What is DE Program Effectiveness?
What is DE Program Effectiveness at Texas A&M University?
Assessing effectiveness of Distance Education (DE) programs at Texas A&M is very similar to the annual Program Assessment process, wherein program faculty explore the extent to which learning goals are achieved. In addition to analyzing program learning outcomes, DE program effectiveness is also measured by collecting and reviewing data such as graduation and retention rates, student course evaluations, and/or metrics looking at other aspects of the student experience. A key factor in assessing DE programs is by comparing its outcomes on relevant metrics to those of a comparable face-to-face program.The DE Program Effectiveness process occurs in 3 phases:
- Identify Sources of Data: Faculty collectively decide what sources of data will be used to collect data from/about students. Each area—student learning and student experience—must be supported by at least one identified source of data. Additionally, a reasonable Face-to-Face comparator program should be identified at this stage.
- Collect Data: Faculty/staff implement the data collection plan over the course of an academic year.
- Report Findings and Use of Results: The data is analyzed and findings are compared between the DE program and the identified Face-to-Face program. Faculty discuss findings and determine data-informed actions for program improvement(s), specifically focused on what/ how students are learning and/or the overall student experience in the DE program.
The University requires that programs document these processes annually. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Evaluation facilitates documentation in HelioCampus.
Who participates in DE Program Effectiveness?
Academic programs characterized by any of the following are required to participate in DE program effectiveness and submit annual documentation:- Undergraduate programs where >50% of instruction occurs through distance education technology
- Graduate programs where >50% or more of instruction occurs through distance education technology
- Standalone and Degree-Dependent certificate programs where >50% of instruction occurs through distance education technology
Low-enrolled DE programs are also required to submit annual documentation. These programs should aggregate data across multiple years/cycles to report findings. See below for minimum reporting numbers:
- Undergraduate: 10 students
- Graduate: 5 students
Major-Dependent certificate programs, combined 3+2 programs, and minor programs are NOT required to submit annual documentation.
NOTE: Information for individual tracks or emphases within a degree DE program does not need to be reported separately, though program faculty may choose to do so if those comparisons would be valuable.
Programs that are going through the inactivation process or removing the DE delivery option are required to submit annual documentation until the program inactivation proposal is approved at the Provost level in the Curricular Approval Request System (CARS).
Departments appoint one or more Program Coordinators for each academic program to ensure that annual documentation is submitted in accordance with University guidelines and deadlines.
To see more specific information and resources relevant to the DE Program Coordinator role, please visit the DE Program Coordinator page.
Where do we start?
We recommend starting with a review of the information on this page—especially identifying your college or school’s designated DE Liaison in the table below. They will be a valuable resource to you!If you're ready for a deeper dive, review the DE Program Effectiveness Guidelines, a comprehensive resource which can be used as a companion manual while planning and documenting your program's Sources of Data and Findings/Use of Results. It includes requirements, best practices, and tips to help with your program's DE Effectiveness strategy and how to document it.
And as always, we are happy to meet with you to discuss DE Program Effectiveness and answer any questions you may have. Email us at assessment@tamu.edu.
When are DE reports due?
- Sources of Data for the upcoming academic year are submitted every Spring semester in April.
- Findings and Implications for the previous academic year are submitted twice every Fall semester--a draft version in October and a final version in December.
These due dates vary slightly each year as they fall on Fridays. Visit the Program Coordinator webpage to see specific due dates for the current/active DE Program Effectiveness cycles.
Please be aware that DE College/School Liaisons have authority to determine their own due dates for each documentation phase. If your Liaison does not communicate different deadlines, programs are expected to follow the due dates published on the OIEE website. Automatic reminder emails based on the published due dates have been set up in the HelioCampus system, so please note that you may receive notifications that communicate different due dates from what your DE Liaison has communicated to you.
Where/how do we submit the DE Program Effectiveness forms?
Texas A&M University uses HelioCampus to complete DE Program Effectiveness documentation. If you will be responsible for this documentation but do not currently have access to the necessary forms in HelioCampus, click HERE to request access. Please be sure to include the specific program(s) you need access to.NOTE: Access for assessment documentation is set up at the program level in HelioCampus, which means individuals who are provided access to the DE form for a program will also receive access to the Academic Program Assessment form for that program.
Who is the DE form shared with?
When a DE Program Effectiveness Report is completed at the end of a cycle, the report is archived in the HelioCampus system and is accessible by individuals who hold the Program Coordinator role or the College DE Liaison role.OIEE does not share DE Program Effectiveness forms directly with any other parties, with the exception of the University's 5-year and 10-year SACSCOC accreditation reports where they may be included as supporting documents.
Who is my DE Liaison?
Learn more about the DE Liaison role here.
| College/School/Branch Campus | DE Liaison |
|---|---|
| Agriculture & Life Sciences | Craig Coates, ccoates@tamu.edu |
| Architecture | Katie Reed, katiereed@tamu.edu |
| Arts & Sciences | Terri Pantuso, tpantuso@tamu.edu |
| Bush School of Government & Public Service | Wendi Kaspar, warant@tamu.edu |
| Education & Human Development | Nahed Abdelrahman, nrahman@tamu.edu |
| Engineering | Duncan "Hank" Walker, walker@tamu.edu |
| Marine Sciences & Maritime Studies | Holly Richards, holly_richards@tamu.edu |
| Mays Business School | 'Jon Jasperson, jon.jasperson@tamu.edu |
| Medicine | Teresa Isbell, tisbell@tamu.edu |
| Nursing | Lisa Haddad, lhaddad@tamu.edu Matthew Sorenson, msorenson@tamu.edu |
| Performance, Visual & Fine Arts | Christine Bergeron, cbergeron@tamu.edu |
| Public Health | Laura Luna Arvizu, pluna@tamu.edu |
| School of Law | Terri Helge, thelge@tamu.edu |
| Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences | Ashely Seabury, agustafson@tamu.edu |