Current Issues and Discussion

This page is dedicated to current issues and topics related to faculty development, tenure, academic leadership, and a host of other topics affecting the way faculty teach, manage students, and survive the institution of education.

Distance Learning and On-line Course Management

Please review the following statements and comments and send your comments and feedback to David Stout at DStout@Brookdalecc.edu

Working Through Anticipated Issues for the Virtual Brookdale Task Force

1. Virtual Brookdale as a Separate Entity/Division

The concept of Virtual Brookdale as a separate entity /division creates several problems. For example, there will be cost inefficiencies resulting from the creation of a virtual version of departments and services. There will be reporting/decision-making issues. An “all or none” approach to online faculty course load could ensue, rather than the current mixture of online and face-to-face courses in a faculty schedule. There could be seniority issues arising between new faculty that are hired to teach in an online division and veteran online faculty.

2. Virtual Brookdale and Student Support Services

It will be beneficial for Virtual Brookdale to create a “portal” to student support services online. Online students require the same services as face-to-face students, but in an online format.

3. Content of Online Courses vs. Content of Face-to-Face Courses

Faculty currently determine the curriculum for all courses. This should continue with the advent of Virtual Brookdale. The Academic Council is the model to be followed by Virtual Brookdale.

4. 75% Cap for online courses

The 75% cap was instituted in recognition of the numerous assessments, evaluations, and discussion posts that are generated by online students. For faculty to continue choosing to teach online, this will be an essential feature of Virtual Brookdale.

5. Certification of online courses

Should online courses be certified as meeting certain standards? It depends on the purpose. Is it for marketing the courses? Ocean County College online courses are certified by an outside agency. If there is online certification of Brookdale online courses, it should be done internally.

6. Online course have lower completion rates

Virtual Brookdale should ensure that students taking online courses have the skills necessary to succeed in an online course. Orientation to online courses could include an online success seminar course, modeled along the lines of the HUDV course.

7. Online Office Hour

In the case of online courses, an exception should be made to the practice of office hours not being tied to a particular course. Online students may be unable to attend office hours on-campus. Online faculty should be able to conduct synchronous online office hours for their online classes.

8. ADA Laws and Online Content

Online course content should be compliant with ADA accessibility requirements. In the case that online courses are not compliant, faculty should receive curriculum development funding to make their courses compliant. (i.e. creation of transcripts for audio content)

Current Issues and Discussion

Faculty Development

Managing Students

Tenure and Promotion

Administrative Issues

Brookdale, The County College of Monmouth