MCC Policies & Legal

Online Education Plan

The MiraCosta College Online Education Plan was approved by Senate Council in July 2011.

Course Approval for Online

In order to be offered online , courses must be approved for the online format by the Courses and Programs Committee. The central requirement is the addition of Form A, which assures regular and effective student contact and ADA compliance. Please refer to Courses and Programs Committee documentation:

Office hours policy

(Approved by Senate Council 2004)
Regular office hours (a minimum of two hours per week) must be scheduled and mintained by each instructor and must be announced to students as well as submitted to the appropriate faculty secretary by the end of the first week of class, or as soon as approved. The purpose of office hours is to provide students with a definite time when they know that they will be able to consult with or get feedback from their instructor. Office hours may be held in a location on campus, by phone, or online (by an appropriate method, such as email, chat, discussion board). The method chosen by the instructor for his or her office hours should reflect the needs of the students.

Online class visit policy

No longer valid for associate faculty. Was in associate faculty handbook before Collective Bargaining Agreement (July 2011).  Was based on TFM handbook (2011).

TFM online class visit policy (2011):

Visitations to online classes may take place if these classes are a part of assigned contract load. The TFM shall designate the following elements of evaluation for each online class:

  • one example of content instruction or information delivery (such as one lecture, an instructional

animation, assignments which teach content, etc.)

  • a sample of student interaction (equivalent to a week’s worth of electronic discussion, or
  • attendance at one half hour of synchronous chat session)
  • the syllabus

The TFM will authorize student-level access to the visitor for the purpose of observing these
elements of the class.  While it is acknowledged that it would not be possible to block the visitor
from access to other areas of the class, only these elements are to be assessed in order to provide equivalency with a one-hour on-site classroom visit.

Tenure Candidate handbook (2011):

Online Observations
Observation of online classes may take place, if these classes are a part of assigned
contract load and are scheduled for observation on the Tenure Plan or in the Introductory
Meeting. The Candidate shall designate the following elements of observation for each
online class:

  • one example of content instruction or information delivery (one lecture, an

instructional animation, assignments which teach content, etc.)

  • a sample of student interaction (equivalent to a week’s worth of electronic
  • discussion, or attendance at one half-hour of synchronous chat session)
  • the syllabus

The Candidate will authorize student-level access to the observer for the purpose of
evaluating these elements of the class. While it is acknowledged that it would not be
possible to block the observer from access to other areas of the class, only these elements
are to be assessed in order to provide equivalency with a one-hour on-site classroom visit

 

Class Format Option Policy

Forbidden by the Office of Instruction, Spring 2011
Allows for the substitution of online for on-site classroom hours using the following formula: 13% of on-site hours if the course was already approved for full online offering, or a single class meeting for courses not approved or where the course was approved but students were not notified in the Schedule of Classes of the possibility of format shift. Students must be given reasonable notification and preparation as defined by the policy, and notation should be made in the syllabus. Approved by Senate Council in May 2008. See the full policy [pdf].

Sample syllabus statement for format substitution

Technology and Pedagogy Committee

TAP was a Senate committee that existed for many years, until submerged by the governance reorganization in 2008-2009. Many of the policies are still in force. See the TAP web page for more.

Guidelines for Non-College Supported Technologies

Guidelines approved by TAP and Senate Council in April and May 2008, to assist faculty in using web-based technologies which are not supported by MiraCosta College.

Handout [pdf]

Slideshow with audio:

Legalities (Tips)