The Wilmette Institute follows regulations and principles for distance education as mandated by the US Department of Education and the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
The Illinois Higher Education Distance Education Act covers Wilmette Institute’s mechanism for instruction and interaction via electronic communication, with the faculty and students physically separated, in which technologically mediated instruction is offered at a distance.
This Wilmette Institute policy:
- Ensures that all distance education courses and programs are consistent with its mission
- All faculty are involved with the Course Development Specialist in initiating, designing, and delivering all courses and programs offered through distance education.
- Assess distance education in the context of regular periodic evaluation of all academic programs to ensure the same high standards for all courses regardless of delivery method.
- Ensure that clock hours granted for distance education are based on equivalent student work completed in traditional classroom settings.
- Follow the same curriculum approval process for all courses and programs regardless of delivery method.
- Assure adequate staffing, support, and technical assistance for students and faculty, including library and other academic support structures as needed as well as adequate technical support to ensure students are able to complete coursework and make steady progress in their programs.
- Ensure that all students enrolled in distance education have been regularly admitted to the Institute with appropriate verification of credentials and that admission and graduation requirements for distance education programs are the same as for programs offered face-to-face.
- Ensure there is an appropriate process for review and appropriate action on complaints.
- Ensure that appropriate admission processes, policies, and assessments are used to ensure that students are capable of succeeding in an online environment.
- Verify the identity of students upon initial registration through appropriate forms of identification. Students will be informed of any additional expenses that they may incur as part of verification of identity.
- Maintain adequate security for systems, assessments of learning, especially exams, in order to ensure academic integrity.
- Offer disclosures for each distance education program as required by law.
- Provide faculty development opportunities on best practices (technical and pedagogical) for distance education and other topics including but not limited to:
- Faculty are responsible for using technology appropriately and for informing students about technical skills and software and hardware requirements necessary to complete the course or program, as applicable.
- All distance education courses must conform to the Faculty and Student Handbooks’ Student Integrity and Academic Honesty.
- Instruction provided as distance education is subject to the requirements that may be imposed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12100 et. seq.) and section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The Office of the Registrar determines student eligibility for reasonable accommodations. The Office of the Registrar is available to consult with faculty on how to implement accommodations in a distance education course. Information regarding the University’s commitment to the inclusion of individuals with disabilities, including complaint procedures, is available at the Office of the Registrar.
