TERM-BASED ONLINE BASICS

Definitions

Distance Learning and Online Classes & Programs: At Ohio University this means classes are taught exclusively or nearly exclusively from a distance.

Distance Learning Degree Completion Programs: Originally called Online Bachelor Completion Program; some of the programs are associated with our community college partnerships. These are all the programs offered COMPLETELY from a distance allowing for a reduced tuition rate to be charged for students admitted to these specific programs.

eLearning OHIO: Ohio University’s current version of Continuing Education. eLearning OHIO, formerly called Lifelong & Distance Learning, is responsible for online and other distance learning programs and class administration, Summer Sessions, Winter Intersession, noncredit programming, domestic travel opportunities, and professional development/CEUs for the University.

Facilitator: An approved class assistant, typically a graduate student, who performs specific duties in the online class, such as managing the discussion board and grading weekly assignments, as determined by the instructor.

Revenue Distribution: When classes or programs are scheduled with eLearning OHIO supported class sections, eLearning OHIO pays all instructional costs and receives the revenue. The majority of the net income is shared with the university community.

Scaled: An online class section that is scheduled for more than 25 spaces; size of scaling is determined by the academic department chair or the regional campus associate dean.

Audiences Described

Many audiences take Ohio University online classes. They can all be grouped into 3 categories:

A:  Traditional OHIO campus-based undergraduate or graduate degree-seeking students from any OU campus. These students may only register for classes scheduled under section codes 100-999.

B:  Distance Learning Degree Completion Students—these are students who have program codes designated for distance learning exclusively. Only this group of students may register for classes scheduled under section code 00_ for the reduced tuition; however, they MAY register for any campus-based section also. These students, studying COMPLETELY from a distance, include the RN-BSN Partnership students, the Community College Partnership students, independent degree completion students, and some masters student programs.

C:  Nondegree, visiting undergraduate or graduate students who primarily will transfer Ohio-earned credit to a home institution. These students may only register for classes scheduled under section codes 100-999.

Online Course Approval Process

Every new-to-online class AND instructor, regardless of campus, must go through an approval process and an online course approval form must be completed and signed by the department chair or director and the regional campus associate dean, if applicable, and the college dean. If one instructor has taught class A online, but a second instructor wants to offer the class online also, he/she must also be approved to offer that class online.

Once a new course has been approved for online delivery, that instructor MUST attend an online orientation to learn best practices in course development. The instructor will be contacted about when and how to participate.

Scheduling

All Athens campus-based online sections must be approved for scheduling using the Online Scheduling Form dated November 2011. This provides a paper trail for all sections of online classes originating from the Athens campus.

Funding Options

1. In any term, an online course is taught as part of the instructor’s quarterly academic load in the department/campus department/campus. Call numbers are assigned, and the department/campus receive the FTE generated.
2. In any term, an online course is taught as overload for the instructor and eLearning OHIO class numbers, sections or flags are assigned. eLearning OHIO will pay the faculty contract and receive the FTE generated.
3. During Summer Sessions an online course is taught as part of the departmental/campus summer scheduling and budgeting process. The department/campus will pay the instructor’s salary and receive the FTE generated.
4. An agreement may be made and renewed annually that eLearning OHIO will pay 10% of an instructor’s academic contract in return for a set number of sections or spaces of a class scheduled with eLearning OHIO class numbers each term.

In any term, an online section can be scaled for enrollments of up to 400 and funded through any of the above options or combination of options. For instance, you may decide to schedule and fund audience A through funding option 3 for summer, but you may also schedule an additional section for audience B funded through option 2. Pay is based on total enrollment from both sections, but paid from two sources based on the enrollment numbers in the separate class numbers.

Instructional Pay and Development Stipend

Faculty receive pay for each overload course based on rank and credit hours. During fall, winter, and spring terms overload rates are used; for Summer, summer rates are used. Full pay is given for enrollment of ten or more and partial pay is given for less than ten based on the % enrolled. For example, if six students are registered, 60% of full pay is given.

For scaled classes, instructors are paid based on enrollment detailed in the Scaled Instructional Pay System if the section is funded under funding option 2 or 3. ANY class that is scheduled with one or more sections for a total of 25 or more spaces for fall or spring terms is scaled. ANY class that is scheduled with one or more sections for a total of 50 or more spaces in the summer is scaled. As illustrated in the Scaled Instructional Pay System chart, instructors are paid based on TOTAL numbers of students enrolled in all online sections of the course combined, and based on use of a facilitator, and rank. Pay for facilitators and instructors is based on enrollment on the third day of the term, the last day to add into any online class.

Some units also approve pay of a one-time only $2500 development stipend to be paid during the terms that the class is first scheduled. If the instructor is primarily based in Athens, eLearning OHIO will pay the development stipend regardless of how the class is funded. If the instructor comes from one of the regional campuses, the campus dean is encouraged to pay the stipend. Both the overload pay and the development stipend come to the instructor on the first day of the last month of the term of instruction.

Revenue Distribution Beginning Fall Semester 2012

When approved by the unit for undergraduate and certain graduate online courses offered under Funding Option #2 only, eLearning OHIO will disburse NET revenue generated from course enrollments each term with returns similar to:

• Athens Instructed Online Courses: 35% department, 35% college, 25% eLearning, & 5% Provost
• Athens Instructed Online Courses scheduled on Regional Campuses: 25% department, 25% college, 20% eLearning, 25% Regional Campus, & 5% Provost
• Regional Campus Instructed Online Courses scheduled on any campus: 0% department, 0% college, 20% eLearning, 75% Regional Campus, & 5% Provost   
• Online Courses offered as part of the online bachelor's completion programs--BCJ, BTAS, BSAM, RN to BSN--are distributed as follows regardless of origin of instruction: 35% department, 35% college, 25% eLearning, & 5% Provost.      

Net income is determined by 1) dividing actual tuition income by total student credit hours generated by funding option 2 enrollments to get an average income per credit hour for that quarter, 2) multiplying average income per credit hour by the # of credit hours in each section, 3) subtract all instructional expenses from the income of the course.

Support

For ALL distance education courses offered from any campus, funded in any way, eLearning OHIO offers the same support to faculty and students. Student support includes: registration processing, course access and quarterly timeline reminders, OHIO ID activation, online cheerleading, technical support, proctor services, and advising/counseling. Faculty support includes: limited course development, marketing, communications, process facilitation (grades, testing, evaluations, answering students procedural questions), and database information on students and classes (demographics, grade averages, registration information, demand analysis, etc.).               

Department/College/Campus Action Steps

1. Review the eLearning OHIO scheduling request. Suggest any additions, deletions, changes that need to be made. Return to Pam Brown, brownp@ohio.edu.
2. Process online scheduling form after it has been initiated by the instructor. Online course approval document may also need to be completed if this is a new online course or a new instructor offering the online course.
3. Online sections may be scheduled by you if the sections are funded under funding options 1 or 3. All other sections are scheduled by eLearning OHIO.
4. New instructors will be contacted to participate in an online orientation for course development.   
5. Process pay for sections funded under funding option 3 and that ARE NOT scaled.         

Contact Pam Brown, brownp@ohio.edu or 740.566.6090, with any questions.

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