During the reaccreditation report issued by The Higher LearningCommission of the North Central Association of Colleges andSchools, the evaluation team made recommendations in the area ofdistance learning. The School of Extended Education offers avariety of graduate and undergraduate credit courses for severalcertificates or degrees. Distance learning is geared towardoffering off-campus options to students who are challenged withother time obligations.
"We mainly serve adults who want to further their education,"Frank Sabatine, dean of the School of Extended Education, said.
LEARNING METHODS
One recommendation was to change the method in which the coursewill be broadcast to students. The change would make the transitionfrom closed circuit television to streaming video. The courses aredelivered statewide by a closed-circuit television network calledthe Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System. They willcontinue to use this system but with streaming video, saidSabatine.� Students on-campus attend class in a distanceeducation studio classroom while off-campus students attend classat designated reception sites. Sabatine said the transition isbeing made with a few courses and it should be fully in use by July2006. Instead of going to a site to get the satellite, it will besent to the Internet and students will have access to full motionvideo with a cable modem at a computer.
"Being able to access the classes from a computer opensopportunities for individuals," said Sabatine.
One of the distance learning courses is Internet-based wherestudents access course work from wherever there is access. Studentsget all information for the course online. This delivery methodfollows the semester-based schedule. The team suggested shortertime-frames for courses, citing the appeal to off-campus studentsof receiving a degree in a shorter amount of time. The teamrecommended programs offering three five-week courses or twoeight-week courses in a single semester. Sabatine said he sees noproblem with shorter semesters, and there is no university policyon the length of these courses. He said he relies on the faculty'sjudgment in the length of classes.
"We try to meet the needs of students by offering qualityprograms," he said. "We trust the decision of the faculty todetermine how to effectively offer the course."
EXPANDING PROGRAMS AND ENROLLMENT GROWTH
Currently the programs offered for off-campus delivery aresuggested by various departments. The report said the choice ofprogram offered should be expanded to the entire extended educationdepartment based on their work with employers and other groups.Sabatine said the suggestions for program courses are based on theadvisory board made up of business owners or superintendents inthat particular field. The majority of the distance programs aretaught by faculty who already teach courses at Ball State.
"I would rather a faculty member make the suggestion, becausethat means they're excited about the course," he said.
The team noted the average growth for the off-campus program is10 to 12 percent of total student body enrollment. The reportsuggested an annual growth rate be established. The program iscurrently at 10 percent and is increasing, said Sabatine. He saidthe university has created a Task Group on Enrollment Models"looking at the student mix, in reference to undergraduate andgraduate, on and off campus," in order to determine the optimumstudent enrollment. He said the best way to have a goal would be toset up a scenario.
Sabatine said about 98 percent of off-campus classes aregraduate courses. The report suggested to diversify the off-campusprograms to involve more undergraduate courses. Currently theIndependent Learning Program offers 101 undergraduate courses.Also, about 80 percent of students the taking independent courseslive on campus, said Robyn Thompson, program coordinator in theIndependent Learning program. For this program students can enrollat any time and they have nine months to complete the course. Shesaid the program only offers course requirements included in amajor, not an actual degree.
"To diversify the program for undergraduates, degrees should beoffered within the independent learning program," saidThompson.
Outside of the campus, the School of Extended Education offerscourses for students inmates in Indiana correction facilities.
Sabatine said the program continues to grow with about 1,000inmates enrolled. He said efforts are being made to increase Thereport recommends offering program courses in other distinctivemarkets. Sabatine said other markets could be taken intoconsideration based on decisions of the program departments.
"It is up to the department to decide if they senses a need inthe market and it has not been met by other Indiana universities,"said Sabatine.
PROGRAM COSTS AND TEACHING INCENTIVES
Distance learning tuition is based on credit hours: It iscurrently $180 per undergraduate credit hour and $ 192 per graduatecredit hour and $300 per credit hour for non-resident undergraduatecourses and $325 non-resident graduate courses. The fees andtuition for the university is set by the Board of Trustees.
The team suggested increasing the tuition for some off-campusprograms if that particular job market can bear the increase.However they suggested if there is a need in the market for anarea, the university may discount regular fees to encouragespecific program growth.
There are incentives for faculty to teach distance learningcourses. In the program, teaching graduate courses nets faculty$2,000 overload pay for the first six enrolled off-campus studentsand an additional $50 per student after that. For undergraduatecourses they receive the overload pay after the 11th student. Theteam said this is generous by national standards and the universityshould consider revision of this standard as part of the facultyworkload review.
The team expected expansion in the program offerings would callfor an increase in faculty support for course development to meetthis demand. Sabatine said since he became dean of the departmentin 2000, there have not been any new faculty hired and they havebecome more efficient within the department.
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