UNH Faculty Senate

Motion on January-term E-learning session length
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UNH FACULTY SENATE
MOTION # XVI-M6

on January-term E-learning session length

1.  Motion presenter:   Michael Ferber

2.  Dates of Faculty Senate discussion:   11/28/2011 and 1/30/2012

3.  Rationale:

The committee thought that four-weeks should be available for faculty thoroughly to cover the material in four-credit on-line courses and that this would be comparable with the length and intensity of summer courses.  Most staff are away from the university between Christmas and January 1, but instructional technology staff can be made available during J-term.  The IT staff might be needed in order to fine tune the instructor's and the students' access to the technology needed for the course.  A senator said that the intention of the motion is to offer more time for those faculty who feel that three weeks are not enough time to teach their course effectively.  How faculty use the time is up to them, and the amount of time needed may depend on the type of course.  The committee wanted to create a four-week window of opportunity to present the on-line J-term courses.  By passing this motion, the senate would be saying what the calendar for on-line J-term courses should be, but the senate would not be saying how the time must be spent or what the contact hours must be.  However, the support staff should be available during that time.

4.  Motion:

The Faculty Senate mandates that the January-term E-learning session be four weeks long, beginning shortly after Christmas, in order to allow time for contact with the instructor or participation in course discussions comparable to the time so devoted in ordinary semester-long courses.  This requirement shall take effect in academic year 2012-13.

5.  Senate action:  passed with twenty-five ayes, eight nays, and two abstentions.

6.  Senate chair’s signature:  Larry Prelli

Forwarded to:  President Mark Huddleston, on March 1, 2012

Forwarded to:  Provost John Aber, on March 1, 2012

Forwarded to:  Lisa MacFarlane, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, on March 1, 2012

Forwarded to:  Registrar Kathryn Forbes, on March 1, 2012

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