These modalities should help students understand the general expectations of courses as they
register for classes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nThe modalities mostly fall under two main categories: On Campus and Online. There is an additional modality called Flex that is either on campus or online. Each course will have a designated modality identified in the syllabus as well as describe attendance requirements associated with the modality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learning Management System <\/strong>\u2013 A learning management system (\u201cLMS\u201d) is a software application or Web-based technology used to plan, implement, and assess a specific learning process. Typically, a learning management system provides the faculty member with a way to create and deliver content, monitor student participation, as well as assess student performance. An LMS may also provide students with the ability to use interactive features such as threaded discussions, Chat rooms, and discussion forums. St. Mary\u2019s University employs Canvas as its LMS standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\nModule <\/strong>\u2013 An online learning component that contains organized content and activities to create a clear learning path.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOn Campus<\/strong> \u2013 any course that meets on campus with instruction delivered directly to students by an instructor in a classroom setting. Students attend in-person at designated dates and times. This modality may be supplemented with online materials, but student seat time is offered only through in-person synchronous meetings. All requirements for instructional minutes as required by accreditation are met through regular attendance of students in live class sessions with the appropriate number of out-of-class activities to meet the minimum engagement requirements. Outside homework assignments and readings that do not replace instructional minutes do not count as asynchronous instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOnline <\/strong>\u2013 any course in which students are physically separated from the faculty member or each other for fifty percent or more of the instruction and the instruction involves the use of technology to support regular and substantive interaction among students and between the students and the faculty member, either synchronously or asynchronously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Online Fully Asynchronous<\/strong> \u2013 any online course in which instructional materials are made available to the students to access at no particular time, with no requirement that students be online at a particular time. These materials replace live instructional minutes that would normally occur in an On Campus course.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Online Fully Synchronous<\/strong> \u2013 any online course that requires students and instructors to be online at the same time instead of in-person to meet the required instructional minutes. Lectures, discussions, and presentations occur at a specific hour via video-conferencing such as Zoom. All students must be online at the designated time to participate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hybrid Courses<\/strong> \u2013\n
\n- On Campus Hybrid<\/strong> \u2013 any course requiring a reduced on-campus attendance of fifty percent or more for instructional minutes. All other instructional minutes are completed using asynchronous instructional methods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Online Hybrid<\/strong> \u2013 any online course requiring a reduced synchronous video conferencing modality to meet the required instructional minutes. All other instructional minutes are completed using asynchronous instructional methods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Flex Live<\/strong> \u2013 any course that qualifies as an online course by utilizing live video conferencing instruction, but also provides simultaneous options for live, in-person classroom instruction, requiring attendance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
II. Standards for all Online Courses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Each department and\/or school that utilizes an online modality shall at a minimum abide by the standards and definitions set forth in this policy. Further each department and\/or school that utilizes an online modality shall develop its own guidelines for online instruction that may be more stringent and detailed than defined herein that is responsive to the needs of the students in the department\u2019s degree program as well as the educational goals of the degree and University. The department and\/or school online policies shall be reviewed and approved by the Provost\u2019s office prior to implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Standards for evaluating proposed online courses or programs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When evaluating existing or proposed online courses or programs, the following standards should be used as a guide to determine whether a course or program is consistent with the goals and mission of St. Mary\u2019s University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Mission Standards<\/strong> \u2014 Online courses and programs must contribute to the St. Mary\u2019s mission and be consistent with the distinctive features of education in the Catholic, Marianist tradition. Though in different ways, community and personal attention must remain instruments of education and formation to a degree comparable to the campus environment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Quality Standards<\/strong> \u2014 Online courses and programs must meet the same quality standards that are required of similar courses and programs offered on campus. The content of online courses and programs must carry the same academic rigor and expectations of on-campus courses and programs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Admission Standards<\/strong> \u2014 Students must satisfy, at a minimum, the same requirements for admission into online courses or programs that are required of on-campus students. Admission standards may require students to have access to the necessary technology associated with the online class or program.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Faculty Qualifications<\/strong> \u2014 Faculty who teach online courses must meet the same standards, review, and approval procedures used by St. Mary\u2019s to select and evaluate faculty responsible for on-campus instruction. In addition, faculty must have or acquire the technological and pedagogical skills necessary for effective online teaching. Mary\u2019s will offer appropriate training for faculty development as necessary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The relevant program director or department chair is responsible for assuring the competency of the faculty teaching online undergraduate courses. Faculty teaching graduate-level online courses must be eligible to teach graduate-level courses and be approved by Graduate Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Oversight <\/strong>\u2014 All online courses must be offered through the department or program administering the corresponding on-campus courses or through the appropriate department or program if there is no comparable on-campus course. The supervision, monitoring, and evaluation processes for instructors must be equivalent to on-campus courses. Department chairs will have access to all online undergraduate courses within their department. Directors of graduate programs will have access to all online graduate courses within their department.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Evaluation<\/strong> \u2014 All online courses and programs must meet the same evaluation standards for courses and programs offered on campus. This includes student teaching evaluation for every course as well as regular assessment of student learning outcomes for online courses and programs to assure the comparability of online courses and programs with equivalent on campus courses and programs. If there are professional accrediting standards for comparable on-campus programs, online programs must meet (or work towards) those same professional accrediting standards. Student evaluations will also elicit student feedback from students on their experience with and evaluation of instructional technologies associated with the course.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Support Services<\/strong> \u2014 Students in online courses and programs must be provided academic support services comparable to those available for on-campus students, including but not limited to: academic advising, counseling and testing, library and other learning resources, tutoring services, career services, international student services, and financial aid.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- SACSCOC<\/strong> \u2014 Institutions must also adhere to criteria outlined by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in:\n