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Section IV: Programs
SACS Comprehensive Standard for Educational Programs

IV-2. The institution ensures that off-campus and distance education programs meet comprehensive standards applied to educational programs.

JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

Yes, East Tennessee State University is able to provide a portfolio of evidence supporting compliance.

STATEMENT OF RATIONALE FOR JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

At East Tennessee State University, all distance education, extended campuses, and off-campus credit courses and programs are regular academic offerings. The academic department offering the course or program controls all academic matters including (but not limited to) course selection and scheduling, faculty hiring and evaluation, and student admission, evaluation, and graduation. Administrative and managerial responsibilities for distance education, off-campus and extended-campus programs at ETSU reside in the School of Continuing Studies (SCS; Tennessee Board of Regents, Distance Education at TBR Institutions; ETSU Undergraduate Catalog, School of Continuing Studies).

Programs

Off-campus and distance education programs at ETSU are organized into three types of activities---distance education, off-campus courses and programs, and extended campus courses and programs. Off-campus programs at ETSU do not include off-campus experiences or courses that are part of a predominantly on-campus program, such as student teaching, internships, practicums, clinical experiences, field study, service learning, or community-based learning.

Distance Education

The Office of Distance Education offers instruction and related activities through a variety of delivery modes. However, this office is not responsible for courses that do not utilize a primary technology-based delivery method (i.e., are predominantly traditional but enhanced by internet resources or activities). Courses and programs offered through this office include:

• interactive television (ITV) classes to extended campus centers and remote sites at other institutions (ETSU ITV Courses and Schedules),

• videoconferencing for course enrichment and distributed committee meetings,

• video checkout courses (ETSU Video Conferencing Schedule),

• telecourses on public educational television,

• online courses and web-enhanced courses through the BlackBoard^© course management system (ETSU Online Courses), and

• online courses through the WebCT^© course management system for the Tennessee Board of Regents online degree programs (B.S. in Professional Studies; B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies).

To support instruction, the Office of Distance Education provides additional services, including: a) transportation of course and library materials couriers from the main campus to students and faculty at extended-campus and off-campus sites; b) management of the web server for online courses (ETSU Online Courses) and for the online, technical help system for students (ETSU Distance Education, Student Help; Reporting Problems for ITV Classes); c) provision of on-site facilitators for ITV courses; and d) faculty training in the effective use of technology for instruction (ETSU School of Continuing Studies; ETSU Distance Education Handbook).

Extended Campuses

East Tennessee State University maintains four extended campus sites---three are maintained by the SCS, whereas the fourth is supported by the College of Public and Allied Health (THEC Off-Campus Locations Inventory). Three extended campuses (Bristol, Kingsport, and Greeneville) offer more than 200 credit courses each semester in a variety of disciplines and serve more than 2,000 students each year (ETSU Distance Education, Number of Courses Taught and Students Served). Students may register for classes, pay fees, and access ETSU computer labs and library holdings and databases from these extended campus sites.

The fourth extended campus, the Nave Center in Elizabethton, houses the Department of Health Related Professions in the College of Public and Allied Health. This department offers specialized programs in allied health, including certificates in Dental Assistant and Respiratory Therapy Technician, and associate degrees in Dental Laboratory Technology and in Medical Laboratory Technician. Beginning in the fall 2001, the department will offer the Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health with concentrations in Cardiopulmonary Science and Radiography (ETSU Department of Health Related Professions).

Off-Campus Cohort Programs

East Tennessee State University also offers cohort programs at other locations throughout East Tennessee, often in partnership with local community colleges. The Division of Cross-Disciplinary Studies and the Office of Distance Education support off-campus cohort programs by providing assistance with registration, travel, facilities, distance education training and support, and funding for adjunct faculty.

A typical cohort program at ETSU encompasses two to three years of study. The Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) offered a doctoral program in Morristown, TN and those students are now working on their dissertations. Beginning in fall 2001, ELPA will begin two new cohorts in Morristown. Undergraduate cohort programs in technology currently are offered in Oak Ridge, TN (Pellissippi State Technical Community College, Off-campus Cohort Program in Technology). Undergraduate nursing programs are offered in Morristown and are planned for Cleveland, TN in fall 2001 (ETSU College of Nursing). These programs are combinations of on-site courses and courses delivered through distance education.

Compliance with SACS Standards

A systematic review of ETSU distance education, extended campus, and off-campus cohort programs was conducted relative to all SACS comprehensive standards that pertain to quality of courses and programs. This review indicated that the majority of ETSU procedures and practices in these programs are identical to those applied on the main campus. For a few standards, it was found that procedures and practices differed between campus and off-campus sites or distance education, but were comparable and appropriate for the delivery mode.

Identical Adherence to Standards

For the great majority of SACS standards, ETSU policies, procedures, standards, and practices for distance education, extended campus, and off-campus courses and programs are identical to those for traditional classroom courses on the main campus. Courses and degree programs are housed in and governed by academic departments, regardless of delivery mode. No distinctions are made in the basic processes and policies for admitting and retaining students in the university or in specific degree programs, developing curricula, scheduling and staffing, or for requirements and expectations of degree programs. Quality is ensured through uniform procedures and standards for all academic courses and programs.

The following strengths of ETSU's efforts in distance education, at the three extended campuses, and off-campus programming are recognized:

• As a regional university, ETSU achieves its mission to provide outreach and programming to a large number of students, some located in remote rural areas. These programs enable ETSU to serve a large geographical area, from Oak Ridge and the Cleveland-Chattanooga area to Mountain City.

• Students are more likely to receive individual attention in the classroom at extended campus sites, owing to smaller class sizes. Students at extended campuses apparently are closely advised, with adequate or better access to advisors. We believe these qualities have enhanced students' overall satisfaction with ETSU (ETSU School of Continuing Studies, Student Survey for Extended Campuses).

• A survey of faculty who teach at both the main campus and at least one extended campus site was conducted (ETSU School of Continuing Studies, Faculty Survey for Extended Campuses). Faculty stated overwhelmingly that their instruction at extended campuses was identical in all major aspects with that provided on the main campus. When differences in instruction were cited, most faculty identified favorable characteristics of the extended campus (e.g., smaller classes, better ambiance, helpful staff). The few liabilities cited for the extended campuses were associated with specific instructors, disciplines, or courses. It should also be noted that faculty rated extended campus students as equal to or slightly better than those they encountered on the main campus.

• Instructional television (ITV) services at ETSU are well organized and well supported. A facilitator, available on site during each ITV class, provides technical support to the instructor and students, promotes communication between sites, and proctors exams. We have found that an on-site facilitator improves the quality of the ITV experience for both students and instructor (ETSU Distance Education, ITV Faculty Surveys).

• Daily courier services for outreach sites ensure that faculty are able to make supplemental materials (e.g., handouts, articles, videos) available to students before class meetings. As on the main campus, this practice enhances student learning. Students also use the courier services to send materials and assignments to their instructors.

• Every ITV class is videotaped and copies are made available at each extended campus site and in the Sherrod Library (main campus). Thus, all classes are available for viewing or reviewing by both students and faculty. This practice ensures the additional access sometimes appropriate for the non-traditional students often served at our extended campuses, and enables faculty to use these videotapes for professional development.
  

Comparable Adherence to Standards

For a few SACS standards, differences exist in common practices between off-campus and main-campus programs. However, these differences reflect changes necessary and appropriate to the unique nature of distance education and off-campus programming. Examples of different or additional procedures include:

Publication and dissemination of academic policies (SACS Standard IV-5). All faculty who teach interactive television courses are provided a handbook of special procedures required for distance education (Distance Education Handbook). Faculty who teach internet courses have online access to appropriate policies, procedures, and documents(ETSU Faculty Assistance for Online Courses; ETSU Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Internet Courses). Students enrolled on extended campuses receive information about student services, library services, student organizations, and advisement (ETSU Student "Do You Know" for Extended Campuses). Faculty teaching at extended campuses also receive similar information regarding services available to them and their students at these sites (ETSU Faculty Information for Extended Campuses).

Consortial relationships or contractual agreements (SACS Standard IV-7). At ETSU, a formal process, supported by contractual agreement, is followed in the selection and offering of any joint-enrollment courses with other schools. Once courses are identified, the parties determine which institution will staff and pay for each course. Chairs of the appropriate academic departments at both institutions approve instructors for these courses. Students may enroll at either institution. ETSU and Northeast State Technical Community College currently offer some joint-enrollment courses at the ETSU Kingsport campus.

Academic Advising (SACS Standard IV-9). Students enrolled in courses at any extended campus have access to advising both on-site and on the main campus. Professional advisors and faculty advisors from certain academic programs travel to the extended campuses one or more times each semester. The Office for Undergraduate Student Advisement currently is coordinating a pilot program for advisement by videoconference at the extended campuses. In addition to these advisement activities, ETSU at Kingsport employs a full-time academic advisor who performs typical advising duties and is involved in retention efforts, such as early semester progress reports and freshman success programs. This advisor also travels to the Bristol campus one day per week to advise students at that campus. Consistent advising is ensured by common training (ETSU School of Continuing Studies, Academic Advisor Training) and involvement in academic governance. At the Nave Center, faculty members housed on-site provide academic advising for their students. Students enrolled in cohort programs are advised by faculty teaching at the off-campus sites or by professional advisors on the main campus. At this time, students enrolled at ETSU at Greeneville receive general information and referrals from local staff, and then contact departmental or professional advisors on the main campus via phone or e-mail from the Greeneville campus.

Student Academic Records (SACS Standard IV-10). Official student academic records are maintained centrally on the main campus for all ETSU students, regardless of site or mode of delivery. However, additional security precautions are used for internet-based courses. Current software packages (Blackboard^© and WebCT^©) in use at ETSU require unique student usernames and passwords to access each course site. Both course management systems require special authorized access to students' grades, instructors' grade books, and documents submitted for completion of assignments.

Qualified personnel for student affairs (SACS Standard IV-31). The director for each extended campus is responsible for coordinating all university services to students. In many instances, qualified staff from the main campus visit extended campus sites periodically---e.g., the ETSU Counseling Center provides services one day each week at Bristol and Kingsport, and a Financial Aid counselor visits each extended campus one day each month. If a service is needed, the director, with assistance from the division of cross-disciplinary studies, devises a plan to ensure student access to the needed service. ETSU at Kingsport also employs a coordinator (part-time) for student life and leadership who serves as advisor to student organizations on the Kingsport campus.

Adequate, Not Comparable Adherence to Standards

Whereas the quality of ETSU's off-campus and distance education programs and services range from adequate to excellent, the levels of support in a few areas are less than what students and faculty experience on the main campus. These areas, relative to SACS standards, are as follows:

Some instructional support services (SACS Standard IV-32) available on the main campus, such as the Writing & Communication Center and tutoring programs, are not available or have reduced access at extended campuses.

Relative to safety (SACS Standard V-5), there is no security guard at either the Kingsport or Bristol campuses during daytime hours. Several minor incidents in the past year suggest that more security may be needed at these sites.

ITV courses are taught predominantly by full-time faculty, but traditional courses at extended campus sites are taught by a disproportionate number of part-time faculty (SACS Standard IV-23). Although teaching competency is not an issue, an increase in the numbers of regular faculty assigned to off-campus activities would enhance the depth of student knowledge and understanding within specific disciplines.

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