Module 9: Administrative

(Policy document to guide the practice of DE)

Scenario | Policy & Procedure Manual

Scenario

Setting | Level | Location-Size | Program Type | Position Description

Setting

JIT University: "An Anchor in the Choas"

The educational setting for this scenario is a private non-profit entity (501.C3) providing courseware on various humanities topics, with emphasis/specialization on world religions and on philosophy (primarily epistemology, metaphysics, theory of mind, ethics and philosophy of science).

Level

The level of service provided is adult learning, with both accredited and non-accredited programs undergraduate and graduate.

Location and Size

The organization is virtual (incorporated in Texas) with approximately 30 full-time employees and 200 part-time employees (including students). There is one business office in Dallas, where senior administrators and their secretaries provide for physical storage when absolute necessary.

The legal representation is a contracted law firm, with many other clients. Services are rendered on a per hr basis, by a client rep attorney, and his manger.

The marketing department is small, with 2 levels of management, and 15 part-time employees who operate virtually. Staff includes web programmers, and liaisons who work without outside agencies for focused marketing advertisement and internet KM.

Instructors are categorized as contract or permanent. Contracted instructors are generally world renowned scientists, orators, and clergy who provide instruction on video (and in rare cases, on demand). Instructional designers work with these contracted instructors over weeks or months to create large libraries of course material.

Permanent instructors are highly educated professionals, who are available live for online course events and class meetings, and who work with programmers for on-going component development of elearning materials which accompany the video lecture library.

Type of DE Program

The full course offering is generally always available, with continual enrollment. However, for accredited programs, there is a regular semester system with cohorts who proceed through the required curriculum together. Although the ENTIRE university is fully online, there are hybrid courses available in rare cases, which include more expensive activities such as class travel to conferences for presentation of research. There is also an annual graduation ceremony which is hybrid with a 30 ft. projected screen for virtual graduates, and a rented ball-room for in person attendees.

There are no traditional ITV courses offered. There are however, many courses which require a webcam and specialized videoconferencing software which the students use to hold massive online video streamed meetings. All instructors, including part-time instructors are provided a standard set of equipment which includes a document camera with digital output for online conferences, webcam, digital sketchpad, and tablet PC.

Position Description

TECHNOLOGY EVANGELIST: My position is within the marketing department, although I report to and frequently interface with the Sr. VP of Software Development and many of the senior web application programmers.

REFERENCE: The above PDQ was adapted from a job description for a Microsoft Technology Evangelist located here. and from a job description for an Amazon.com Web Services Evangelist position description located here.

(back to top)

Policy & Procedure Manual

Regulatory SubSys | Access SubSys | Course SubSys | Stud SubSys | Logical SubSys

REGULATORY SUBSYSTEM #1:

1. Target Audience/Market Niche
   • Policy Statement: The primary market for JIT University is working class adults in white-collar and other highly skilled professions, 20's to 40's, who have an interest in the humanities.
   • Rationale: Because of our specialization, we should be able to attract those who value a higher degree of quality and service within our core competency set, and at the same time avoid competing with the educational 'Walmarts' out there who outsize us.
2. Program Development & Marketing
   • Policy Statement: We will use a high targetted approach to market, which includes maintaining an in-person presence at events, conferences, and employing a highly trained and compensated 'road-show' staff, who are critically evaluated regularly for performance value to JIT University's mission objectives.
   • Rational: Because we are focused on a narrow market niche, we must make every customer contact count, and particularly for those first impression encounters with potential clients.
3. Program Evaluation
• Policy Statement: Every aspect of JIT University is continuously evaluated by a separate quality review team on either a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.
• Rational: We advertise a higher level of excellence in our products and services, and need to be able to justify a higher cost to our customers.

ACCESSIBILITY SUBSYSTEM #2:

1. Physically Impaired
   • Policy Statement: We are a privately held organization and therefore not subject to the same regulatory practices as a public institution governed by the state. We will provide for every REASONABLE attempt to accommodate those with physical handicaps, however, we regrettably and inevitably will not be able to accommodate all.
   • Rationale: Although we are non-profit, we are responsible for the financial health and stability of the organization as a whole. Because we are not publicly funded, we require that all services are supported directly by necessary returned pay-off.
2. Psychologically Impaired
   • Policy Statement: We are not able to provide counseling services or medical services to students, because of the prohibitive costs, however we do partner with various organizations who provide for referral, virtual, or local service to patrons.
   • Rational: The JIT University would not be able to sustain business activities if we attempted to provide and administer such services.
3. Economically Disadvantaged
• Policy Statement: Because we cater to those who are willing to pay higher fees, most students who enroll in our courses, are able to afford higher tuition and other fees. However, we do provide for a limited number of scholarships to those who are gifted, and can demonstrate their performance.
• Rational: Because we are not subject to government regulation, all scholarships and other funds provided to those who are economically disadvantaged, will be strictly performance based, and only provided to those with demonstrated academic need.

COURSE SUBSYSTEM #3:

1. Instructional design, web programming, video production staff provisioning
   • Policy Statement: Instructional designers, web programmers, video production staff, and other supporting personnel will work with faculty in a peer-to-peer relationship, all under the direction of non-faculty project managers. Faculty hold no special organizational status or power over staff, and are treated equal in every regard of professional respect.
   • Rationale: Although some personnel are paid more, every person who works for the JIT University will be subject to the mission and goals of JIT University and accountable for the quality of course content and services.
2. Licensing, hosting, management of course management software.
   • Policy Statement: The infrastructure technology manager will provide for the maintenance of contracts with outside hosting agencies, with whom we contract for data storage, backup, and availability.
   • Rational: Because our core competency is distance education, rather than IT services, and combined with the fact that availability and data backup/recovery are so important to our mission, we have decided to allocate a higher budgetary percentage to this function than perhaps larger more traditional Universities.
3. Course evaluation and feedback
• Policy Statement: Each course will be evaluated by BOTH the internal quality review team, and by the students who register for the course.
• Rational: A policy and process of continual improvement will always be pursued.

STUDENT SUBSYSTEM #4:

1. Advising
   • Policy Statement: Every student will use our automated advising system, and only receive contact with a live advisor under extremely unique situations.
   • Rationale: Because we strive to maintain flexibility, we understand that there will be exceptions, however, our degree programs and requirements are easily understood and interpreted. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they meet the requirements.
2. Technical Support (Help Desk)
   • Policy Statement: All helpdesk technicians MUST meet job requirements prior to hire, which includes prior certification on major technologies. These technicians are available 24/7 and are evaluated based on BOTH response time (all requests are documented in a ticket system), and on customer satisfaction.
   • Rational: Technical incompetence by helpdesk staff which is a result of the hiring process can be easily avoided, but can ONLY be avoided by those with the decision making power. Every student deserves the same technical support that our own employees (faculty included) deserve, and priority based on the identity of the requester will never take priority based on student/faculty/staff status. In some cases, functional priority will be given to helpdesk tickets, but never based on student/faculty/staff status.
3. Library Services
• Policy Statement: We do not maintain any physical library resources. All journal subscriptions and book licenses are strictly online and full-text.
• Rational: Licensing is based on average usage, and all access is controlled by X.509 certificates issued to personnel only after positive identification is made.

LOGICAL SUBSYSTEM #5:

1. Purchasing
   • Policy Statement: The purchasing department will employ certified public accountants with certification training in cost analysis and value recuperative techniques. Vendor relationships will be under constant review, although cultivation of relationships will take priority over minor fluctuations in market appeal.
   • Rationale: Because the JIT University is very cost sensitive, we are unable to maintain loyalty to vendors if that relationship is cost prohibitive. By the same token, our internal quality review team will evaluate the performance of the purchasing department with the close assistance of a 3rd party annual audit, to be performed without prior notice and with full cooperation from the purchasing department.
2. Human Resources
   • Policy Statement: Marketing for employee candidates, and every step of the hiring process will be under the control of a CONTRACTED agency, rather than an internal HR department.
   • Rational: The HR agency will not be involved in internal organizational politics.
3. Training
• Policy Statement: All faculty and staff have full access to all course materials online. Tuition is free, and faculty are REQUIRED to attend monthly training events in new and upcoming technology. All faculty and staff are required to pass certification testing on equipment they are expected to use, with greater emphasis on technologies used within, or which directly impact instruction.
• Rational: Incompetence regarding technologies used within instructional environments, even when on behalf of faculty, is just as serious as incompetence on behalf of help desk staff who support us. We all need to make this a high priority, if we are going to be a leader in the online DE market.

(back to top)