State Title 5

Below are the state regulations for Distance Education in the California Community Colleges. 

§ 55200. Definition and Application.

1. Distance education means education that uses one or more of the technologies listed below to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor(s) and to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and instructor(s) either synchronously or asynchronously. Technologies that may be used to offer distance education include:
   1. The internet;
   2. One-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communications devices;
   3. Audio conference; or
   4. Other media used in a course in conjunction with any of the technologies listed in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this subdivision.
2. The definition of “distance education” does not include correspondence courses.
3. “Accessible” means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use. The person with a disability must be able to obtain the information as fully, equally and independently as a person without a disability. Although this might not result in identical ease of use compared to that of persons without disabilities, it still must ensure equal opportunity to the educational benefits and opportunities afforded by the technology and equal treatment in the use of such technology.

§ 55202. Course Quality Standards.

The same standards of course quality shall be applied to any portion of a course conducted through distance education as are applied to traditional classroom courses, in regard to the course quality judgment made pursuant to the requirements of section 55002, and in regard to any local course quality determination or review process. Determinations and judgments about the quality of distance education under the course quality standards shall be made with the full involvement of faculty in accordance with the provisions of subchapter 2 (commencing with section 53200) of chapter 2.

§ 55204. Instructor Contact.

In addition to the requirements of section 55002 and any locally established requirements applicable to all courses, district governing boards shall ensure that:

1. Any portion of a course conducted through distance education includes regular and substantive interaction between the instructor(s) and students, (and among students if described in the course outline of record or distance education addendum), either synchronously or asynchronously, through group or individual meetings, orientation and review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field trips, library workshops, telephone contact, voice mail, e-mail, or other activities.
2. “Substantive interaction” means engaging students in teaching, learning, and assessment, consistent with the content under discussion, and also includes at least two of the following:
   1. Providing direct instruction;
   2. Assessing or providing feedback on a student’s coursework;
   3. Providing information or responding to questions about the content of a course or competency;
   4. Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency; or
   5. Other instructional activities approved by the institution’s or program’s accrediting agency.
3. Regular interaction between a student and instructor(s) is ensured by, prior to the student’s completion of a course or competency:
   1. Providing the opportunity for substantive interactions with the student on a predictable and scheduled basis commensurate with the length of time and the amount of content in the course or competency; and
   2. Monitoring the student’s academic engagement and success and ensuring that an instructor is responsible for promptly and proactively engaging in substantive interaction with the student when needed on the basis of such monitoring, or upon request by the student.
4. Regular and substantive interaction is an academic and professional matter pursuant to sections 53200 et seq.
5. For purposes of calculating instructional time in the context of asynchronous distance education, a week of instructional time is any week in which:
   1. The institution makes available the instructional materials, other resources, and instructor support necessary for academic engagement and completion of course objectives; and
   2. The institution expects enrolled students to perform educational activities demonstrating academic engagement during the week.

§ 55205. Publication of Course Standards.

For each course offered, a community college shall make available to students through college publications all of the following facts before they enroll in the course:

1. Whether the course is designated as a degree-applicable credit course, a nondegree-applicable credit course, a noncredit course, or a community services offering.
2. Whether the course is transferable to baccalaureate institutions.
3. Whether the course fulfills a major/area of emphasis or general education requirement.
4. Whether the course is offered on the “pass-no pass” basis.
5. Whether the course is offered in a distance education format, and if so, includes the following information:
   1. All online and in-person synchronous meeting days/dates and times
   2. Any required asynchronous in-person activities
   3. Any required technology platforms, devices and applications
   4. Any test or assessment proctoring requirements.

§ 55206. Separate Course Approval.

1. If any portion of the instruction in a new or existing course is to be provided through distance education, the course outline of record or an addendum to the official course outline of record shall address how course outcomes will be achieved in a distance education mode and how the portion of instruction delivered via distance education meets the requirement for regular and substantive interaction as specified in section 55204.
2. The course design and all course materials must be accessible to every student,including students with disabilities. The distance education course outline of record oraddendum shall be approved according to the district's adopted curriculumapproval procedures.

§ 55208. Faculty Selection and Workload.

1. Instructors of course sections delivered via distance education are individuals responsible for delivering course content who meet the qualifications for instruction established by an institution’s accrediting agency. Instructors shall be selected by the same procedures used to determine all instructional assignments. Instructors shall possess the minimum qualifications for the discipline into which the course's subject matter most appropriately falls, in accordance with article 2 (commencing with section 53410) of subchapter 4 of chapter 4, and with the list of discipline definitions and requirements adopted by the Board of Governors to implement that article, as such list may be amended from time to time.
2. Instructors of distance education shall be prepared to teach in a distance education delivery method consistent with the requirements of this article, local district policies and negotiated agreements.
3. The number of students assigned to any one course section offered by distance education shall be determined by and be consistent with other district procedures related to faculty assignment. Procedures for determining the number of students assigned to a course section offered in whole or in part by distance education may include a review by the curriculum committee established pursuant to section 55002(a)(1).
4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impinge upon or detract from any negotiations or negotiated agreements between exclusive representatives and district governing boards.

§ 55005. Publication of Course Standards

For each course offered, a community college shall make available to students through college publications all of the following facts before they enroll in the course:

1. Whether the course is designated as a degree-applicable credit course, a nondegree-applicable credit course, a noncredit course, or a community services offering.
2. Whether the course is transferable to baccalaureate institutions.
3. Whether the course fulfills a major/area of emphasis or general education requirement.
4. Whether the course is offered on the “pass-no pass” basis.
5. Whether the course is offered in a distance education format, and if so, includes the following information:
   1. All online and in-person synchronous meeting days/dates and times
   2. Any required asynchronous in-person activities
   3. Any required technology platforms, devices and applications
   4. Any test or assessment proctoring requirements.