3.4.7  

The institution ensures the quality of educational programs/courses offered through consortial relationships or contractual agreements, ensures ongoing compliance with the comprehensive requirements, and evaluates the consortial relationship and agreement against the purpose of the institution.

RATIONALE FOR COMPLIANCE JUDGMENT

Nashville State Technical Community College (NSCC) offers courses and programs through one consortium – the Regents Online Degree Program (RODP) [1], through contractual relationships with Austin Peay State University and Tennessee State University, and through a partnership with The Sage Group.

The RODP consortium includes all 19 community colleges and universities in the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system.  Students select a home institution and apply through the institution’s regular admissions process.  The home school is the degree-granting institution.  Any NSCC student can enroll in any lower-division RODP course, although that particular course may actually be delivered by another of the participating institutions.  In spring 2007, RODP had a headcount enrollment of 7,647.  Enrollment by NSCC students was 264. 

Because all of the RODP institutions are in the same governance system, the Consortium network is tightly knit and there is ongoing assessment and review of RODP offerings and practices.  The RODP organization includes both TBR Central office staff and a network of campus representatives [2].  Campus representatives from each campus play a major role through the Strategic Planning, Oversight, Curriculum, Discipline Subcommittees, and various other committees [3].  The Oversignt Committee, which consists of campus Academic and Student Services officers, typically meets four times a year.  All problems related to RODP policies and processes come before the Oversight Committee.  For example, a process to ensure that faculty delivering courses receive their student evaluations was established by this group in spring 2006.  Streamlining processes for handling student complaints were developed by the Oversight Committee in 2005.  All programs offered through RODP are approved through the RODP Curriculum Committee and through normal campus processes prior to being offered through RODP.  Evaluation is a continuous process.  The RODP website also offers support and professional development for faculty members developing and/or delivering online courses [4].  The RODP website offers abundant information about quality and access to services.  Access to the "Go to Class" portion of the site requires an ID and PW, which are included in the instructions to the SACS off-site committee [7].

Nashville State teaches remedial-level courses (DSPR 0700 Basic Reading and DSPW 0700 Basic Writing) through identical contracts [8] with two Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) universities -- Austin Peay State University and Tennessee State University.  The remedial courses taught on the university campuses to university students who have placed in remedial courses are identical to the courses delivered to NSCC students.  The courses are offered by qualified faculty under contract with NSCC.  These faculty members are included in the NSCC faculty roster.   The contracts with these two universities are evaluated annually and were modified effective January 2007 with regard to financial aspects of the contracts.  The evaluation is initiated by NSCC's contract officer, the Vice President for Finance and Administration

The Sage Group [5] is a company, based in the Nashville area, offering technical workforce training.  The Sage Group courses are typically offered on a clock hour, rather than credit hour, basis.  Some students who enroll in courses offered by The Sage Group may be interested in pursuing associate degrees.  In order to make that possible, Nashville State allows students to apply and be admitted to Nashville State, to enroll in NSCC courses equivalent to the Sage courses, and to apply those courses toward the A.A.S. degree in General Technology.  All courses offered by The Sage Group are reviewed by PONSI [6] and receive NSCC credit only if recommended for college credit by PONSI and judged equivalent based on campus review.  NSCC certifies the qualifications of faculty members teaching these courses.  The contract with The Sage Group is attached [9].  This contract is under evaluation currently to determine what changes should be made.  After evaluation of the college's administrative responsibilities under the contract during fall semester 2006, some responsibilities were reassigned to Admissions and a part-time person was hired in order to improve service to students.  No Sage Group students have earned a NSCC degree as of this time.