VCT Orientation

VCT = Member Colleges

VoluntaryCollaborative

Mission Statement: To increase access to higher education and improve student success by sharing distance learning resources among member colleges.

CoursesCourses

Student ServicesStudent Services

FacultyFaculty

TechnologyTechnology Admin SupportAdmin

Support

RESOURCES:

History

1996: Conception (TACC)

1997-98: Detailing and Planning (DLAC)

1998-2004: Implementation (everyone)

2005-2006: SACS Review

2007- present: Expansion of services

Future: ?????????

The VCT Office does NOT

Set policy or

regulations

Make decisions regarding its role or

scope

Referee among

institutions

PROVIDER:Instruction

HOST:Student Services

How VCT Works:Host-Provider Model

HOST (local) College Responsibilities

• Enrolls students• Collects tuition & fees• Receives contact-hour funding• Provides student services • Administers tests• Awards course credit & transcripts

courses • Pays instruction fee to provider• Meets SACS requirements

HOST (local) College Responsibilities: SACS

• Course Content, Quality, andEffectiveness• Local process for getting faculty

approval of all hosted courses, including syllabi review regarding learning outcomes & indicators of quality.

• VCT support: online syllabi

• Faculty Qualifications

• Confirms instructor qualifications• VCT Support: Online Faculty Rosters, full credentials in

electronic document system

HOST (local) College Responsibilities

• Inst. Effectiveness plan(include VCT Evaluation ofInstruction & Services)• As a component of your college’s overall

process

• As an activity in which VCT is considered as a program or service “unit”

Foundation of SACS Approval of VCT

Host colleges award course credit and transcripts courses transparently as their own.

SACS Standard 3.4.4: “The institution assumes responsibility for the academic quality of any course work of credit recorded on the institutions’ transcript.”

VCT MOU: “Host colleges apply the same due diligence and standards to administer and support hosted courses that they apply to locally taught courses.”

HOST (local) College ResponsibilitiesCourse Content, Quality, and Effectiveness• Local process for getting faculty approval of all hosted

courses, including syllabi review regarding learning outcomes & indicators of quality.• VCT Support: Online syllabi

Faculty Qualifications • Confirms instructor qualifications full credentials in electronic document system

• VCT Support: Online SACS faculty rosters

Course Evaluation• VCT Support: VCT Evaluation of Instruction and

Services

Institutional Evaluation of VCT• Administered annually by VCT

PROVIDER (remote) College: Instruction

• Instructors• Define course content and instructional

methodologies• Direct class activities, including assignments

and tests• Award grades

• Establishes academic calendar

• Invoices host colleges for instructional services

Courses that Can Be Hosted/Provided

• Anything in ACGM

• WECM courses—• If course can be counted as credit in a

local degree or certificate program, at least as elective

Comply with local policy

Instruction Fee

For each student enrolled on the Host college’s day of record, the host pays the Provider a per-student instructional fee set by the Provider.

$$HOST PROVIDER

MemberColleges

TACC eLearning

Council

Structure & Governance

VCT

VCTCoordinators

ExecutiveDirector

eLearning Committee

(presidents)

GeneralMembership

Texas Association ofCommunity Colleges

TACC Regions

West

South

Central

GulfCoast

East

North

TACC eLearning

Council

• Works closely with VCT Director

• Resolves or makes recommendations regarding statewide VCT issues

• Advises TACC on distance learning issues and new initiatives

• Critical to VCT Operations

VCT Coordinators—

• Serve as first point of contact for:• VCT staff• Host & provider colleges

• Responsible for census rosters, grade reports, invoices, testing

• Deal directly with students

• Solve problems, resolve inter-institutional issues, do whatever is necessary

VCTCoordinatorsVCT

Coordinators

Ron ThomsonDirector512-223-8030

thomson@austincc.edu

Valerie McBrideAssistant to Director

Website Manager512-223-8040

vmcbride@austincc.edu

VCT Staff

VCT Host andProvider

Responsi-bilities

VCT Operations

Manual

VCTMOU

Foundation Documents

SACS Compliance CertificationSACS Review Committee’s Report

SACS Compliance CertificationSACS Review Committee’s Report

Affirms:

• College’s participation in VCT

• Application of same due diligence and standards for hosted courses as for local courses

• College follows provisions of VCT H&P Practices & Responsibilities as well as Operations manual

• Complies with standards & requirements of SACS, CB, professional associations, and other accrediting bodies

VCTMOU

• Details Host and Provider practices, processes, responsibilities

• Specifies host and provider responsibilities and actions

• Specifies critical practices required for compliance with SACS standards

• Gives instructions on major website applications, e.g., Online Schedule and the Reservation System

VCTOperations

Manual

Being updated with new SACS

practices

Coord. Board Reports-Host

Refer to: Reporting and Procedures Manual for Texas Community, Technical, and State Colleges

• Special section on reporting VCT classes

• Applies to CBM001 and CBM004

Reporting “Classes Offered in Conjunction With the Virtual College of Texas”

• Guidelines apply to any telecomm-delivered class whose instructor is employed by another Texas institution.

• Class must be active on institution’s course inventory or one of the statewide course inventories.

THECB Reporting and Procedures Manual

• Student Report - CBM001(or CBM 00A) Host reports its students, with contact hours reported in items #24 or #25, NOT items #10 or #11

• Class Report - CBM004 (or CBM 00C) Use special coding indicated• Item 9, Location Code: code ‘6’ (inter-institution).• Item 12 B: Blank• Item 13, SSN: instructor’s name (1st letters of last

name rather than SSN) • Item 19: FICE code of providing institution

CBM008- Faculty Report

The Faculty Report (CBM008) for the Host (receiving institution) should not include a record for the instructor.

Provider College & CB Reports

For Providers, no special reporting concerns regarding VCT

Providers DO NOT report VCT-enrolled students

Instructor Issues

• Hosts’ students not on local rosters

• DOR rosters: verify, sign & return

• Grade reports: enter grades (on paper & return) or online (learn different systems)

• Logistics of testing at multiple colleges

• Attaching syllabi to courses in course schedule (not an instructor responsibility at some colleges)

• Other?

Grades: Occasional Problem

Host’s policy applies regarding withdrawals and incompletes

Interactive Video Classes:

• System compatibility• Connectivity• Appropriate support technologies

(e.g., phone, fax)

• Scheduling• Number of sites (provider)• Technical assistance• On-site facilitator (host)

Custom Website Applications

Key Applications

• Online Schedule (with syllabi)

• Reservation System

• Class Rosters

• Faculty Rosters (Qualifications)

• DOR Rosters (Registrars & Instructors)

• Final Grade Reports (Registrars & Instructors)

• Invoices

Custom Website Applications

• Contact Informationo Key personnel at each college

• Student Administrationo Record of basic information for each

student enrolling in VCT course(s)o Record of courses taken by each student

• Security System (passwords/access levels)

• VCT Information

Collaborative Degrees and Certificates

Basic StrategyStudents—

• Take core courses and electives, to extent possible, at home colleges.

• Transfer to other colleges to complete degrees not offered by home colleges.

VCT Operations Manual

• Explanation of Host-Provider Model

• VCT Memorandum of Understanding

• Host and Provider Practices and Responsibilities

• Procedural checklists for VCT Coordinators, Business Office, Counselors and Advisors, Instructors, Registrars

VCT Coordinators - Host Mode

DURING REGISTRATION

• Support enrollment processes: use reservation system

• Respond to ad hoc calls from students

• Respond to issues, situation, problems as appropriate

VCT Coordinators - Host ModeDURING COURSE

• Administer VCT Evaluation of Instruction and Services

• Monitor, trouble shoot, assist:o Student issues as they arise, e.g., technical

assistance, accessing instructor’s orientationo Testingo Keep online rosters current /accurateo CB reports: CBM001 and CBM004 for credit

(CBM00A and 00C for Continuing Ed)o Signing of DOR Rosterso Paying invoices of provider colleges (preferably using

online invoices)

VCT Coordinators - Host Mode

END OF COURSE

Monitor, troubleshoot, assist:• Grades

o Ensure final grade reports are disseminated to instructors (preferably online)

o Ensure instructors enter grades and submit final grade reports

• Instructional Fee Paymentso Ensure invoices are paid

Registrars - Host Mode

DURING COURSE

• Release online DOR rosters to instructors. Monitor signing by instructors.

• Withdraw students when they drop.• Submit CBM001 and CBM004 reports to

CB (00A and 00C for Cont. Ed.).

END OF COURSE

• Release online Grade Reports to Providers. Monitor instructor’s assignment of

grades.

Business Office - Host Mode

• Pay Provider colleges’ invoices.

• Ensure all providers have been paid.

Automated online invoices preferred

Human Resources – Host Mode

• Prepare or support preparation of Instructor Qualifications, as appropriate

VCT Coordinators - Provider Mode

BEFORE COURSE

• ID courses for VCT online catalog and enter them, including VCT spaces, fee. Also include:o Syllabus for each courseo Faculty Roster info (summary of

qualifications)

• Brief faculty on VCT responsibilities• Prepare VCT student orientation info

VCT Coordinators - Provider Mode

DURING REGISTRATION

• Monitor availability of classes in schedule.

• Inform hosts of canceled classes.• Provide students VCT orientation info.• Respond to student ad hoc calls.

VCT Coordinators - Provider Mode

DURING COURSE

• Monitor signing of Day of Record rosters. • Facilitate testing logistics, as appropriate.• Address ad hoc issues as they arise.• Invoices: monitor release and payment of

invoices.

END OF COURSE

• Monitor instructors’ assignment of final grades.

• Ensure all instructional fees are received.

Business Office - Provider Mode

DURING COURSE

• Release invoices to Host colleges.

END OF COURSE

• Ensure payments are received from Host colleges.

Thank you