The University, the state of Kentucky, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) require reporting and/or approval processes pertinent to academic offerings at off-campus sites from occasional courses all the way through complete academic programs. An off-campus site is defined as one more than 30 miles from the main campus. These reporting requirements are rather complicated and frequently unknown to many academic units. As the University expands its courses and programs offered by distance-learning techniques, it is important to adhere to the procedures established by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) concerning distance-learning activities. The purpose of this document is to discuss briefly the requirements as they relate to courses and programs at the University of Kentucky.
Specifically, SACS requires the President of the University to provide prior written notification of the initiation of and "substantive changes" in delivery of off-campus courses and programs.
A critical point in assessing the University procedures applicable to reporting requirements for off-campus activities is whether the course or program is an entirely new one (or is significantly changed), or whether an already existing course or program is merely being adapted to delivery at off-campus sites. The procedures in the latter case are simpler and more streamlined.
New or Significantly Altered Courses and Programs
Entirely new courses or programs, or those that are to be significantly changed from existing approved ones follow the standard chain of approval processes within the University applicable to the situation. For example, there are standard routes and forms for proposing new courses and programs or for major course changes. These are used whether the course or program will be delivered on or off campus. In these cases, the information needed to meet SACS reporting and approval requirements is routinely transmitted to the President’s Office. This requires approval by the appropriate Undergraduate, Graduate, or Medical Center Council and then the University Senate, after having first been approved by the appropriate department/program and college councils. New programs must then continue on to the Council for Post-secondary Education (CPE) for approval.
When an existing, previously approved course or program is merely adapted to delivery off-campus, whether by traditional means or by using one or more of the newer learning technologies, the University needs to ensure that procedures are followed that will meet SACS reporting requirements in a timely manner.
Adaptation of an Existing Course or Program
If an existing, approved (traditional "on-campus") course is being (a) delivered to an off-campus site for the first time or (b) is being adapted to a new "delivery system" such as television, satellite, compressed video (CV or ITV), or web instructional forms, the adaptation needs to be reported by the program through its college or school to the appropriate council(s) - the Undergraduate, Graduate, or Medical School Council.
In this case, the burden on the unit making the adaptation is to demonstrate that the adapted version is "equivalent" to the approved one. After being reviewed by the appropriate Council, the Council will report its approval to the Senate and transmit this approval to the President for purposes of SACS notification.
The minimum documentation for an adapted course is a short description of the adaptation, accompanied by representative syllabi of the traditional and the adapted course. The reason for this requirement is to demonstrate that it is the equivalent course being delivered via different formats or off campus. SACS requires that the students completing such a course (or program) have acquired the same skills or knowledge and that there is an equivalency in how students are evaluated. Some specific points:
Whether a unit is delivering off-campus graduate courses by traditional means or by using modern technologies, the initiation of distance-learning technologies and any significant changes in the scope and magnitude of these efforts must be reported to SACS, after wending their way through University channels. The primary requirement is to show that the academic program that is delivered is equivalent to the on-campus version and that resources are available to deliver it. The following are examples of when the reporting/approval process is necessary.
Assistance in understanding SACS reporting guidelines pertinent to off-campus course and program delivery and applying these to specific situations is available from several sources on campus: The Dean of Undergraduate Studies, the Office of Distance Learning Programs in the Graduate School, the Chancellor's Office in the Medical Center, and Academic Affairs in the President's Office.
In addition to the primary SACS accreditation publication, Criteria for Accreditation, Commission on Colleges (1998), distance-learning guidelines are contained in Substantive Change Procedure C: The Initiation of Off-Campus Programs, Branch Campuses, and Other Distance Learning Activities, Commission on Colleges (1997).
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Last updated May 13, 2005