include specific online programs. The college was granted a modification of its Statement of Affiliation Status extending offerings to the online delivery of the Baccalaureate program in Mathematics, and the Master’s degree in Business Administration.
  • During the 2004-05 academic year, the college finalized cooperative agreements with Laramie County Community College (LCCC) in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to deliver onsite and online courses for degree completion in Justice Studies. Although programs in Applied Sciences and Mathematics were also accredited onsite in Wyoming, these programs are delivered via online technology.
  • In 2004, to meet the needs of both residential and distance learning students enrolled in the online mathematics program, the college introduced the concept of “hybrid” or blended courses in which classes are composed of both on-campus students and place-bound students at a distance. These hybridized courses are offered completely online for students at a distance, with campus students accessing a portion of their instruction through face-to-face interaction with the instructor and the balance through online delivery with the place-bound students. For example, in Calculus I, a five-credit course, residential students receive three hours of traditional in-class instruction and the remaining two hours of weekly instruction via the Internet on the Blackboard online course management system. In the same class section, students who live too far to commute to Chadron can access the entire course via Blackboard™. These blended courses allow the college to meet the needs of all of its students around the region without sacrificing the onsite interactions with professors by residential students, and have now been extended to courses and programs beyond mathematics. Campus students are embracing distance learning via online, hybrid, and correspondence courses in order to provide the needed flexibility for off-campus employment. A recent Carnegie Corporation (consulting firm, not the foundation) survey of CSC students, conducted in the spring 2004, indicated that on average, students are working approximately 32 hours per week, and the distance learning modalities are important when implementing work schedules.
  • In 2004, on-line summer school offerings were introduced. Traditional and ITV instruction in summer school over a four-week daily attendance format had resulted in a steady decline in summer enrollments to that point. Introduction of online courses has caused resurgence in summer headcount, due to the ability of students to return home for employment during the summer months. Many of the summer courses now offered online are general studies courses with an average of 34% of all courses offered in this way.
  • Since 2000 the College has encouraged professors to web-enhance their on-site courses, both at campus and remote sites. The web-enhancement of courses is a logical intermediate step in the migration of courses to fully online status. Faculty provide an active Blackboard site for their on-site courses that includes lecture notes, handouts, practice quizzes, supplemental websites, and electronic grade book views for each student. The average number of users per month on the college’s Blackboard site has grown from 140 duplicated headcount in 2000 to the current high of 9,028 in the fall 2005. The average number of courses that are either web-enhanced or fully online has also grown from 22 in 2000 to 1,185 with more than 104,372 separate hits on Blackboard course sites during November 2005.
  • While individual units in Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Computer Services have done an admirable job of providing services associated with this growth, in the fall 2005 a new Distance Learning Planning Committee (DLPC), which reports to the Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs, was formed to increase communication among these individual units. This committee now serves as the umbrella for strategic planning and assessment in distance learning, as it includes members from all the associated units. The function of the committee is (1) to provide advice to the Academic Vice President with regard to academic technology, especially as it impacts all aspects of distance learning programs, (2) to participate in strategic planning for academic technology, (3) to assess the institution’s distance learning capacity, and (4) to assess the impact of academic technology on student learning. This DLPC serves in addition to a broader Faculty Senate committee, Information Infrastructure, which examines all areas of information services including computer services, library services, instructional resources, as well as distance learning.
  • As enrollments and demand for distance learning courses have steadily grown, in addition to the previously approved online programs, Chadron State College has made plans for the migration of additional Baccalaureate and Master programs to fully online status, as stated on page two of this document.
  • Chadron State College has a history, as indicated above, of meeting the educational needs of students within its vast geographical service area. In the future, these needs are expected to grow, as place-bound adult learners require career-focused programs that meet their time and distance demands. As technology evolves, the college will continue to update delivery modalities that also enhance the academy experience for residential students who have embraced the flexibility of a variety of technology-based instructional modes.

Institutional planning for distance education

Question 2: How did you determine the need for a distance education program? If you offered the program(s) synchronously already, how did you decide to start offering asynchronous program(s) via distance education?

Chadron State College must respond in a timely manner to the regional needs of learners across its vast service region, as required by the college’s legislative mandate and legally-defined mission. Given this directive, the college has had an ongoing process to determine the needs of potential learners and to identify which programs have a reasonable chance for success using a variety of technologies to deliver them. The Assistant Vice President for Extended Campus Programs (AVPECP) has oversight for the college’s regional service commitment and distance learning. He works closely with the Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management (AVPEM), and both positions report directly to the Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs. In the fall 2002 the AVPECP organized an ad hoc planning committee consisting of the academic deans, the director for institutional research, and faculty from both academic schools. This group reviewed the policies and procedures related to online courses, as well as reiterating the motivations, guiding principles, target audiences and program prioritization for future development. The committee identified the following motivations and audiences for distance learning at Chadron State College:

Motivations

  • Improve student access across the college’s vast service region where CSC is over 350 miles from the nearest Nebraska four-year institution.
  • Increase enrollments through additional delivery modalities of courses
  • Serve the lifelong learning needs of specific audiences
  • Provide an opportunity to connect with younger, technologically-savvy generations
  • Provide flexible course formats for both residential students and students at a distance
  • Optimize the use of facilities

Target Audiences

  • Traditional and non-traditional learners throughout the CSC geographical and political service region, and areas in bordering states.
  • Campus-based students who need flexibility for work schedules
  • Special interest groups seeking specific knowledge, skills, or credentialing

Guided by these considerations, regional data is obtained by the AVPECP from anecdotal requests and from focus groups and surveys conducted by the distance learning coordinators, the external programs coordinator and the Director of Extended Campus Programs. In addition, long-term projections for occupational needs by the Nebraska Workforce Development are examined along with national trends when considering regional offerings of programs via distance learning. Academic department analysis of student needs based on degree audits and advising information are discussed with the deans and assistant vice presidents to determine residential versus distance learning needs. Where strong demand exists both on and off campus, separate sections for residential and online students are created. Where the demand is moderate, a hybrid format, in which residential and online students are mixed in a single section, is utilized. When demand on campus is weak, an exclusively online format is used to increase the viability of the program. In August 2003, Dr. Dennis Jones, president of the NationalCenter for Higher Education Management Systems of Boulder, Colorado, assisted with our strategic planning process and to examine the long-term needs of the Chadron State College service region. His analysis indicated that the college should focus on programs in business, education, human services, healthcare and government. Currently the college is acting on this information by developing online delivery of programs in business, education and human services, as indicated in the introduction on page two of this document.

Question 3: How did you plan for expansion into distance education? Who is involved? How do new ideas and initiatives originate, and how are they examined and evaluated?

Program needs are determined by (1) requests from community leaders and students; (2) information from the Clarus Corporation survey conducted for the college in the 1990’s to determine regional employment needs and economic development trends, along with Nebraska Workforce forecasts and the advice of Dennis Jones (see above); (3) contacts with businesses, schools, and governmental agencies; (4) role and mission mandates from the Nebraska state legislature, the Coordinating Commission for Post-secondary Education and the Chadron State College strategic plan, Vision 2011; (5) needs of non-traditional learners who are often place-bound by employment; and (6) student demands for flexible formats and times of delivery. The Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management (AVPEM) and the Assistant Vice President for Extended Campus Programs (AVPECP) are charged with obtaining data in these six areas. They present information regarding these items to the Council for the Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs, which includes all the direct reports to the VP including assistant vice presidents, all academic deans, the Dean of Students, and the Director of Library & Learning Resources. The council examines institutional resources for student services, library services, and academic programming. The academic deans involve departments in discussions of the data and program viability to determine interest by the departments in responding to the identified needs.

After review and recommendations by the Council and departments, the Distance Learning Planning Committee examines new proposals based on these identified needs to determine the campus capacity and ability to respond to those needs based on facilities, equipment, budgets and personnel. The Distance Learning Planning Committee (DLPC), which reports to the Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs, was formed to increase communication among academic affairs, student affairs, and computer services. This committee now serves as the umbrella for strategic planning and assessment in distance learning, as it includes members from all the associated units. The function of the committee is (1) to provide advice to the Academic Vice President with regard to academic technology, especially as it impacts all aspects of distance learning programs, (2) to participate in strategic planning for academic technology, (3) to assess the institution’s distance learning capacity with regard to academic, technological, budgetary, and student services resources, (4) to assess the impact of academic technology on student learning. This DLPC serves in addition to a broader Faculty Senate committee, Information Infrastructure, which examines all areas of information services including computer services, library services, instructional resources, as well as distance learning.