Tuskegee University eLearning
(334) 724-4704
(334) 724-4704
Tuskegee University is a national, independent, and state-related institution of higher learning that is located in the State of Alabama. The University has distinctive strengths in the sciences, architecture, business, engineering, health, and other professions, all structured on solid foundations in the liberal arts. In addition, the University's programs focus on nurturing the development of high-order intellectual and moral qualities among students and stress the connection between education and the highly trained leadership Americans need in general, especially for the work force of the 21st Century and beyond. The results we seek are students whose technical, scientific, and professional prowess has been not only rigorously honed, but also sensitively oriented in ways that produce public-spirited graduates who are both competent and morally committed to public service with integrity and excellence.
The definition used for distance education in this document is the one adopted by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges:
“For the purposes of the Commission’s accreditation review, distance education is defined as a formal educational process in which the majority of the instruction (interaction between students and instructors and among students) in a course occurs when students and instructors are not in the same place. Instruction may be synchronous or asynchronous. A distance education course may use the internet: one-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communications devices; audio conferencing; or video cassettes, DVD’s, and CDE-ROMs if used as part of the distance learning course or program” (Distance and Correspondence Education: Policy Statement, 2010).
Tuskegee University’s goals and operating plan for distance education flow from and fulfill standing goals and objectives in the university’s strategic plan as well as the university’s mission statement and vision document.
The proposed addition of online courses is designed to help fulfill the university’s mission. Tuskegee University accomplishes its central purpose of developing leadership, knowledge and service through its undergraduate, graduate, professional, research and outreach programs. Through these programs, students are encouraged not only to pursue careers but to be of service to society and to remain active lifetime learners. The University seeks to instill a robust thirst for knowledge and a vibrant quest for wholesale patterns of personal and social ethics that have philosophical and spiritual depth. In the process, it seeks to help each student develop an appreciation for the finer traits of human personality, the beauty of the earth and the universe, and a personal commitment to the improvement of the human condition.
TU’s online courses are designed to provide greater access to higher education for students, particularly adult learners.
All degree programs at TU operate under the direct auspices of the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. Selected day-to-day operations are coordinated through the respective academic departments.
All academic units of the university will have an opportunity to participate in providing degree or certificate programs for credit and/or courses for credit delivered via distance education wherever there is a need. The university will assure that the institution’s administrative policies and procedures allow for an effective, efficient distance education support infrastructure. The university is committed to offering a high quality online education program that adheres to the standards set forth by SACSCOC, regarding electronically offered programs. Through rigorous curriculum and faculty development processes, administrative changes, and equipment upgrades, the university is providing meaningful courses and degree programs that will be on par with its face-to-face offerings. Funding levels and fees will provide sufficient financial resources to initiate and maintain quality distance education courses and programs.
The University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as with state and local requirements regarding students and applicants with disabilities. Under these laws, no qualified individual with a disability will be denied access to or participation in any services, programs or activities of the University.
To this end, all online courses facilitate learner access to institutional support services essential to student success: online course instructions link to the institution’s accessibility policies and services; online courses are designed to reflect a commitment to accessibility; learners with a disability can easily navigate and interact with course components which are consistent, logical, and efficient. Moreover, information is provided about the accessibility of all technologies required in the course and can be found in various sections including the syllabus, course website (webpages on resources and/or required technology software). In addition, all online courses provide alternative means of access to course materials in formats that meet the needs of diverse learners (e.g. closed captioning for videos; text transcripts; tables set up with headings; selectable and searchable text in PDF documents).
In line with our University's mission, the ADA 504 Accommodations Program is in place to provide and/or help students acquire the necessary resources and accommodations needed (as verified through proper documentation) to help them become the most effective professionals and leaders of society.
The ADA 504 Accommodations Counselor's purpose is to serve as a liaison between the student and faculty member to ensure that students with disabilities are afforded equal opportunities to demonstrate their academic skills and potential through reasonable and beneficial accommodations.
If a student has questions or needs accommodation in the classroom (medical information is treated confidentially), contact:
Steven McCrary, M.Ed.
Director ADA Compliance
Tuskegee University
Tompkins Hall Rm. 404
Phone: 334-724-4343
Fax: 334-724-4949
smccrary@tuskegee.edu
Webpage: https://www.tuskegee.edu/office-of-ada-compliance
Tuskegee University policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, retaliation, serious medical condition, sex, sexual orientation, spousal affiliation and protected veterans status. Furthermore, Title IX prohibits sex discrimination to include sexual misconduct, sexual violence, sexual harassment and retaliation.
For more information on discrimination issues, Title IX or Tuskegee University’s complaint process, contact:
Tuskegee University Title IX Office
Kresge Center, Suite 322,
1200 W. Montgomery Road,
Tuskegee, AL 36088
334-727-8794
TIX@tuskegee.edu
Tuskegee University has a written procedure for protecting the privacy of students enrolled in distance courses or programs. Tuskegee’s written policy and procedure is based on the guidelines outlined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which applies to all students, including distance students.
Tuskegee University protects the privacy of all its students and the security and integrity of student records. Tuskegee University Campus Technology maintains numerous precautionary measures to ensure the security of electronic records. Various controls assure that system security is current and operating effectively. Some examples are firewalls, virus protection, intrusion detection, and spyware blockers. The integrity of computerized Tuskegee University student records is validated through daily backups of the student information system (Colleague). System audit trails record transactions in Colleague from processed data to the source of input. These audit trails allow Tuskegee University personnel to track changes or modifications to student records and to identify those making changes/modifications.
The confidentiality of student records at Tuskegee University is maintained according to the guidelines of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Tuskegee University policy concerning disclosure of student records and directory information is available in our University catalog, on the Tuskegee University website, and in the Student Handbook. Student records are released only to the individual students to whom they belong. Students may sign a release form granting authorization to release records to designated individuals or educational entities. To safeguard students’ privacy and to avoid identity theft, Tuskegee University assigns each student a unique identification number that can be used in place of the Social Security Number on any documents that identify the student. Students have access to their records via Tigerweb through the security of a user ID and password.
An additional protection in place for students enrolled in distance education is the Office of Distance Education and Online Learning Confidentiality Agreement . This document is required of students and staff charged with monitoring duties for video-proctoring or online courses. It is also required of students and staff who assist the proctoring of in-person mid-term, final exams, or other assessments for online student.
Tuskegee University Important Policies: https://www.tuskegee.edu/policies
U.S. Department of Education FERPA Guidance: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/for-eligible-students.pdf
Office of Distance Education and Online Learning Confidentiality Agreement: http://elearning.tuskegee.edu/Content/Uploads/Tuskegee%20Online/files/Confidentiality%20Agreement_pages.pdf
Programs offered via distance education will be consistent with the role and mission of Tuskegee University. There will be no distinction between programs offered through distance education and those offered in a face-to-face format. Unless otherwise provided, all policies, standards, and guidelines for on-campus instruction apply to programs delivered via distance education.
Selection of programs to be offered via distance education is the purview of the appropriate academic unit, which will provide faculty oversight of the program to ensure currency of the program, its courses, and resources. Each program will result in learning outcomes appropriate to the rigor and breadth of the degree awarded.
Once implemented, the offering academic units and the university commit to ongoing support, both financial and technical, and to the continuation of the program for a period of time sufficient to enable admitted students to complete the program as long as financially feasible.
Courses offered via distance education are academic program courses approved through the usual curriculum approval process. There will be no distinction between courses offered through distance education and those offered in a face-to-face format. Courses offered via distance education will have the same rigor and expected outcomes of face-to-face offerings.
Courses delivered via distance education carry the same curriculum prerequisites for Tuskegee University admitted students.
All courses, including those using a distance education delivery method, must adhere to Tuskegee University's existing Credit Hour Policy.
All distance education courses at Tuskegee University are considered comparable to traditional courses and adhere to the same course standards, prerequisites, and requirements as traditional sections of identical courses.
Tuskegee University evaluates the educational effectiveness of its distance education courses and programs to ensure comparability with face-to-face courses and programs. Individual courses are expected to adhere to approved course descriptions and have similar expected student learning outcomes, regardless of the course delivery format. Student satisfaction is assessed through the Student Surveys administered in each class during the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters, regardless of the delivery format of the class. The Office of Institutional Research provides the President and Provost with an annual report on student retention and grade distributions for each course, disaggregated by delivery format.
For academic programs that provide students with different delivery options for the entire program 100% via a particular distance technology, the expected student learning outcomes and measures of those outcomes are identical across all delivery options. In addition, the results of those measures are compared across the different delivery formats.
The ability of a student to succeed in a distance education class depends on his or her ability to understand the class structure and technology. Informing students o fwhat skills and technology are needed for particular distance education courses allows them the opportunity to do a self assessment of their capability to succeed in the course. Faculty syllabi will outline general information about the class, including specific skills a student should possess, hardware and software requirements necessary to participate in the course, and faculty contact information. At the time of course registration, students are required to review the Course description, which also includes an online student readiness assessment. Registration for the course constitutes the student's acceptance of the requirements necessary to participate in the course.
Tuskegee University utilizes the SACSCOC suggested secure login and pass code student identification method as an attempt to ensure that the student who registers in a distance education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives the associated credit for the course or program. At the time of enrollment, students receive a unique usemame/W# (secure login) and password (secure pass code). This usemame/W# and password is used for student identification/authentication purposes for distance education course work at no extra cost to the student, with both the usemame/W# and password used for work submitted online.
In addition to the secure login and pass code method, faculty may use other means or technologies to authenticate the work o fdistance education students (e.g., proctored exams, special software, web cameras). If a faculty member chooses to use additional means of authenticating the work of distance education students, students must be informed in writing at the time of course registration of any actual and/or projected associated costs (e.g., cost of specialized software, estimated cost of web camera). Any projected additional student costs associated with verification of student identity/authentication of distance education student work must be stated in the course syllabus.
The checklist below is an opportunity for faculty to reflect on other ways to ensure that the students who are getting credit for a class are, indeed , the students who are doing the work in the class. Here are some ways that online faculty can help ensure that the students who are doing the work are the students getting credit for the class.
By verifying identity, we send a message that we are concerned that students receive the deserved credit for the work they are performing. We also demonstrate a proactive interest in compliance with any new requirements requiring a process to verify the identity of the student as being the same as the individual who registered for the course
Students in all classes, regardless of delivery format, must adhere to Tuskegee University ' s Academic Integrity policy as published in the Tuskegee University ' s Student Handbook .
Student privacy in all courses and programs regardless of delivery format is protected as per the Policies and Procedures Relating to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) posted on the University's web site.
Distance Education Course Proposal Requirements
Distance education courses should adhere to the same standards, prerequisites, and requirements as traditional sections of identical courses.
Course Proposals for distance education courses must include the following:
A full syllabus (in the same format as syllabi for a traditional course ). Outlining the topics that will be covered in the course and how contact hours will be addressed. The course syllabus must also contain the following components.
As with traditional courses, Tuskegee University's faculty assumes primary responsibility for and exercises oversight over distance education instruction, ensuring both the rigor of courses, curriculum, and the quality of instruction. Blended courses offered less than 50% via distance education are required to follow the Distance Education Policies at Tuskegee University. With noted differences between teaching distance education courses and teaching courses using "traditional" methodologies, the decision to use distance learning must be made on a course-by course basis, with consideration given to the content of the course, the needs of the learners, and the flexibility of the delivery mechanism.
Faculty are encouraged to align distance learning with operational outcomes in the relevant organizational context of their specified fields. Instructional design should reflect best practice quality standards, and provide for a consistent environment and learning experience for students.
All faculty requesting to teach a 100% online or blended online/ face-to-face course are required to show competence in online instruction by (1 ) completing the Training for Teaching Online course (2) attend workshops, additional training sessions and webinars provided by ODEOL (3 ) submit the completed course shell for peer review in the prescribed reqiured format and ( 4) revise course shell as needed based upon the recommendations of the peer review team and ODEOL. In addition, department heads must consider other factors such as the following in determining whether a faculty member is qualified to teach an online or blended online/face-to face course:
Only qualified faculty members will teach courses delivered via distance education. Assigned faculty will have the same expertise, experience, rank, etc. as the faculty assigned to face-to-face classes.
Faculty retain the responsibility and authority for the academic management and oversight of distance education programs and courses and will have full control of the content of the courses based upon the standards provided by the Office of Distance Education and Online Learning.
Faculty retain the authority and responsibility to produce any revised or supplemental materials to maintain or enhance the accuracy and quality of the distance education course. Tuskegee University Intellectual Property Policy and Guidelines defines all intellectual property rights applicable to faculty, staff and students. (https://www.tuskegee.edu/research-and-graduate-studies/intellectual-property-committee).
Based on national standards of best practice, research and instructional design principles, Quality MattersTM (QM) is a faculty-centered , peer review process that is designed to certify the quality of online and blended online/face-to-face courses. Tuskegee University uses the national QMTM rubric, specific to institutional needs, to guide the review of all distance learning courses. The Quality Matters at Tuskegee University rubric addresses course quality in the following categories:
Faculty who teach through distance education technologies are responsible for acquiring sufficient technical skills to present their subject matter and related material effectively and, as necessary, for consulting with technical support personnel.
Tuskegee University’s Office of Distance Education and Online Learning infrastructure provides development opportunities for faculty to increase their awareness of distance education methodologies and improve their instructional skills. Each faculty member will receive consultation, training, implementation, and evaluation support from instructional design and delivery staff to ensure effective, efficient use of the chosen delivery system.
Tuskegee University will provide adequate equipment, software, and communications access to faculty to support interaction with students. Faculty are responsible for informing students about technical skill prerequisites and required hardware, software, and supplemental materials necessary for course participation in the syllabus. When faculty create or teach distance education courses they will do so as part of their regularly compensated responsibilities to Tuskegee University.
Policies for faculty evaluation should give equal value to and appropriate recognition of teaching, scholarly activity/creative endeavor, and service related to distance education programs or courses.
Tuskegee University is committed to providing quality content and instruction for online students to ensure the integrity of student participation in Online Courses.
Tuskegee University students must use a secure login and password to verify their identity when logging into online or blended courses via Canvas. A unique login and password are created and assigned to each student when the student enrolls for courses at Tuskegee University. Using a secure login and password to verify student identity demonstrates that the student who registers in a Tuskegee University online or blended course is the same student who participates in and completes the course and receives the credit.
Tuskegee University requires proctoring for any student enrolled in an online course who takes an exam at an off-campus location. The identity of the student taking the exam is verified by the proctor. If the exam is not administered through Canvas, the proctor will collect any and all test materials and submit it to the instructor via the selected testing center (Sylvan). Students must complete the Proctor Approval Form during the first week of the semester and return per the instructions provided with the exam for which the student is scheduling proctoring services and the instructor will verify the proctor's credentials prior to the student taking the exam.
If online students currently reside outside of our region, instructors may authorize alternative testing centers, which may include:
Professional testing centers (Sylvan)
By using a secure login and password to verify student identity, and by requiring proctored exams for which students must present a valid identification,Tuskegee University demonstrates the student who registers in a distance education course is the same student who participates in and completes the course and receives the credit.
Evidence
Tuskegee University provides access to adequate library resources for its students and faculty by acquiring, organizing, and preserving materials and other learning/information resources consistent with the instruction, research, and the degrees offered at Tuskegee University.
The Tuskegee University Library System consists of the Ford Motor Company Library/Learning Resource Center and three departmental libraries located in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Allied Health; College of Engineering, and the Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science.
The current library print collection is approximately 370,000 volumes, including bound journals, and the library subscribes to over 200 current journals. The libraries subscribe to more than 100 research databases and more than 50,000 electronic journals and thousands of e-books. The library maintains a collection of audiovisual materials (CD, VHS, and DVDs) and music scores.
Tuskegee University ensures that all distance education students have access to library resources to support the courses in which the students are enrolled. These services include document delivery, electronic access to reference services, reserves, interlibrary loan, and a web page that includes ready links to services, contacts, and self-help modules.
The library will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of resources provided to distance education students and will demonstrate that services are improved where appropriate.
Instructors will provide distance education students with information about library services.
Distance education students will have reasonable and adequate access to the range of student services appropriate to support their successful completion of coursework. These services will be comparable to those offered to traditional, on-campus users and will include the following: admissions; bursar’s office; payment processing; bookstore; university catalog; academic advising; technical assistance; registration; withdrawal from courses; financial aid information; academic calendar; services for disabled students (American Disabilities Act of 1990 accommodation); policies, procedures and protocols for taking courses.
The University provides students with tutorial services through the REACH Center. As the University expands its online offerings, the ODEOL will continue to explore additional methods to provide appropriate and effective student support.
Verification of Student Identity Fees
Additional fees associated with verification of identity are subject to be charged.
Student fees are published on the Bursar’s website, and students are notified at the time of registration of all fee charges. Students must sign in and show valid photo identification at the in-person, proctored activities. However, there is no fee for the on-campus activities. With the instructor’s permission, a student who for verified reasons cannot come to campus can utilize an approved, professional proctoring service. However, the student will be responsible for any costs associated with the proctoring service.