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AOP 10.16
• Academic units must demonstrate and maintain equivalency between on-campus
and distance degree programs relative to academic rigor, breadth, and expected
outcomes.
• The colleges and departments that choose to offer distance degree programs,
courses, minors, and certificates have full control over their content. The
respective teaching faculty are responsible for all academically-related functions.
• Only persons holding a faculty position, approved and assigned by their
department head, may teach distance classes. The required credentials for an
instructor of record for distance courses and on-campus courses must be identical,
and appropriate for the discipline in which they are teaching.
• Contingent on programmatic needs and upon approval of their college academic
deans, all qualified faculty members may teach distance classes as part of their
normal teaching assignment. Faculty participation in distance education must be
clearly defined by workload assignment and performance evaluation.
• Ownership of intellectual property developed for distance courses will be
determined by the MSU Intellectual Property, Policy and Procedure Statement.
• Distance education students must have access to a range of student services that
are comparable to those provided for on-campus students, e.g., academic and
career advising, and general library and reserve materials.
• Once a distance degree program is implemented, the academic units and MSU are
committed to ongoing financial and technical support, and to ensure that all
admitted students are allowed an appropriate timeframe to satisfy the program
requirements.
• Faculty must use best practices to ensure the highest standard of academic integrity
in the preparation of exams and other graded activities in distance courses.
Similarly, best practices must be followed to prevent student academic misconduct
in distance courses.
• All distance courses must comply with the guidelines of the Americans with
Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2008,
and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
• The University Policy on Use of Copyrighted Works for Education and Research
OP 1.20 applies to all distance education degree programs, courses, minors, and
certificates.
4. Evaluation, Assessment, and Recognition: Distance education courses will use the
same course evaluation procedures as on-campus courses. Each distance education
program shall be assessed at the same frequency as that of programs offered on campus.
Student learning in distance education programs must compare favorably to that in on-