IV.B.1

B. Board and Administrative Organization


In addition to the leadership of individuals and constituencies, institutions recognize the designated responsibilities of the governing board for setting policies and of the chief administrator for the effective operation of the institution. Multi-college districts/systems clearly define the organizational roles of the district/system and the colleges.


1. The institution has a governing board that is responsible for establishing policies to assure the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of the student learning programs and services and the financial stability of the institution. The governing board adheres to a clearly defined policy for selecting and evaluating the chief administrator for the college or the district/system.

ACCJC Guide for Evaluating Distance Education (June, 2013)

• Does the institution have a Policy Manual or other policy documents that show the board’s role in establishing said policy, including policies on DE/CE and reviewing it on a regular basis?

• What statements about quality of program, integrity of institutional actions, and about effectiveness of student learning programs and services are to be found in the institution’s board-established policies, mission statement, vision or philosophy statement, planning documents, or other statements of direction? Do these statements appropriately include issues related to the institution’s DE/CE activities?


#Evidence that the board has taken the quality of the institution’s DE/CE into consideration in the development of the relevant policies.

#Examples of board statements on DE/CE program quality and integrity.

Beyond Audit and Compliance: DE Excellence at SBVC

 

Description:

There are several interconnected entities responsible for making decisions regarding Distance Education delivery.  The Online Program Committee is a standing committee of the Academic Senate.  Its charge is to advise the Vice President of Instruction regarding all issues related to online learning at the College. This committee is comprised of faculty, staff, and administrators.  The committee seeks student representation as well.  The Online Program Committee is not a part of College Council.  So its concerns are reported through the Vice President of Instruction and other committees.

The college Technology Committee is a part of College Council.  And the Online Program Committee is represented on the Technology Committee.  Thus the concerns are reported through the Technology Committee to College Council.  The Online Program Committee has developed an Online Learning Plan.  This plan is aligned with the appropriate section of the college's Technology Plan. The elements of the Online Learning Plan clearly show that the various elements of distance education policies are reviewed regularly and systematically, focusing on effectiveness and continuous quality improvement.  [website-Online Learning Plan]  [pdf--2014 Academic Senate Committee Structure]

The Curriculum Committee is a standing committee of the Academic Senate.  The co-chairs of the Online Program Committee are responsible for helping faculty through the process of approval for Distance Education delivery.  Further, the faculty co-chair is one of the reviewers both at the initial technical level of approval and throughout the process.  A course cannot be approved for Distance Education delivery without approval from the co-chair of the Online Program Committee.

At the District level, the Distributed Education Coordinating Council is comprised of representatives from both SBVC and Crafton Hills College, as well as members of the District concerned with technology, such as the Blackboard administrator and web developer.  The SBVC representation reports from and to the Online Program Committee.  District concerns can be reported to the college and college concerns can be reported to the District.

Commitment to a high quality distance education program is evinced at the District level through relevant Board Policies and Administrative Procedures.  In the SBCCD, the term "Distributed Education" is used to describe what the ACCJC and the state of California designate as "Distance Education."  A previous chancellor was persuaded that the vast majority of students taking "distance education" courses lived within a few miles of the campus.  So the model of California State University, San Bernardino was followed and the "DE" programs at the SBCCD were labeled "Distributed Education," recognizing that technology was being used to distribute learning opportunities across time and space.  The Substantive Change Proposals of 2012 and 2014 have been clear in indicating that "Distributed Education" and "Distance Education" are equivalent. In the fall of 2013, however, the Vice Chancellor for Technology Services initiated a review of those Administrative Procedures, in part to address accreditation issues at the District level.  That review is ongoing in the fall of 2014, but will almost certainly result in a new Board Policy and new Administrative Procedures for Distance Education.  When those policies are approved, they will be included in this website as evidence. [pdf-Board Policy on Distributed Education] [pdf-Administrative Procedure on Distributed Education] [website-Substantive Change Proposal-2012] [website-substantive Change Proposal- 2014]

Evaluation:

This standard is met in terms of distance education.  

 

IV.B.1.b

B. Board and Administrative Organization

1. b.The governing board establishes policies consistent with the mission statement to ensure the quality, integrity, and improvement of student learning programs and services and the resources necessary to support them.

ACCJC Guide for Evaluating Distance Education (June, 2013)

• Is the governing board aware of the institution-set standards and the analysis of results for improvement of student achievement and learning?

Beyond Audit and Compliance: DE Excellence at SBVC

Description:

 In order to comply with the ACCJC's desire to have institution-set standards in place prior to the next site visit,  in 2013 and 2014, the Online Program Committee discussed DE Retention and DE Success at SBVC.  After several meetings, the committee decided that the institution-set standard for DE should be rigorous and challenging, at the same time flexible and encouraging experimentation.  The following statements are a product of that discussion and were approved by SBVC's Online Program Committee on February 21, 2014.

"SBVC's Institution-Set Standards for Distance Education are based on the California State Average for Retention and Success for distance education classes offered for credit.  This information can be found at the California Community College Chancellor's Office's Datamart website.

SBVC's institution-set standard for DE will be met if the retention and success for distance education courses are equal to or greater than the state averages for DE classes. 

SBVC's institution-set standard for DE will not be met if either success or retention for DE classes falls below the state average for DE classes for three consecutive semesters."

These institution-set standards are publicly visible for everyone, including the governing board, on the SBVC website.  [website--institution-set standards for DE]

Evaluation:

It is the opinion of the Online Program Committee that SBVC meets this standard in terms of Distance Education.  

IV.B.2.b.2

B. Board and Administrative Organization

2.b.  The president guides institutional improvement of the teaching and learning environment by the following: 

• establishing a collegial process that sets values, goals, and priorities; 

• ensuring that evaluation and planning rely on high quality research and analysis on external and internal conditions; 

• ensuring that educational planning is integrated with resource planning and distribution to achieve student learning outcomes; and 

• establishing procedures to evaluate overall institutional planning and implementation efforts 

ACCJC Guide for Evaluating Distance Education (June, 2013)

• Have programs, degrees, and certificates available 50% or more via DE/CE been reviewed through the ACCJC substantive change process?

Beyond Audit and Compliance: DE Excellence at SBVC

Description:

The Online Program Committee and the Vice President of Instruction monitor the curriculum regarding distance education delivery.  In 2012, SBVC submitted a Substantive Change Proposal to the ACCJC noting that 15 degrees and 20 certificates had crossed the 50% threshold of distance education delivery.  That Substantive Change Proposal was approved by the Commission in June, 2012.  In 2014, SBVC submitted a Substantive Change Proposal noting that 25 more degrees and 7 more certificates had either crossed the 50% threshold or were very close to crossing that threshold.  That proposal was approved by the ACCJC Committee on Substantive Change in March, 2014.  [webpage--Substantive Change Proposals]

Evaluation:

It is clear that this standard is met in terms of Distance Education.  

 

IV.B.2.a.4

B. Board and Administrative Organization

2.a.4.establishing procedures to evaluate overall institutional planning and implementation efforts.

ACCJC Guide for Evaluating Distance Education (June, 2013)

• What does the president do to analyze and communicate the college’s success in achieving its institution-set standards?

Beyond Audit and Compliance: DE Excellence at SBVC

Description:

In order to comply with the ACCJC's desire to have institution-set standards in place prior to the next site visit,  in 2013 and 2014, the Online Program Committee discussed DE Retention and DE Success at SBVC.  After several meetings, the committee decided that the institution-set standard for DE should be rigorous and challenging, at the same time flexible and encouraging experimentation.  The following statements are a product of that discussion and were approved by SBVC's Online Program Committee on February 21, 2014.  SBVC's Academic Senate approved these institution-set standards for DE at its May 7, 2014 meeting.

"SBVC's Institution-Set Standards for Distance Education are based on the California State Average for Retention and Success for distance education classes offered for credit.  This information can be found at the California Community College Chancellor's Office's Datamart website.

SBVC's institution-set standard for DE will be met if the retention and success for distance education courses are equal to or greater than the state averages for DE classes. 

SBVC's institution-set standard for DE will not be met if either success or retention for DE classes falls below the state average for DE classes for three consecutive semesters."

These institution-set standards are publicly visible for everyone, including the President of the college, on the SBVC website.  [website--institution-set standards for DE]


Evaluation:

This standard is met in terms of Distance Education.