80.07 University Distance Learning Council Issued: August 16, 2001

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1. Mission

The University Distance Learning Council at Prairie View A&M University is dedicated to support of the overall mission of the university in providing excellence in teaching, research, and service. It is designed to augment and support the traditional face-to-face mentoring and teaching methodologies that have traditionally been successfully utilized. It is charged with developing and maintaining the rules, procedures, and guidelines that will allow faculty and staff to gain and maintain distance education skills for the purpose of providing educational access to students who have traditionally been unserved and under-served in the State of Texas and who elect to enroll in distance learning courses and programs.

2. Composition

The President appoints the members of the University Distance Learning Council. Each academic college or school is entitled to one representative. Each special activity that has a mission of education using distance-learning technologies is entitled to one representative. The Student Government Association is entitled to one representative. The Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Assistant Vice President for University Operations and Director of Information Technology Services are ex-officio members. The Executive Secretary to the Associate Provost is the permanent, non-voting Recording Secretary for the council. The chairperson and co-chairperson are elected annually by the membership. The Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs acts as chairperson in the event that the chairperson and co-chairperson are absent. The council reports and makes recommendations concerning distance-learning activities to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Members should be selected from those faculty members who are active in distance learning or are preparing to embark upon distance learning activities.

3. Meetings

The University Distance Learning Council meets on the second or fourth Thursday of each calendar month during the academic year at the time agreed upon. The council does not meet during September or January during the regular academic year. The council meets as required during the summer semester.

4. Duties

The duties of the Distance Learning Council include the following:

4.1 General

a. The Council develops and recommends to the Provost for adoption rules, procedures, and guidelines that aid the employment of distance learning technologies that support the mission of the University.

b. The Council seeks and recommends incentives that allow the faculty and staff to gain and maintain distance education skills.

c. The Council encourages and recommends the development of programs and courses that provide educational access to students who have been traditionally unserved or underserved and who elect to participate in distance education programs.

4.2 Curriculum

a. Recommend programs and courses that have been developed in compliance with the approved distance learning procedures.

b. Perform periodic reviews of existing distance learning programs and recommend modifications where necessary.

c. Review developing distance-learning programs at specified landmarks.

d. Recommend certification of programs to the Provost.

e. Evaluate adequacy of externally developed materials.

f. Review all proposals for course development for distance learning.

4.3 Faculty

a. Recommend opportunities for training of faculty prior to development of distance learning courses and programs.

b. Where appropriate, recommend waivers of formal training based upon extensive experience and expertise.

4.4 Staff

a. Recommend opportunities for training of support staff on specific delivery methods and modes.

b. Determine the type of experience desired in new hires of support staff for distance learning activities.

4.5 Resources

a. Perform a periodic review of each memorandum of agreement (MOA) covering a distance learning activity.

b. Perform periodic review of the adequacy of resources assigned to distance learning activities.

c. Identify hardware, software and training requirements and costs.