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EBB REGULATION

OFF-CAMPUS SITES AND DISTANCE LEARNING


SECTION ONE: PURPOSE AND ALIGNMENT OF POLICY

1.01 Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to set standards for the administration and delivery of instruction at off-campus sites and for online and hybrid courses.

1.02 Alignment

  This regulation follows the requirements and recommendations of the Southern Association of Colleges and School Commission on Colleges and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board of practices for online education.

SECTION TWO: OFF-CAMPUS INSTRUCTIONAL SITES

2.01 Off-Campus Sites for Dual Credit Instruction

The Senior Director of Academic Operations is responsible for the arrangement of instruction, dealing with public school officials, selection of courses, assignment of instructors, registration, and assistance to support instructors and students in the teaching/learning process at all locations approved to offer dual credit instruction.

2.02 Off-Campus Instructional Sites – Physical Facilities and Resources Inspection

The Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) is accountable for ensuring off-campus instructional sites have adequate physical facilities and resources necessary to fulfill the needs of the college’s educational programs, support services, and other mission-related activities.   The VPAA and Vice President of Business Affairs/General Counsel shall ensure agreements between the college and the owner/operator of an off-campus instructional site include provisions ensuring the owner/operator provides adequate physical facilities and resources.

The VPAA or designee shall conduct and document an in-person inspection of each off-campus instructional site at least once per year to evaluate the appropriateness and sufficiency of physical resources at the sites.  The annual inspection shall include but is not limited to (a) appropriateness of the learning environment of the facilities and classrooms, (b) adequacy and availability of library resources, (c) adequacy of technology for digital learning resources and course management, (d) adequacy and accessibility of student support programs and services, and (e) general accessibility, functionality, and safety of classrooms and other learning spaces.  

When the college identifies a physical facility or resource issue or concern in an off-campus instructional site the college owns or operates, the VPAA or designee should work with the college’s Physical Plant Operations, Information Technology, Campus Police, Student Services, Library, or other appropriate personnel to develop and execute a plan to address the issue or concern.  When a noncollege entity (e.g., school district, public library, municipality, church, etc.) owns or operates an off-campus instructional site with an identified concern, the VPAA or designee should work directly with the contact for that entity to address any issues or concerns discovered during the course of the annual inspection.  For sites the college does not own or operate, college personnel with relevant expertise may consult with the owner/operator to resolve the issue or concern.  If an owner/operator of an off-campus instructional site is unable or unwilling to remedy an issue or concern in an acceptable manner, the VPAA, in consultation with the Vice President of Business Affairs/General Counsel, has the authority to take necessary steps up to and including changing the venue or delivery modality of courses scheduled at the site until the third party addresses the issue or concern.

In addition to the annual inspection, any college employee who visits an off-campus instructional site in the course of his/her assigned duties should notify the VPAA or designee immediately of any observed issues with the physical facilities or resources of the site.  The VPAA or designee should address any observed issues or concerns reported by a college employee in a manner appropriate for the ownership/operating status of the site.   

SECTION THREE: DISTANCE LEARNING

3.01 eLearning

The Dean of eLearning ensures the quality of online and hybrid courses by providing professional development relevant to best practices, regular review of online and hybrid courses, and support for instructors who teach those courses.

3.02 Training

All instructors must complete professional development training related to the college learning management system within the first full semester of hiring. Additionally, any instructor teaching in an online or hybrid modality must complete training specific to best practices for online and hybrid course delivery as directed by the dean of eLearning.

3.03 Blackboard

All instructors must have a welcome message, instructor contact information, and syllabus posted in their Blackboard course by the first class day, regardless of the modality of the course. If teaching an online or hybrid course, the instructor must have at least 25% of the course built and posted within Blackboard by the first class day, not all of which need to be visible to students. Attendance records and grades are to be posted within the Blackboard course throughout the semester, regardless of the course modality.

3.04 Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI)

All faculty members teaching online courses must provide Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) within their courses. The Department of Education released rules on Distance Education and Innovation clarifying Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) within online courses. “Regular” is defined as taking place on a “predictable and scheduled basis,” and “substantive” means that students are engaged through teaching, learning, and assessment using at least two of these five activities weekly:

  • Providing direct instruction

  • Synchronous lectures, laboratory activity, and regular set office hours (s), etc. (where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the student and instructor.)

  • Assessing or providing feedback on a student’s coursework

  • Providing personalized feedback or comments on an assignment or assessment.

  • Providing information or responding to questions about the content or competency

  • Sending emails or messages to individuals or groups of students about academic aspects of the course, especially those that have been identified as struggling to reach mastery of content.

  • Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency

  • Instructor-moderated online discussion forums and instructor-guided small group projects.

  • Or other instructional activities approved by the institutions or program’s accrediting agency.

What does not constitute RSI?

  • Pre-recorded lectures

  • Student-solicited office hours only

  • Auto-graded assessments (multiple choice only)

  • Adding grades into the gradebook

  • Sending a welcome message at the beginning of the course

  • Student-initiated emails about course content

SECTION FOUR: COURSE REVIEW PROCESS

4.01 Online and Hybrid Course Review

Angelina College has adopted a three-year review cycle for all instructors teaching online and hybrid course(s). The review will be completed using course review rubrics adapted from industry best practices by the office of eLearning. The process is outlined below:

4.01.1 The Office of eLearning will provide to each instructor of online and hybrid courses at least one course review within a three-year period. Instructors who teach a particular course in an online or hybrid format for the first time will receive a review of the course by the end of the same academic year.

4.01.2 Based on the course review, and with support from the  Office of eLearning, the instructor will make necessary improvements to meet quality standards within an agreed upon timeline and will apply those standards to all courses taught subsequently.

4.01.3 Instructors who do not implement the changes noted in the course review by the deadline established by the Office of eLearning will not be allowed to teach online or hybrid courses in future terms and may face disciplinary action and non-renewal of teaching assignments. 

SECTION FIVE: IMPLEMENTATION

5.01 Procedures

The Vice President of Academic Affairs or designee is responsible for adopting procedures as necessary to implement this local policy.   

5.02 Compliance

Compliance with the adopted procedures is mandatory.

The Vice President of Academic Affairs is responsible for reviewing and updating this regulation. Policy reviews are made in accordance with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness Policy Tracking document.

Document History:

Adopted: 03/2005

Revised: 08/2025