As the University of Idaho continues to progress its distance education program, Daniel Eveleth, chair of the University Curriculum Committee, showed the members of Faculty Senate how to document distance education in their respective departments.
Due to requirements by the Idaho State Board of Education and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, UI must report whether 50 percent or more of the credits available in a degree offered can be provided through distance education.
Eveleth said it is still unclear why the SBOE and the commission want the data or what they will do with the information.
“We would like to use this kind of data to inform students,” Eveleth said. “Currently, what they”ve asked of us is just recording.”
Megan Gospe | Argonaut
Faculty Senate Vice Chair Liz Brant asks about the ways to fund a part-time Ph. D program at a Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday.
A lot of confusion exists over portions of the requirement, however, so Eveleth attended the last meeting of Faculty Senate Tuesday in order to clear up the gray areas and better spread the information throughout the university.
One of the biggest questions was how the 50 percent rate should be calculated.
Eveleth said it is measured by the number of credits needed to receive a major or a minor. Because of how the credits are counted, many departments may not realize that some of its majors exceed the 50 percent mark due to the amount of general education requirements that can be completed through distance education.
This method of calculation was met with some skepticism from members of Faculty Senate. James Foster from the College of Science said all college courses can be taught through distance education systems, and the question ought to be which courses should be offered through distance education.
Eveleth agreed and said what is being asked of the university faculty is a bit vague. He said the people who understand the process should do their part to make it clearer to their colleagues.
“The more people that verbalize what it means to their best understanding would bring less frustration,” Eveleth said.
Other questions were raised about which teaching methods fell into the category of distance education. Sharon Stoll from the College of Education, who teaches a class on campus that is supported through sources like Blackboard, asked if those classes would qualify as a distance education course.
Vice Chair of Faculty Senate Liz Brandt also raised concerns about the definition of distance education. She said the question itself is too vague because the definition of distance education is vague as well.
Eveleth and the curriculum committee goes off of the distance education definition given by the U.S. Department of Education. The department defines distance education as instruction to students who do not have face-to-face access to their instructor and supports the interaction between student and professor.
This interaction can be provided through the Internet, audio conferencing, video cassettes, DVDs, CD-ROMs or one-way and two-way transmissions through communication devices.
“I think it all stands in whether you”re separate through distance from the instructor,” Eveleth said.
Erin Bamer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @ErinBamer