Notice: Beginning with Spring 2010 semester, students 'new-to-online' learning must plan to login to the Virtual Campus in D2L and participate in the 'Student Orientation' starting with Priority Registration in November.
The Distance Education Committee (DEC) is an advisory and recommending body concerned with Distance Education (DE) policies, procedures, and guidelines at Suffolk County Community College. The DEC operates under a provision in the Faculty Association contract in Appendix J and more recently Items 54 and 55 in the 2005-2011 MOU. The role of the DEC is primarily one of managing requests to development new courses to be taught at the College in one of the four DE modalities: Fully online, blended/hybrid, distance learning classroom, or telecourse and also to manage requests for assignment to existing courses. Training is a requirement for faculty who are approved to either of develop a new course for the first time or the first time assigned to the online or blended/hybrid modality who have never before taught in that modality. Compensation in the form of release time or overload is granted to a faculty member who is new to teaching online - full time or adjunct - but one time only.
The Distance Education Committee is currently composed of the following Membership: Two elected faculty representatives from each campus, one FA representative, the Associate Dean of Instructional Technology, a Campus Technology Dean, the Associate Dean for Continuing Education, and College Instructional Designer. Additionally, there are ex-officio members: A Liaison from the College Curriculum Committee to DEC, a Technology Dean, and the recording secretary (Principal Clerk from Office of Instructional Technology). Faculty, administrators, and staff with business before the Committee may be requested to present on their need per the Agenda. Guests may attend any DEC meeting.
The Distance Education Committee is chaired by the College Associate Dean of Instructional Technology. DEC meeting minutes are transcribed and produced by the Principal Clerk in the Associate Dean's office. Completed Development and Assignment forms are retained in the Office of Instructional Technology. The faculty member submitting the form, and also their academic department chair, are notified of the decision of DEC following the meeting in which the fully completed course form is an action item and voted on by DEC. When necessary, Course Development or Course Assignment requests are tabled due to insufficient information, a lack of signatures, or a clarification required by the DEC prior to voting.
Resolutions and actions of the DEC are subject to review and approval by the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. The DEC's role is advisory - it is not a standing committee structure such as one finds in College Governance, Standards, or Curriculum. Nonetheless, the DEC plays a vital role in considering a full range of matters in current computer-mediated teaching and learning environments and in considering the impacts of future technologies at SCCC. The DEC's existence is codified within the Faculty Contract and is also supported by Administration of the College as a means for the betterment of distance education.
