Distance Learning Faculty Specialists Bridge the Gap between Faculty and Administration
Institution: Eastern Oregon University

Your online/distance learning program is growing at a rapid rate; your on-campus faculty complain that they are not involved enough in the process, while your administrators complain that the faculty are not invested enough in the program. Sound familiar? Eastern Oregon University’s Division of Distance Education (EOU/DDE) has developed a model to bridge the gap that sometimes forms between faculty and administration in online learning programs. Like many online and distance learning programs, EOU/DDE has experienced rapid growth (25-30% annually) over the past few years. In response, EOU/DDE developed the Distance Learning Faculty Specialist (DLFS) model two years ago to support this growth while also effectively involving on-campus faculty in distance education. EOU/DDE now has 15 Distance Learning Faculty Specialists who perform a variety of duties, including developing and teaching distance courses, serving as liaisons to faculty in their discipline, consulting with the DDE staff on emerging issues, and mentoring colleagues.

Thanks to the DLFS program, EOU/DDE has developed programs effectively in a number of subject areas, including business, English, gender studies, biology (online minor available), chemistry, and mathematics. The DLFS model helps EOU/DDE serve students nationally and internationally, as well as within EOU’s sprawling service area (46,000 square mi.). At the same time, the specialists have helped enable a more supportive institutional culture, with increased credibility with colleagues and more collaborative relationships, which is not surprising since a majority of on-campus faculty (60%) participate in the distance education program.

Other institutions might consider emulating this model, although it may need modifying to fit larger institutions or ones with less internal support for distance education.

Sometimes, getting started in an online learning course is half the battle. The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Online Learning Program makes getting started easier for students. Every RIT online course has a customized course page which contains course-specific information such as course materials and courseware used, as well as general course information common to all RIT online courses.

A particularly handy feature is a printable preparation checklist to help students get ready for the course. Each customized course page also provides direct links to order course materials online, as well as a list of course-specific library reserve materials. The page also includes other essential information such as basic course information, contact information for general and technical support, minimum equipment requirements, courseware and computer account information, and other support and information resources.

Surveys over the last four years suggest that students appreciate this feature, as students have repeated high satisfaction ratings for RIT online course Web pages. Faculty have also indicated that students are typically well-prepared for their courses. The customized course pages may also be contributing to high course completion rates (over 95%) in the RIT Online Learning Program.