Instructional Format
No on-campus attendance is required. Students complete course work at home or anywhere that is convenient for them. Through application of current computer and communication technologies, faculty, staff, and students maintain contact and interact through the Internet using Desire2Learn (D2L), our learning management software. This program provides one location for students to access course syllabi and readings; receive and submit assignments and projects; complete exams and course evaluations; and interact with classmates and faculty through discussion postings, private mail messages, and real-time chat sessions. The D2L environment is closed, secure and accessible only to students registered in program courses. E-mail is the main method of communication between students and faculty outside of the course environment, with supplementary use of US postal mail, telephone, and fax when necessary.
Instruction is asynchronous. Since D2L is housed on a group of dedicated servers accessible via the Internet, students can access their course materials from anywhere in the world, at any time, as long as the computer they are using has access to the Internet and a standard web browser. The asynchronous nature of our program permits students to read and reply to discussion postings and e-mail messages at their convenience, as opposed to synchronous learning which requires students to be online at a specific time. The use of the asynchronous educational delivery format provides students with greater flexibility than class attendance on-campus. However, prospective students need to be aware that the program and required coursework are not self-paced. Our curriculum is designed so that students enroll in and complete courses each quarter. Courses are structured in a manner determined by both course content and the instructor's educational philosophy.