Scope

This policy applies to all distance education courses taught during Summer Term and specific EL-OFF courses.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to

  1. Define distance education and the context and timeframe in which distance education courses are offered at the College.
  2. Identify the stakeholders responsible for scheduling, monitoring, administering, and teaching distance education courses.
  3. Define the expectations for distance education courses.
  4. Describe how the College verifies the identity of a student registered for a distance education course.

Definitions

As a traditional, undergraduate, liberal arts institution, the College prioritizes face-to-face education in which faculty and students meet in a traditional classroom setting for in-person instruction. The College’s definition of distance education and how it distinguishes distance education courses from face-to-face ones aligns with policies issued from the United States Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

  1. Distance education: Distance education is education that uses the internet “to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor or instructors and to support the regular and substantive interaction between the student and the instructor or instructors, either synchronously or asynchronously” (34 C.F.R. 600.2).
  2. Regular interaction: According to 34 C.F.R. 600.2, regular interaction between faculty and students 1) occurs on a “predictable and scheduled basis commensurate with the length of time and the amount of content in the course or competency” and 2) occurs when an instructor “promptly and proactively engag[es] in substantive interaction with the student ...”
  3. Substantive interaction: According to 34 C.F.R. 600.2, substantive interaction between faculty and students occurs when faculty “engag[e] students in teaching, learning, and assessment, consistent with the content under discussion.” Substantive interaction occurs when faculty engage in two or more of the following:
    1. Providing direct instruction;
    2. Assessing or providing feedback on a student’s coursework;
    3. Providing information or responding to questions about the content of a course or competency;
    4. Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency; or
    5. Other instructional activities approved by the institution’s or program’s accrediting agency.
  4. Online course: An online course is a course in which learning and learning assessments are provided online via the internet or other computing network.
  5. Fully-online: A fully-online course means that all components of a course are delivered online. No face-to-face components of the class, such as in-class sessions and exams, are required or are a part of a student’s grade.
    1. Synchronous: A synchronous course is a course in which the faculty and student meet in real-time, mediated by an internet meeting platform (e.g., Zoom). Synchronous courses meet regularly at a scheduled time, providing opportunity for faculty-student interaction. For such classes, the meeting time and place are recorded prior to registration and listed in the course syllabus.
    2. Asynchronous: An asynchronous course is a course in which the faculty and student do not have required, pre-determined interactions, though the faculty member may provide opportunities for optional, real-time meetings in the format of their choice.
  6. Hybrid course: A hybrid course is a course in which one portion of the course is taught face-to-face and another portion of the course is taught in a synchronous or asynchronous online format. The definition of a hybrid course varies by course type. For hybrid internship courses, the majority of coursework is completed asynchronously except for two mandatory meetings with the faculty member.

Policy Statement

At Hampden-Sydney College, distance education courses are of one of two types: 1) synchronous, online courses that meet daily and are offered during Summer Term at the discretion of the Associate Dean of the Faculty, and 2) the following hybrid, EL-OFF courses: Internship 250: Professional Shadowing Course, Internship 252: Health Professions Shadowing Course, Internship 395: Internship, and Interdisciplinary Studies 250: Cultural Engagement in Study Abroad. These EL- OFF courses are hybrid courses because they require meetings with the faculty member and are based on the student’s internship, shadowing, or study-abroad experience that takes place off the Hampden-Sydney campus. No other distance education courses are offered during the Fall and Spring semesters. Hampden-Sydney College does not offer fully online degree programs.

  1. Course Requirements
    1. All distance education courses must provide regular and substantive interactions between Faculty and students.
    2. All distance education courses must meet the same standards as face-to-face courses.
    3. All distance education courses must comply with the College’s Credit Hour Policy.
    4. Regardless of modality, all courses at the same level and of the same credit hour value must demonstrate that they have similar course content, expectations, and workload as other classes in the same department.
    5. All courses require the verification of student identity.
  2. Role of the Dean of the Faculty’s Office
    1. The Associate Dean of the Faculty or Dean of the Faculty designee determines which courses may be offered online during Summer Term and submits the schedule to the Registrar. The Assistant Dean of Teaching and Learning or Dean of Faculty designee submits the schedule for the distance education EL-OFF courses to the Registrar.
    2. The Associate Dean of the Faculty and Assistant Dean of Teaching and Learning or Dean of the Faculty designees are responsible for ensuring faculty teaching in Summer Term and in the EL-OFF distance education courses, respectively, have access to the appropriate training, resources, and policies related to distance education.
  3. Role of the Faculty
    1. Faculty are required to maintain regular and substantive interaction with students in an online course, as defined above.
    2. Faculty performance in distance education courses is evaluated via course evaluations.
    3. Faculty teaching distance education courses receive training.
    4. Faculty must post course information in an online course management system or instructor website.
  4. Comparability of Summer Term Distance and Face-to-Face Courses
    1. Because a handful of Summer Term classes are offered at the discretion of the Associate Dean of the Faculty, traditional assessment to compare distance education and face-to-face courses cannot occur. To compare online and face-to-face courses, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness will review course evaluations, and the Associate Dean of the Faculty or Dean of the Faculty designee will review course syllabi.
  5. Obligations to Students
    1. Students engaging in online education will have access to the same academic and student support services as students enrolled in face-to-face classes. The Office of Academic Success will be available for virtual meetings with students in online classes. Counseling Services provides in-person and virtual counseling appointments to students residing in Virginia. Students not residing in Virginia will be referred to counseling services in their area.
    2. Students are not charged additional fees for distance education courses.
    3. The Computing Center bears the responsibility of protecting the privacy of distance education students.

Verification of Student Identity

  1. Hampden-Sydney College ensures that any student who is registered for credit-bearing courses is the same student who completes the course and receives credit for it. The College uses a secure and unique username and password to verify student identity, in addition to multi-factor authentication.

Related Policies

Code of Federal Regulations: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-VI/part-600/subpart-A/section-600.2

SACSCOC Distance and Correspondence Education Courses Policy Statement:

https://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2019/07/DistanceCorrespondenceEducation.pdf

Policy History

  1. Initially approved by the Faculty: December 2, 2024
  2. Implemented: July 1, 2025
  3. Next review scheduled: September 1, 2028