E. Distance Education

Jacksonville University College of Law is committed to the innovative development and delivery of its curricular offerings. To that end, and in accordance with ABA Standard 306 and 311(e) and Definitions (7) and (8) of the ABA Standards, JU COL’s Distance Education Policy offers students the flexibility to receive some academic instruction leading to the J.D. degree with the use of advanced technology.

(1) Definitions

a. Distance Education. Distance Education is instruction in which students are separated from the faculty member or each other for more than one-third of the course and the instruction involves the use of technology to support regular and substantive interaction among students and between the students and the faculty member. This may be accomplished either synchronously or asynchronously.

b. Asynchronous Format. An Asynchronous Format is one in which faculty provide students with technology-assisted learning resources, and students engage these resources independently or in collaboration with classmates to complete a lesson by a designated time. Students and faculty may use tools such as assessments, email, discussion boards, listservs, wikis, and other technologies, which allow them to communicate without having to be in the same virtual or physical space at the same time.

c. Synchronous Format. A Synchronous Format is one in which faculty and students are in different physical locations, but conduct two-way communication with virtually no time delay, allowing class participation and faculty-student communication in real time.

d. Blended Courses Not Covered by the Distance Education Policy: Students and faculty separated from each other for one-third or less of the course are not governed under this policy and are not included in the maximum number of Distance Education units that students may take.

(2) Course Requirements

All Distance Education Courses must satisfy the following requirements:

a. opportunity for regular and substantive interaction between faculty member and student and among students;

b. regular monitoring of student effort by the faculty member and opportunity for communication about that effort;

c. learning outcomes for the course that are consistent with ABA Standard 302 and JU COL’s Learning Outcomes;

d. an effective process for verifying the identity of students taking the course, but also protecting student privacy; and

e. faculty who will be reasonably available to students either in person or through technology outside of regularly scheduled synchronous, or asynchronous session.

(3) Course Approval

Courses that have been approved by the faculty through the regular course approval process may be delivered as Distance Education courses with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The Associate Dean shall ensure that Distance Education courses satisfy the requirements set out in Section 3. Faculty may use Distance Education tools, such as virtual lectures, without the Associate Dean’s approval so long as faculty do not exceed the limits that would categorize a course as a Distance Education course. This paragraph does not impact the regular process for the approval of new courses by the faculty, regardless of the courses’ delivery method, except in the case of Distance Education courses, which must also satisfy Section 3 of the Distance Education Policy.

(4) Student Responsibilities

a. Students enrolled in a Distance Education course hosted or approved by JU COL are bound by the COL’s Student Handbook, JU’s Student Code of Conduct, JU’s Academic Integrity Policy, and the corresponding codes or policies of any host or co-hosting program or institution. Specifically, students shall act professionally and courteously in a Distance Education program and shall refrain during all Distance Education activities from dishonest, abusive, or disruptive conduct, including but not limited to the following:

falsifying their presence or participation in Distance Education activities;
using applications, programs, or services to perform or assist in performing their Distance Education work in violation of the Honor Code or the provisions of the professor’s syllabus; receiving assistance from other persons in the performance of their Distance Education work in violation of the Honor Code or the provisions of the professor’s syllabus;
copying or using without permission or attribution any online or other source;
using Distance Education facilities or activities to knowingly harm another Distance Education participant;
manipulating or interfering with Distance Education program facilities or activities without authorization.

Students who violate this provision may be subject to a range of sanctions authorized by the applicable codes and policies.

b. Students enrolled in a Distance Education course hosted or approved by JU COL bear responsibility to anticipate and address actual or potential technology issues by taking reasonable actions or precautions, including but not limited to the following:

securing access to a back-up electronic device and or software in case of primary device or software failure;
performing assignments expeditiously and not delaying until a submission deadline;
submitting work in a format specified by or acceptable to the professor;
upon discovering a technology issue, taking reasonable measures to immediately notify the professor and JU COL’s Associate Dean of Students of the problem or, if immediate action is not feasible, to provide such notice as soon as reasonably possible thereafter.

(5) Credit Approval

a. In accordance with Definition 8 of the ABA Standards and ABA Standard 311(e), a student may take a maximum of one-third of the credit hours required for the J.D. degree in Distance Education courses, or a maximum of 30 credit hours toward the 90 units required to graduate. First-year students are not eligible to receive credit for Distance Education courses.

b. Students may enroll in non-required, non-Florida-Bar-Exam-subject Distance Education courses offered at other ABA-approved law schools only with prior permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and only if any such course is offered on a basis consistent with JU COL’s Distance Education Policy.

(6) Accessibility

Courses and programs offered under this Distance Education Policy shall be accessible to persons with disabilities in compliance with federal and state laws.