Faculty Senate approves degrees through distance learning
October 26, 2001
The University is one step closer to allowing undergraduates to graduate with a distance learning degree, thanks to a near-unanimous vote by the Faculty Senate Thursday afternoon.
Currently, the University offers 125 courses through distance learning. As of now, courses offered through distance learning do not go through the normal faculty review process, nor do they count towards a student's GPA. The Faculty Senate took a step towards changing this policy yesterday in their first meeting of the academic year.
Under the new policy, all distance learning classes will go through the same faculty review process as other courses at the University. They will count towards a student's GPA, and up to 90 credits of distance learning courses can count towards the 180-credit requirement for graduation. This new policy also paves the way for departments to approve distance learning majors and minors, if they so choose.
The proposed policy does not lift all restrictions on distance learning, however. Forty-five of the last 60 credits towards a degree must be taken in residence. Furthermore, the dean of the department can wave only 10 credits of the residence requirement, unless the student is participating in a distance learning degree program. None of these exist now, but they could exist within the next few years.
Approval is still required from University President Richard McCormick.
Near the beginning of the meeting, McCormick addressed the Senate. He talked about many issues, but concentrated on how the projected state budget shortfall may impact the University.
He told the Senate that although Gov. Locke will try to protect higher education from budget cuts, the UW will not be exempt. McCormick then alluded to more tuition hikes in the future.
"We are going to be looking for money in many areas." McCormick said in his statement to the Senate. "And an obvious one is tuition."
The full text of the legislation passed by the Senate is available at www.washington.edu/faculty/facsenate/senate/legislation/classb/dl.htm
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