Distance Education Policy

IMSE Distance Education Policy

h2>Distance Education Policies Established by
The Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Department Faculty
Summer 2008

Definition

A distance student is defined as a student enrolled in the distance section of an IE course. The section numbers for distance sections are typically "002" or "003."

Policy #1

Exams must be taken within 24 hours of the regularly scheduled exam. Students who live within 50 miles of campus must come to campus to take all exams. Students should make every effort to take exams on-campus during the regularly scheduled time. If this is not possible, alternate exam times will be scheduled. Students living more than 50 miles from campus may take the exam with an approved proctor. Students will be responsible for identifying a proctor. Proctors must be approved by the faculty at least two weeks before the first exam. The proctor should be associated with the testing facility of a community college, a library, a university or a professional testing center such as a Sylvan Learning Center. Students are responsible for any fees charged by the testing facility. (Download the Proctor Information Sheet)

Policy #2

Distance students are required to communicate with the faculty before the second class period. This “first contact” helps insure that the distance student is not left behind at the beginning of the semester. Students are encouraged to do this before class begins each semester.

Policy #3

Distance students are expected to complete all of the regular requirements for a class. This includes submission of homework assignments within 24 hours of the in-class students. To facilitate this, the faculty will establish homework due dates that provide enough time for the distance student to view the material on the WEB page and to complete the assignment. In most cases, homework may be submitted electronically. Laboratory assignments are handled on a class-by-class basis. The faculty will actively try to accommodate the distance student. However, in some cases, the DFW Metroplex distance student will be required to come to campus to complete a laboratory assignment. The student should communicate with the faculty before enrolling in a course to understand the laboratory requirement.

Policy #4

The distance student is expected to have the minimum level of technology required to receive the distance programs. The minimum recommended technologies are given below.

Processor operating at 400 MHz or higher
DSL/cable modem Internet connection capable of 256 kbps sustained data rate
Video Software - A free RealPlayer is available from www.real.com. There is a version of the RealPlayer for the Mac, and a few Linux/Unix boxes, but we do not provide support for those platforms
Web Browser - Our courses are designed to use Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or better. Many of the necessary features will NOT operate with Netscape, Mozilla, or other browsers

If you plan to watch the streaming video courses from your office, be sure that there will not be any firewall issues prohibiting the access of the video player. You will want to investigate your company's equipment and policies before committing to this distance education option.

You are responsible for contacting the instructor via e-mail to comply with the requirements for taking the course through the Internet.