www.mybrcc.edu
TITLE: Electronic Learning (e-Learning)
EFFECTIVE DATE: 02/16/07
LAST REVISION: 07/01/13
Policy No. 1.4180
Policy Statement
The Office of eLearning Programs at Baton Rouge Community College strives to support a
student-centered environment that focuses on empirical research about pedagogy and assessment
with respect to online learning. All classes approved and offered must adhere to the principles of
active learning and maximize student engagement. In the same way, the certified faculty must be
committed to providing instruction that promotes and enhances student success.
A. Instructor Certification - In order for a faculty member to participate in the BRCC eLearning
Program and deliver a course in the online environment, they must be certified to teach online.
The certification process (explained more fully in the procedures section) is operated by the
Division of Innovative Learning and Academic Support’s eLearning Program. Term limits of 4
academic years apply to all instructor certifications.
B. Course Certification - In order for a course to be scheduled in an eLearning format, the course
must have been approved. Approval is granted using a Master Course Model and peer review.
The course is constructed and undergoes a peer review following Quality Matters standards. If
the course does not meet all required standards, modifications are requested. Once a course is
approved it can be added to the schedule and assigned an instructor that is certified to teach
online (see A above). Courses are certified for a period of 3 academic years.
C. Design Requirements - BRCC is a member of Quality Matters, a nationally recognized
accrediting body for online courses. BRCC does not seek Quality Matters certification for
individual courses, but instead utilizes an internal peer review process based on Quality Matters
recognized standards.
D. Delivery Requirements - Faculty teaching eLearning courses at BRCC agree to meet the
following criteria with regard to course setup and delivery.
 respond to student emails/questions within 36 hours
 check and respond to emails on Saturday and Sunday
 grade student assignments/discussions within 7 days of the due date (14 days for major
papers/projects)
 have entire course set up several days prior to the start of the semester
 attend required Orientation for eLearning Students (2 sessions the week prior to the start
of the semester)
 attend required eLearning Faculty Meeting (during Convocation Week each semester)
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www.mybrcc.edu
E. LMS - Faculty must use the approved BRCC LMS as the entry point for students in eLearning
courses. Special exceptions may be requested in order to set up courses in an outside program
(i.e. MyItLab, MyMathLab. etc.).
F. Course Loads - Faculty can teach up to and including a maximum of 3 eLearning courses in a
single semester. Hybrid/Blended courses are not considered online courses for counting faculty
load. If the Department/Division maximum is more restrictive, that supersedes this policy.
G. Intellectual Property – as stated in the BRCC 2013-2014 Faculty Handbook (p. 19), BRCC
reserves the right to retain all materials placed in Blackboard.
H. Student enrollment in eLearning courses – In order to enroll in eLearning courses at BRCC,
students must pass the eLearning Entrance Exam. The exam is available upon completion of the
eLearning seminar in Blackboard. In the seminar, students learn about the expectations of
eLearning courses and how to accomplish various tasks in BRCC’s LMS (currently Blackboard).
At the conclusion of the self-paced seminar, students complete an exam. Students must score
80% or higher on the exam to pass. Test scores will be entered in BANNER by Testing Center
personnel using the ELRN test code. This will help to ensure student success by properly
preparing students prior to their scheduling an eLearning course.
Source of Policy: AA
Related Policy: LCTCS
Approved by:
Chancellor Andrea Lewis Miller
Responsible Administrator: VCAA
LCTCS Policy Reference: None
LCTCS Guideline Reference:
Date: 07/01/13
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