Comprehensive Standard 3.13C

Policy Compliance - Reaffirmation of Accreditation and Subsequent Reports (Distance Learning)

The institution complies with the policies of the Commission on Colleges.

Reaffirmation of Accreditation and Subsequent Reports

Applicable Policy Statement. An institution includes a review of its distance learning programs in the Compliance Certification and in its Fifth-Year Compliance Certification.

Documentation: In order to be in compliance with this policy, the institution must have incorporated an assessment of its compliance with standards that apply to its distance and correspondence education programs and courses.

Judgment of Compliance: Compliance

Narrative/Justification for Judgment of Compliance:


Executive Summary

St. Petersburg College is in compliance with this standard because it has integrated its review and evaluation of distance learning programs throughout its Fifth-Year Interim Report in accordance with the SACS documents: Directions and Guidelines for Completion of Part III of the Fifth-Year Interim Report, Guidelines in the Application of the Principles of Accreditation to Distance and Correspondence Education, and Guidelines for Addressing Distance and Correspondence Education.

 

Distance Learning at SPC

Academic programs at St. Petersburg College (SPC) are designated as either face-to-face, online, or student choice dependent upon the combination of the types of courses that are offered within a program plan. (See Modality List)

Face-to-Face: A program whose courses are offered solely in the face-to-face modality.

Online: A program whose courses are offered solely in the online modality.

Student Choice (mixed delivery): A program whose course offerings (or section offerings of a single course) may include face-to-face, blended, or online modalities. Students in these programs are not cohort bound and thus can elect to take courses in any modality they choose, often switching between modalities throughout their program of study. The Student Choice option takes into consideration the unique nature of a community college student, who typically has various other personal responsibilities and commitments and may not be a full-time student.

Distance learning at St. Petersburg College is managed at the College-wide level by the Executive Director of eCampus, Web and Instructional Technology. While programs and courses that are face-to-face may be held at various physical campus sites, online courses and programs are held via the eCampus, or electronic Campus. This department supports all aspects of online delivery including the Learning Management System (ANGEL), web programming, course delivery, instructional technology, videography, multimedia services, and graphic design. (See Org Chart)

 

Compliance with Standards

Distance education is addressed in the following standards within each of the standard narratives: CR 2.8, CR 2.10, CS 3.3.1.1, CS 3.4.11, and FR 4.2 through 4.9. Below is a synopsis of each compliance statement.

CR 2.8 Faculty

St. Petersburg College’s institutional goal is to reach and maintain a 55/45 full-time to adjunct faculty ratio. In the Table Full-Time Faculty/ Part-Time Faculty Percentage of Student Semester Hours (SSH) Taught, by modality, online courses maintain a 59%/41% Full-Time/Part-Time faculty ratio exceeding the set benchmark for having sufficient number of faculty to develop, design, and teach the courses and programs. Distance education faculty receive appropriate training and professional development opportunities. (CR 2.8)

CR 2.10 Student Support Services

Tables 3 through 6 show all the services available to distance education students. Services that are not available tend to be those that are specific to meeting on-campus student needs such as Parking, Food Services, and Wellness Centers. There are also on-campus specialty centers such as International, Disability, Veterans, as well as clubs and student life programs that are campus-based. Though these services are campus-based, most SPC distance education students live within the county that the College serves, and students are welcome to take advantage of these services at any of the campus sites which offer them. (CR 2.10)

CS 3.3.1.1 Institutional Effectiveness

Although all academic programs are categorized into one of the three categories - face-to-face, student choice, or online - they all follow the same assessment process as outlined within this standard. Cross comparisons between modalities take place at the course level. (CS 3.3.1.1)

CS 3.4.11 Academic Program Coordination

All faculty and program coordinators are credentialed in order to meet the standards outlined in the Faculty Credentialing Handbook. Curriculum development and review practices are consistent regardless of teaching modality (face-to-face, student choice, or online deliveries), and Dean/Provost/academic program coordinator monitoring and approval is facilitated through SPC’s electronic curriculum management system, CurricUNET. (CS 3.4.11)

FR 4.2 Program Curriculum

St. Petersburg College’s institutional mission is to “Promote student success and enrich our communities through education, career development and self-discovery.” Online courses and programs extend the College’s curricula to students who may be unable to attend face-to-face classes and underpin the institution’s efforts to maximize access to higher education for its constituents. The curriculum in online courses is identical to the curriculum in face-to-face offerings. The anytime, anyplace nature of online classes allows students, who would otherwise be unable to enjoy the benefits of higher education, to take classes while working and caring for their families. (FR 4.2)

FR 4.3 Publication of Policies

St. Petersburg College makes available to students (regardless of teaching modality, i.e., face-to-face and distance) and the public, current academic calendars, grading policies, and refund policies via public website links, within its learning management system, ANGEL, course shells, and various print publications. (FR 4.3)

FR 4.4 Program Length

No programs at St. Petersburg College contain fewer credit hours than required by the Principles of Accreditation, and program length is the same for all programs, regardless of learning modality (e.g., online, face-to-face, modmester, etc.). (FR 4.4)

FR 4.5 Student Complaints

SPC disseminates procedures throughout the College community to ensure they are available to all constituents, including face-to-face, student-choice, and online students, faculty, and staff. All forms can be accessed online, and contact information is made readily available through multiple online access points. (FR 4.5)

FR 4.6 Recruitment Materials

The SPC website is where potential students, including those at-a-distance, can avail themselves of information about SPC. (FR 4.6)

FR 4.7 Title IV Program Responsibilities

SPC complies with the responsibility for disseminating all financial aid and consumer information to students on the SPC Website. (FR 4.7)

FR 4.8 Distance and Correspondence Education

Within the three sections of this standard, the narrative demonstrates compliance with student authentication, privacy, and charges. (FR 4.8.1, FR 4.8.2, FR 4.8.3)

FR 4.9 Definition of Credit Hour

SPC adheres to the standard of 750 minutes of instruction for each credit awarded, regardless of delivery method - face-to-face, online, blended, Express, and so forth. Courses offered in the online or blended delivery mode maintain the same outcomes, outline, and structure as their face-to-face counterparts. (FR 4.9)

 

Supporting Documentation

In order to preserve the integrity of the supporting documentation in case of updates occurring between the submission of this document and the review, the narrative above links to pdf versions, whereas live links are included below.