Class C Resolution on UW Distance Learning courses

At its meeting on Dec. 3, the UW Faculty Senate passed a Class “C” resolution calling on departments, schools and colleges to review the quality of courses offered via distance learning, and to monitor the workload and responsibilities of faculty who teach such courses. The resolution points to a number of questions that will doubtless come before the faculty with increasing frequency as this university seeks to deal with new approaches to providing instruction and new pressures to expand access to programs while at the same time assuring high quality in the educational experiences students receive.

Of central importance here is the fact that the schools, departments and colleges must continue to be the primary guarantors of academic quality and integrity in courses and programs. While some units on campus are already using distance learning approaches extensively in their programs, faculty in other units may feel strongly that they do not want to work with such approaches. Any effort to develop a one-size-fits-all policy on the role of distance learning on this campus will likely therefore prove difficult. What is suggested in this resolution, therefore, is an increased attention at the departmental level to the place of distance learning offerings in the department’s overall set of courses and programs.

A further question is the role of those instructors who teach distance learning courses under the auspices of UW Educational Outreach. While many of these instructors are adjunct faculty
who teach only an occasional course, others are regular UW faculty who offer these courses on a regular basis for additional compensation. Both the role of adjunct faculty in the overall life of the department, and the effect of over-load teaching on regular faculty, need attention from academic units.

It is important to recognize that all regular UW courses offered under the aegis of UW Educational Outreach (UWEO) as distance learning courses remain under the control of the department, school or college. Such courses are still “owned” by the department, even as they are “managed” by UWEO. Department chairs, deans and directors are encouraged to involve faculty in the processes of checking syllabi, monitoring the qualifications of instructors and reviewing the quality of instruction in distance learning courses. To the maximum extent possible, the experience of taking a course via distance learning ought to be comparable (although likely not “equivalent”) to the experience of taking the same course on campus.

The question of how distance learning generally may be best integrated into the overall structure of UW courses and programs is a topic of intense discussion at the moment in various faculty councils and committees. Although the Governor’s 2020 Commission did not make distance learning a major part of its proposals for higher education in Washington, it is also clear that there are both expectations (on the parts of some legislators) and hopes (on the parts of some students) that offerings via distance learning will become more available from this institution. While the UW still treats distance learning courses as a distinct category, the majority of the UW’s peer institutions already offer students the option of taking such courses with no distinction or penalty attached to this alternative format. Whether and under what conditions the UW ought to follow this pattern is something our faculty will need to address in the next few years. It is hoped that this Class “C” resolution will encourage that discussion to begin. ¶

Stephen T. Kerr, Professor of Education and Chair of the Faculty Council on Educational Outreach