Policies & Procedures

The process for approval of unit/departmental level distance learning course fees begins prior to the schedule of courses opening each semester.  The summer and fall terms dates are the same as both of those terms open registration on the same date.  The specific dates for this process are sent to all college deans in the form of an Administrative Memo.

The amount of the distance learning course fee may not exceed the additional costs of the services provided which are attributable to the development and delivery of the distance learning course. If the distance learning course fee is assessed by a state university, the institution may not assess duplicative fees to cover the additional costs. For example, the cost associated with the DL fee should not be the same cost associated with fees such as M&S or technology.

Units seeking to assess a departmental level distance learning fee per Florida Statute 1009.24 (17) should follow the steps in the Instruction Guide below for creating a Distance Learning Fee in the myUFL system.

Once the Distance Learning Fee request has been approved by the College the request is forwarded to The Office of the Associate Provost for Teaching and Technology for final review and approval, denial or returned for more information.  Once approved the unit offering the course tags sections of courses approved for the purpose of assessing the Distance Learning fee.

All courses/sections authorized to assess a distance learning fee will be subject to end of academic year review of costs incurred and fees collected. The enabling regulation does not permit an above cost residual.

Sections tagged to charge a distance learning course fee must match the section level technology data submitted via myUFL – Quick Links - ONE.UF Admin.   The section level technology data reports to the university which courses comply with the state's 80% rule. 

Special Topics course numbers are not eligible to charge departmental/unit Distance Learning Course Fees for examples: XXX4930, XXX6930

The following types of courses will require explanation in the comments section of the Distance Learning eForm: 

• Individual Work        
• Practicum
• Individual Study
• Advance Research
• Doctoral Research
• Supervised Research
• Seminars

You must explain how they comply with the state statute.

For example: 

"Course XXX6905 will meet three times per week utilizing Adobe Connect"  

"Course XXX6945 Faculty meets with student twice weekly utilizing Skype"

• Distance Learning Guidelines and Instruction

The course delivery data process is managed through myufl / main menu / quick links / student Admin page. This data is required for all university sections prior to the beginning of each semester.

• Administrative Memo – Changes in the Type and Timing of Course Platform Information

Traditionally, much of this data would be collected for the Instructor Workload file. Note: The Instructor Workload process will remain in use though some specific elements being collected in DLFS will preloaded into the IW file.

The following training is for Course Schedulers.

• Training Video
• Training Presentation

Two Most Common Scenarios

• Traditional Training Input
• Online/Web Section Input

Guidelines

• Calculating Small Tech Content
• Internships, Dissertations, etc.

For more information or further questions, please contact:

Chris Newsom
cnewsom@dce.ufl.edu
(352) 294-0851

Section (21) Division of Continuing Education Auxiliary Fund:

1. All registration fees or other income collected as payment for development of or participation in non-credit educational activities (i.e., workshops, symposia, conferences, etc.) shall be deposited into the Division of Continuing Education auxiliary fund. Non-credit courses sponsored by a unit of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Studies [IFAS] and administered through the IFAS Office of Conferences and Institutes may be exempted from this requirement.
2. Revenues received for the purpose of planning, offering, and recovering all costs of sponsored credit institutes and other self-funded credit programs as provided by Board of Governors Regulation 6C-7.008(1)(a) will be deposited into the Division of Continuing Education auxiliary fund.

The Division of Continuing Education auxiliary fund may be used for the recovery of any additional fees established for off-campus educational activities under section (19) of this regulation, or for continuing education credit courses as provided by Board of Governors Regulation 6C-8.002(2)(b)4.

Examples of Self-Funded Programs

Offering degrees or certificates where 25-49% of a program's credits are available onsite at locations off main campus (either state or self-funded);

Offering degrees or certificates where 50% or more of a program's available credits are (either state or self-funded) and;

• Fully online
• Online with on-site meetings on main campus
• Online with on-site meetings off main campus
• On-site, off main campus

The Review Process

1. Department/Unit Level Review
   Faculty and or administrative staff should begin the process by accessing either the "Application for Establishing an Alternative Educational Delivery Platform/ Funding Model" or the "Application for Change in Educational Delivery Platform/ Funding Model" form. Once completed the form should be routed to the Department Chair for consideration by the department faculty and signature by the chair.
2. College Level Review
   Once the proposal has been signed by the department chair it should then be referred to the appropriate college contact (typically an Associate Dean) for review and consideration by the college.
3. University Curriculum Council (UCC) or Graduate School's Graduate Council
   Appropriate approval for the program must be sought and gained from either the UCC (for undergraduate programs) or the Graduate School's Graduate Council (for graduate programs).
4. Provost Level Review and Approval
   Once the proposal has been signed by the Dean of the College it should then be sent to the Office of the Associate Provost for Teaching and Technology for review by the Distance Education Self-Funded Workgroup. The Workgroup will make a recommendation to the Provost who will provide final review and approval.
5. SACS Notification or Approval Prior to Implementation
   If the proposal is approved by the Provost, the Office of the Associate Provost will provide information to the Director of SACS Accreditation for appropriate SACS notification or approval.

Getting Started

If you would like to create a new Self-Funded or add a Self-Funded version of your existing program, please send an email to distance@dce.ufl.edu or contact Dr. Brian Marchman, Director of Distance & Continuing Education.

Application Forms

• Application for Self-Funded Program Status
• Self-Funded Graduate Program Budget Template
• Application for Self-Funded Course Status
• SACS Prospectus Template
• Guidelines and Application for Start Up Loan (optional)

Units seeking to offer self-funded programs per BOG Rule 8.002 may apply for such status by completing the application in the links above.

Click here to learn more about Self-Funded Policies.

Existing state-funded academic programs, do not require approval from the University Curriculum Committee (undergraduate) or the Graduate School Graduate Council (graduate). These programs can proceed directly to the "Application for Change in Educational Delivery Platform or Funding Model" (Change Request for Online Delivery Platform).

Examples of an Alternative Delivery Platform

Offering degrees or certificates where 25-49% of a program's credits are available onsite at locations off main campus (either state or self-funded);

Offering degrees or certificates where 50% or more of a program's available credits are (either state or self-funded) and;

• Fully online
• Online with on-site meetings on main campus
• Online with on-site meetings off main campus
• On-site, off main campus

Examples of Alternative Funding Models

• Change from state-funded status to self-funded status

The Review Process

1. Provost Level Review and Approval
   Once the proposal has been signed by the Dean of the College it should then be sent to the Office of the Associate Provost for Teaching and Technology for review by the Distance Education Self-Funded Workgroup. The Workgroup will make a recommendation to the Provost who will provide final review and approval
2. SACS Notification or Approval Prior to Implementation
   If the proposal is approved by the Provost, the Office of the Associate Provost will provide information to the Director of SACS Accreditation for appropriate SACS notification or approval.

Getting Started

If you would like to create a new Self-Funded or add a Self-Funded version of your existing program, please send an email to distance@dce.ufl.edu or contact Dr. Brian Marchman, Director of .

Application Forms

• Change Request for Online Delivery Platform
• Self-Funded Graduate Program Budget Template
• Application for Self-Funded Course Status
• SACS Prospectus Template
• Guidelines and Application for Start Up Loan (optional)

Units seeking to offer self-funded programs per BOG Rule 8.002 may apply for such status by completing the application in the links above.

Click here to learn more about Self-Funded Policies.

• Department / Unit Level Review Faculty and or administrative staff should begin the process by accessing the "Proposal for Change in Educational Delivery Platform / Funding Model" form. Once completed the form should be routed to the Department Chair for consideration by the department faculty and signature by the chair.
• College Level Review Once the proposal has been signed by the department chair it should then be referred to the appropriate college contact (usually an Associate Dean) for review and consideration by the college.
• Provost Level Review and Approval Once the proposal has been signed by the Dean of the College it should then be sent to the Office of the Associate Provost for Teaching and Technology for review by the Educational Platform / Funding Advisory Workgroup. The Workgroup will make a recommendation to the Provost who will provide final review and approval. 

The University is required [BOG Regulation 8.002 (8) b.] to file an annual report of all non-credit activity (for which there is a participant fee assessed) beginning with FY 2012-2013. The reportable non-credit activity will include the delivery of any content with the following attributes:

1. Non-credit;
2. Revenue generating;
3. Associated directly or indirectly by the students with the University.

In order to comply with this reporting requirement all Non Credit programs are required to be registered with (and supply an annual report to) the Office of the Associate Provost for Teaching and Technology.

New Non Credit programs can be registered by submitting a New Non-Credit Program Registration form.

While "Continuing Education" can be defined a variety of ways, TNT defines it as educational activities that do not grant college credit.

Continuing Education programs may only be funded through collected revenues or grants, and must be approved by the dean of their academic college.

While a program is in the process of developing their business plan, TNT will work with the organizers to determine what services the unit needs to produce, market and deliver the program.

• Program Development
• TNT Support Services

The following units are under the Continuing Education unit:

• Professional Development
• Executive Education
• Training, Research and Education for Environmental Occupations (UF/TREEO)
• Conferences and Workshops

• Provost Applications for Non-Traditional Programs

• Distance Education Vendor Agreement Approval Workflow

Required Forms:

• Vendor Agreement Form (For Credit)
• Vendor Agreement Form (Non-Credit)

Please submit completed, Dean-approved proposals, to Brian K. Marchman, Ph.D. at marchman@ufl.edu.