Iowa Board of Regents

3.13 Extension/Continuing/ Distance education/e-Learning Services

  1. Extension

    Extension constitutes the engagement and outreach activities of the universities by which they interact with constituent groups of the state of Iowa and throughout the country and the world. Extension also describes any of the following activities:

     
    1. the activities of "cooperative extension"; these are state and federally-funded research and services provided by land-grant institutions including Iowa State University;
    2. "university extension" activities which are educational programs offered to participants not enrolled as regular on-campus degree-seeking students. "University extension" may include for-credit courses and degree programs, noncredit courses and programs, and conferences and other professional education programs.

    The universities shall provide efficient and affordable extension services. The three universities shall seek to cooperate and collaborate in providing extension services.  

  2. Continuing Education Services  
    1. Continuing education services are those activities by which the instruction, research, and service functions of an institution are provided to participants statewide, throughout the nation and the world. Continuing education is generally not for academic degree- program credit. Continuing education includes professional education programs, workshops, other non-credit education, and may also describe such things as conferences, off-campus lectures, consultant services, surveys, publications, and radio and television broadcasts.
    2. The universities shall provide efficient and affordable continuing education services. The three universities shall seek to cooperate and collaborate in providing continuing education services.  
  3. Distance education/e-Learning  
    1. Distance education/e-Learning is a formal educational process in which instruction occurs (1) when student and instructor are not in the same location, or (2) when in-person instruction is provided at off-campus locations. Distance education/e-Learning may employ guided independent study, or audio, video, or computer technologies. Instruction may be synchronous or asynchronous.
    2. Distance education/e-Learning initiatives are included within the missions of the Regent institutions and shall be undertaken to the extent that resources allow. The Regent institutions shall seek to anticipate and respond to educational needs, especially those of individuals who may not be able to attend classes on campus.
    3. Programs offered by the Regent universities shall be of high quality regardless of where offered and the methodology or technology used. Similarly, the Regent universities shall seek to undertake high-quality cooperative and collaborative efforts with both Regent and non-Regent institutions of higher education where such cooperation will benefit citizens.  
  4. Annual Distance education/e-Learning Report

    The institutions shall submit an annual Distance education/e-Learning report to the Board Office in a format developed by the Board Office. The report shall be due to the Board Office according to the annual Governance Report schedule and placed on the agenda of the Academic Affairs Committee meeting.

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