What Students Should Know Before Enrolling in Distance Education
What Program are you Thinking of Enrolling in?
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Are there any residency requirements?
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What other institutions offer similar programs and do they grant the same credential for similar work?
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How does the variety of courses offered compare with similar on-site programs?
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How are course materials made available to students?
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What arrangements have been made for me to complete any required laboratory requirements?
Who Designs, Delivers and Monitors the Program?
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Who designs and delivers the program (and if they are different, how is the delivery controlled)?
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Where can the qualifications and current professional activity of the faculty be found in writing?
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What arrangements are made to ensure faculty-student and student-student interaction?
Other Expectations of the Institution and Available Student Services
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What academic, linguistic, and technical skills does the institution require for students enrolling in this program?
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What
equipment must I have access to and how will the institution help me in
any problems that arise concerning the interface between my equipment
and their offerings?
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What counseling, career, financial aid, or other non-classroom services are provided for distance education students?
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Is there a student handbook for distance education students? If not, where are these issues addressed?
What is the process for filing complaints?
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What is the institution’s refund policy if I should have to withdraw from this program?
Final Check on the Integrity of the Degree
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How can I assure outsiders that the degree represents an assessment of my work rather than that of someone else?
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Where
is there official representation of faculty qualifications, the
program’s course sequence and requirements, the nature of
student/faculty interaction and assumptions about technical skills?
© Dr. Amy Kirle Lezberg,
Consultant in Higher Education and Accreditation
alezberg@aol.com