Course Delivery Classifications

McNeese State University classifies the delivery of academic courses into certain classifications. This policy is intended to provide guidance for consistent interpretation of course delivery formats and clarity on the variations of electronic courses offered at the University.

A course with specific scheduled dates for face-to-face instructional delivery.  Face-to-face delivery is where the student and instructor are in the same place.

1. Notations must be added to the class schedule if any percentage of the course is scheduled for online delivery for students to make informed scheduling decisions. The course delivery may include online assignments that supplant classroom instruction. Online instruction/assignments may not consist of more than 10% of the course meeting time.

2.  Occasional instances where a face-to-face class meeting is covered with online instruction (e.g. instructor absence for faculty development or illness) are acceptable without the need for notations in the class schedule.  The class syllabus should provide information about access to online instruction in the case of faculty absence.
 
3.  Designated as A through Z sections in class schedule with exceptions of sections including CV, W, WH, and X.  Other notations may be clarified in the specific course schedule.

A course where 100% of the instruction is delivered online.

1.  Does not require any occasions where students are required to be present in a physical location at a prescribed date or time for instruction. Proctored exams, however, may be required as long as reasonable accommodations are made to provide more than one date, time, and location for students to take exams.

2.  Most student-to-student, faculty-to-student, and student-to-faculty engagement is asynchronous. Engagement may be synchronous as long as sessions are scheduled with reasonable accommodations to student needs.

3.  Designated as W or X section in class schedule.  Other notations may be clarified in the specific course schedule.

A course delivered via multiple means: face-to-face where the instructor and students are present at the same site, and online.  Face to Face instruction may be up to 50%  of instructional delivery.

1.  Notations on class schedule must provide dates for face-to-face class meeting information for students to make informed scheduling decisions.

2.  Web Hybrid courses are scheduled with the intention of having both online instruction and face-to-face instruction.  A course with an occasional “online meeting” because of a faculty absence or another unforeseen reason to cancel a scheduled face-to-face meeting does not constitute a WH course. Additionally, a course with online activities (e.g., online discussion, submission of assignments, exam) used to supplement face-to-face activities does not constitute a WH course.

3.  Designated at WH in class schedule.  Other notations may be clarified in the specific course schedule.

A Face-to-Face and/or Web Hybrid course offered via live teleconference.

1.  The student and instructor may be present at different sites during specifically scheduled instructional delivery dates.  Instruction may be conducted via teleconference or skype or similar means where students and instructor are visible and may interact during classroom instruction.

2.  A compressed video class may include online instruction such as a web hybrid course (more than 50% but less than 100% online). Compressed Video Web hybrid courses must provide dates for face-to-face class meeting information for students to make informed scheduling decisions.

3.  Designated as RC or CV sections in class schedule.  Other notations may be clarified in the specific course schedule.

Regardless of instructional delivery format or classification, credit hours awarded for academic courses must be in compliance with the McNeese State University Credit Hour Policy. The academic rigor, amount of credit, and student learning outcomes in electronic learning, condensed time frame, or similar classes, must be consistent with those in traditional face-to-face instructional delivery.

Communicated through Senior Staff, Academic Advisory Council, and Administrative Advisory Council and the University Policy Page.