Successful Administration Of A Distance Learning Program

Abstract

This paper focuses on the issues facing the department head that relate to the emergence and management of a highly successful distance-learning program in an engineering technology department. Should your engineering technology unit develop distance learning courses, certificates, and degrees? If so, how can the ET department head motivate faculty to become involved? How is the development of course materials funded? How are faculty compensated? What about training, software and hardware resources? What expertise is needed? How can both faculty and administrators balance on-campus and online courses with respect to faculty workload? What are the issues related to assessment and accreditation? Specific answers to these questions and others are provided as they apply to The University of Toledo's highly successful degree-completion program, a program which uses web-based courses to provide place-bound community college EET graduates access to its bachelor of science degree in Computer Science and Engineering Technology (CSET). This paper is not about the many issues related to teaching an effective distance learning class, rather it is about how to start, grow, and manage a distance-learning program in an engineering technology department with limited departmental and institutional resources.