GUIDELINES FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS FOR EXTENDED AND OFF CAMPUS GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS*

Approved by the Graduate Council, February 2004

INTRODUCTION

The intent of this document is to establish guidelines and procedures by which a department or other academic unit may offer new extended** or new off campus*** graduate degree programs or extended or off campus delivery of existing graduate degree programs to different locations and on different schedules to accommodate local demands. When proposing such programs, the following information should be provided to and will be assessed by the Committee on Programs and Courses of the Graduate Council. This document should be used in concert with "Residency and Related Policies for Off Campus Graduate Programs," available from the Graduate School office in 114 Kern Building.

Common Requirements for New Extended or New Off Campus Degree Programs and Extended or Off Campus Delivery of Existing Degree Programs
1. A. Justification statement including: 1) the need for the program with market survey data if appropriate; 2) the size of the program and its anticipated duration; 3) evidence concerning the academic unit's ability to offer a quality program in an off campus environment; 4) a statement demonstrating the impact of the proposed new program or off campus program delivery on existing programs as well as on faculty load; and 5) a statement indicating fiscal responsibility for the program.
2. A statement in a format for bulletin copy which includes the following: 1) complete degree requirements; 2) a list of courses; and 3) a statement of admissions requirements, e.g., test scores, GPA, etc. Admissions criteria for off campus degree programs should be the same as those for traditional degree programs. In addition, a description of the course sequence and typical scheduling pattern should be provided but need not be in bulletin format. For proposals involving off campus delivery of existing degree programs, if any revisions are being proposed due to off campus delivery, a side by side comparison of the existing program requirements and the revised requirements must be provided along with a statement justifying all proposed revisions.
3. A statement demonstrating how the essential elements of residency (as defined in "Residency and Related Policies for Off Campus Graduate Programs") will be achieved. Three years after program inception a report must be made to the Graduate Council's Committee on Programs and Courses which provides evidence concerning how the essential elements of residency have actually been incorporated into the program and that high quality graduate education has been delivered in the off-campus program. During this 3-year period, the Graduate School is charged with monitoring program delivery and quality. (See Off-Campus Program Reporting Process)
4. Program operation and maintenance including: 1) identification of a program coordinator who must be a member of the graduate faculty in the academic unit offering the degree; 2) evidence of how academic advising, counseling, and learning support will be provided to students; 3) description of available facilities including research facilities, libraries, technological resources, etc. and 4) a statement regarding any technological resources which students will be expected to have (e.g., access to a computer, Internet access, VCR, etc.).
5. Written responses indicating consultation with other units affected by the proposed program. In addition, if the program is to be offered on-line or use technology as the primary delivery method to serve off-campus students, the World Campus should be consulted at the earliest possible stage of program development and a letter of consultation must be provided from the Director of the World Campus.
6. Off-campus programs must incorporate a mechanism for assessing program quality through student surveys for feedback at critical milestones in the program as well as a student exit questionnaire at the time of graduation.
Additional Requirements for New Extended or New Off Campus Degree Programs

Objectives of the program including: 1) an explanation of how the new program meets the educational objectives and/or strengthens existing programs of the college(s) and the University; 2) an explanation of why this program is appropriate for off campus delivery; 3) a description of what students may expect to accomplish through the new program; and 4) a statement of how the new offering does not unnecessarily duplicate other degree programs.

A list of new courses to be established as a part of the new degree program.

*These guidelines supercede and replace Guidelines and Procedures for the Approval of Extended Degree Graduate Programs (approved by the Graduate Council, December 1997).
**Extended degree programs are those that are extended from University Park campus or one of the approved graduate centers (Behrend College, Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies, Capital College, College of Medicine) to another University location.
***Off-campus degree programs are those offered at a non-University location (e.g., World Campus, corporate facility, school district, etc.)

The following documents provide further information relevant to Residency and Related Policies for Extended or Off Campus Degree Programs:
Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin
Articles of Authority, Bylaws, and Standing Rules of the Graduate Council (September 1995)
Senate Guide to Curricular Procedures
The Graduate Faculty: Membership Criteria, Responsibilities and Methods of Appointment
Student Guide to University POLICIES AND RULES 1997-98
Academic and Administrative Policies and Procedures
Policy AD20 Computer and Network Security
Policy AD47 - General Standards of Professional Ethics
Policy AD48 - Co-Authorship of Scholarly Reports, Papers, and Publications
Human Resources Policy HR 36 - Educational Privileges for Faculty, Staff and Retirees

FULFILLING THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF RESIDENCY

The intent of this document is to encourage creative ways of addressing student and community needs in off-campus graduate degree programs, while ensuring that such graduate degree programs maintain academic standards parallel to those of more traditional programs. For the seven essential elements of residency, alternative techniques and technologies are suggested as ways of providing in off -campus graduate degree programs benefits comparable to traditional residency. A glossary of distance education terminology is appended.

Fulfilling Objectives of Residency in Off-Campus Professional Master's Degree Programs

Element: Interaction between faculty members and students above and beyond direct instruction

The objectives of out-of-class interaction include socializing students to their professional fields, providing a broad exposure to developments in the disciplines, supporting the students in their academic programs and career and professional development, and building a community of scholars and professionals. On campus, these objectives are typically met through advising sessions with faculty members and through participation in a variety of informal and formal events in which students and faculty can share ideas and experiences.

Techniques for achieving interaction include

Mentoring, academic counseling, and career counseling. Faculty members can offer one-to-one advice and counsel on a range of academic and professional issues beyond the scope of a specific course. Advisers can provide academic and career-related counseling.

Off-campus example: Mentoring and counseling can be conducted via telephone and/or electronic mail. If a course uses interactive video the faculty member can arrange for the video connection to remain open after class to permit video-based office hours.

Open discussions. Faculty members can arrange for open discussion of ideas and issues related to the professional field but not limited to specific course content. Discussions can be moderated or unmoderated.

Off-campus example: Open discussions can be conducted in a real-time chat area on line or as a threaded (topic-specific) discussion via a computer conference or electronic bulletin board. They can also be conducted via audioconference or structured as additions to videoconferences.

Non-class lectures and seminars. Lectures and departmental or interdepartmental seminars presented by other faculty members or visiting scholars offer students opportunities to interact with faculty representing a range of knowledge and perspectives.

Off-campus example: Computer conferencing on the World Wide Web allows faculty members to provide off-campus students opportunities to interact with specialists from either the campus or around the world. The guest speaker can provide an advance set of readings for discussion or make an on-line presentation, then be available to answer questions or participate in on-line discussions over a period of several days.

Element: Interaction among students in a given program

The primary objective of interaction among students is to permit students to share and benefit from the diverse social and educational experiences other students bring into the program. In a resident program the students are able to benefit socially and educationally from interaction and shared experiences in classes as well as other activities, including student and campus-sponsored events and organizations. Resident students also have the advantage of exposure to interaction with students in other disciplines on campus through classes and campus events.

Techniques for achieving this type of interaction include

Collaborative work groups. Group or team projects allow students to pool their varied knowledge, skills, and experiences in solving a content-based problem or in developing a course-specific project. Collaborative groups can be monitored or facilitated by a faculty member or graduate teaching assistant.

Off-campus example: Computer conference systems can connect and support real-time or delayed-time group collaboration on case-study preparation, project development, class presentations, etc. Audioconferencing can connect students at different sites for real-time development and presentation of a variety of collaborative projects including debates and panel presentations.

Peer counseling. Senior graduate students can provide advice on academic issues such as preparation for exams and administrative procedures. They can also provide important support for less-experienced students by offering encouragement and advice relating to the challenges of juggling multiple roles and responsibilities.

Off-campus example: Electronic mail or computer conference systems can provide students in a program with real-time or delayed-time opportunities to interact with other students who have successfully coped with a variety of graduate-student experiences. Interactions can also be scheduled via telephone conversations.

Discipline-based student clubs and inter-disciplinary social organizations. Student clubs give graduate students in a particular field of study an opportunity to meet and mix with peers who share similar academic interests and goals. Organizations that include graduate students from a range of disciplines offer a chance to socialize or otherwise interact with peers representing a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

Off-campus example: Students can form computer-mediated chat groups based on mutual interests, whether academic or social. Electronic bulletin boards can support the exchange of information among students interested in a particular area of study or in a particular hobby or pastime.

Element: Access to information and instructional resources (such as libraries, laboratories, and research facilities)

The objective of providing access to information and instructional resources is to expand the educational experiences afforded to the students beyond what can be provided by instructors. For most resident students this provision can be assumed since graduate programs are generally structured around information resources available on the campus on which the program originates.

Techniques for achieving this access include

Providing access to content experts other than the program's instructors. Inviting guest lecturers to a class or outside experts to campus to offer seminars or workshops enriches the learning experience by providing other perspectives on or extended knowledge of topics or subject areas.

Off-campus example: Video teleconferencing, audioconferencing, and computer conferencing all offer ways to connect students directly to extra-institutional content experts. On-line seminars and workshops with experts around the world, structured and facilitated by the instructor, greatly expand the geographic range from which these experts can be drawn.

Providing access to a broad range of discipline-specific and interdisciplinary resources. Libraries and other repositories of information complement the information and knowledge provided in the classroom. From these and other sources students gather the raw materials they need to develop a personal knowledge base and a coherent approach to their field of study.

Off-campus example: CD-ROMs, on-line searches, and electronic connections to library and other data collections offer access to vast collections of data and information. Course Home Pages can offer course-specific resources or direct students to related sources of information. Students can combine these resources with others available on site and with course content to enhance learning and expand their knowledge base.

Providing access to research facilities. Research projects introduce students to the ways in which knowledge in their fields is constructed and validated. The research process gives students a way to participate in the discovery of new knowledge and opportunities to integrate what is learned in the classroom with what is learned empirically.

Off-campus example: Often students in off-campus programs are pursuing professional masters' degrees in a field in which they are currently employed. In such cases, their work environment offers opportunities for both conducting original research and for putting the results of that research into practice. Such "situated" research and practice provides an excellent way for students to integrate classroom knowledge with new knowledge gained from research and practice.

Element: Exposure to and socialization in the field of study

The objective of exposure to and socialization in the field of study is to provide students with a range of educational experiences that introduce them to the language and issues of their disciplines. Seminar series, workshops, research exhibitions, discussions with professional peers, informal departmental activities, and other shared experiences serve this purpose for resident students.

Techniques for achieving this socialization include

Seminars. Seminars can introduce students to current issues of research and/or practice and provide a forum for interaction with colleagues within the student's field.

Off-campus example: Small groups of peers can use computer conferencing or audio conferencing to discuss a seminar topic introduced by an outside expert or a member of the group. Discussion can be real-time or, in the case of computer conferencing, carried out over a period of days.

Skill-enhancement workshops. Workshops on specific aspects of professional practice, such as writing for publication or designing effective conference presentations, offer students opportunities to build skills necessary to actively contribute to their fields.

Off-campus example: Faculty or practicing professionals can present skills workshops via audioconference, videoconference, or the World Wide Web. Depending on the requirements of the content, presentation and interaction can be either real-time or delayed.

Research displays. Exhibitions or displays of in-process or completed research allow students to get an overview of the types and areas of investigation being conducted in their fields. These activities can facilitate networking with those who share students' research interests or suggest possible directions for personal research.

Off-campus example: Students can develop multi-media "poster-sessions" of their research for display via the World Wide Web. They can also view the results of others' research and react to/discuss the displays over a period of days or weeks via e-mail.

Discussions with professional peers. Discussion with peers at conferences or other meetings of discipline-related professional groups allows students to exchange ideas and network with practicing professionals in their fields.

Off-campus example: Off campus students can be encouraged to participate in regional and/or national conferences and professional society meetings in their geographic areas. Additionally, faculty members can structure and facilitate student participation in the on-line pre- and post-conference discussions that are being incorporated into many academic conferences.

Element: Ready access to suitable academic advising and support services

The objective of ready access to suitable academic advising and support services is to ensure students are receiving the guidance and personal support required to complete their programs in a successful and timely manner. Resident students can take advantage of their presence on campus to schedule meetings with program advisors career counselors, if necessary.

Techniques for achieving this support include

Meetings with an academic adviser or student support staff. Academic advisers offer guidance in establishing and completing a course of study that reflects a student's academic goals. Faculty members or student support staff can notify students of and explain departmental and institutional policies that govern advanced academic programs.

Off-campus example: Faculty or staff advisers can conduct individual academic counseling sessions via telephone or electronic mail. General policies and procedures can be posted electronically for access at the student's convenience, and support related to administrative functions (registration, payments, grades, etc.) can be provided by telephone or e-mail. The faculty member with general responsibility for the off-campus program can be available by telephone or e-mail to answer questions or direct students to the right source of information about broader issues relating to a student's program.

Meetings with a career counselor. Career counselors provide advice relating to entry into or advancement in fields related to the student's course of study.

Off-campus example: Students can meet with career counselors via telephone or electronic mail. Small groups of students at remote sites also can be offered audio or videoconferencing sessions with a counselor. General information such as position listings, information for developing resumes, tips for job interviews, etc. can be posted and accessed electronically.

Element: Contribution of graduate students to the degree program, the college, and the university

The objective of contributions from graduate students of diverse backgrounds is to share the social and educational experiences students bring into the program, the college, and the university to the benefit of other students, faculty, and the university overall. In a resident program this is made possible through interactions of students, faculty, and other university personnel in classes and other formal and informal events.

Techniques for facilitating student contributions include

Introduction of new students. Programs use a variety of methods to introduce new students to returning students and to faculty members. "Veteran" students can interview new students in order to identify perspectives and contributions that these students bring to the program or to the university as a whole. This personal and professional information can then be disseminated via bulletin boards and newsletters.

Off-campus example: Program or departmental newsletters with new-student information can be disseminated traditionally (i.e., via the postal system) or sent electronically to students and faculty. Programs may also develop Web pages that include information about the professional interests and contributions of both new and continuing students, and students can develop personal Web pages on which to share information about themselves.

Informal Seminars. Many graduate students in professional degree programs bring with them considerable knowledge and experience gained through real-world practice. Informal seminars offer opportunities to exchange knowledge and engage in peer networking around topics of mutual professional interest.

Off-campus example: Audioconferences and videoconferences allow students to conduct real-time presentation and discussion of perspectives gained through previous educational experiences or in professional practice. Computer conferencing can support an asynchronous seminar format, with new students posting information and then responding to queries or facilitating related discussions.

Element: Identification with Penn State

The objective of identification with Penn State is to provide students with a unique educational experience that reflects the history, reputation, personnel, and resources of Penn State. In resident programs this objective is met by presence on a Penn State campus or campuses and exposure to Penn State traditions.

Techniques for achieving this identification include

Formation of connections through initial and continuing communications. Official correspondence from the program or the University can establish a sense of institutional identification through welcoming messages and communications of interest about Penn State.

Off-campus example: Like their on-campus counterparts, off-campus students receive official communications that establish their relationship with a department and with the University. Prominent display of Penn State logos and other identifying symbols on all communications, including course materials, can help establish a student's identity as a Penn Stater. Small "gifts" such as Penn State bumper stickers or folders can be useful in establishing a positive feeling toward the institution, as well as giving off-campus students a way to display their institutional affiliation. Routinely assigning off-campus students computer access accounts will ensure their ability to interact electronically with the University and its resources.

Formation and maintenance of connections through University publications. General university and department-specific publications can be used to keep students informed about people, activities, policies and procedures, etc.

Off-campus example: Off-campus students can receive appropriate University publications via land mail. Some publications, including the student-published newspaper the Daily Collegian, are available on line and provide informative and entertaining ways of establishing a sense of identification with the University. Programs comprised primarily or completely of off-campus students can develop print and/or electronic publications specifically designed to foster a sense of inclusion in and connection to the sponsoring department and the University.

Formation and maintenance of relationships with the Penn State chapter of academic or professional societies. Membership in academic and professional groups fosters a sense of identification both with a larger community of scholars and/or practitioners and with those who have shared or are currently sharing a common academic experience.

Off-campus example: Students can be informed of and encouraged join appropriate academic and professional societies. Off-campus students can receive information about the availability and location of chapters in their geographic area via land mail or electronically. Programs can also establish a mentoring system whereby Penn State graduates are matched up with current off-campus students in their geographic region for the purpose of helping them connect to local university and professional activities.

Glossary of Distance Education Terms and Technologies

Asynchronous communication. An interaction between two or more people that is time delayed, that is, separated by minutes, hours, even days. Correspondence and e-mail are asynchronous forms of communication.

Audioconference. Expanding on the idea of the conference call by more formally integrating elements of course design, content, and delivery, instructors can use this telephone technology for the interactive delivery of course content, to provide access to distant experts, and for ongoing collaboration.

Audiographic technology. Combining the telephone and the computer creates a distance learning application called audiographics. In this environment the telephone is used for voice interaction and the computer is used for sharing graphic materials and for collaborative work.

Computer conferencing. Interactive computer-based communication environments can be real-time "chat" modes where participants interact simultaneously by typing their comments on the keyboard or modes where messages are posted to electronic bulletin boards to be retrieved at the reader's convenience.

E-mail. E-mail or electronic mail allows learners and instructors to communicate across time and distance using typed messages sent over both local and global computer networks. Connectivity to networks is provided by either a modem and telephone line or a direct connection to high speed data networks.

Internet. A world-wide network of over four million computers that can communicate with each other at high speed by using the same communication method.

Multi-media. A combination of audio, video, and/or computer technologies that provide a fuller range of expression and experience.

On line. Being in direct communication to a remote computer or computer system, thus enabling communication and/or transfer or exchange of information.

Synchronous communication. An interaction between individuals or groups that occurs in "real-time," that is, with no appreciable delay between the end on one message and the beginning of another. Face-to-face and telephone conversations are synchronous.

Teleconferencing. Planned and focused interactive communication (e.g., business meetings, educational coursework, or training seminars) through an electronic medium such as the telephone, fiber-optic cable, or the computer.

Videoconference. Videoconference systems provide synchronous video and audio communications between learners and instructors who are not in the same location. All sites in a two-way video system are equipped with cameras, monitors, and microphones, thus enabling instructors and learners to see and hear each other and to exchange a range of information and materials.

Virtual library resources. Just as the campus library provides an expansive repository of indexed information for residential students, virtual libraries are beginning to offer seamlessly integrated voice, video, and data resources for the distance learner. Learners and instructors can access such repositories at times and places convenient to themselves, and can easily integrate information from these resources into their own customized information databases and libraries

Website. A location on the World Wide Web that is accessed by instructing the computer to find and connect to the site's specific Internet address, known as its URL (Universal Resource Locator). Websites are repositories of information about a specific topic, institution or organization, person, product, field, etc.

World Wide Web (also WWW and the Web). A virtual library of video, audio, and textual data and information stored on the computers of the Internet. This data is accessible to anyone with a reasonably modern personal computer, a way of connecting to the Internet (through a private or institutional service provider), and a computer application program or software designed to allow you to explore this resource.