Independent+and+Distance+Learning

(information provided by K. Inman)

The correspondence courses no longer exist. We now offer only online courses through the Independent and Distance Learning Campus and the associated term.

OU students enroll in these courses only with Departmental Permission granted by a College Advisor. The student has six months from the start date to complete the course. Students may drop with a full refund and no academic record for 30 days. After 30 days they must submit a withdrawal request. When the withdrawal request is processed, the student will be assigned a “W” on the transcript. After 150 days, the student may request a withdrawal through the instructor. The grade at this point will be determined by the instructor. Students who are prevented from completing a course but have substantial work accomplished may work with the instructor and be assigned an “I”. The “I” make up process works as it does throughout OU.

Why the change?

The main driver for the change was improvement of the academic outcomes for students who enroll in Independents and Distance Courses. All of the following were contributing factors.


 * 1) Correspondence courses (as true U.S. Mail facilitated correspondence courses) eliminated.
 * 2) Shorter course completion time limits. At one time students had one year to complete a correspondence course with the possibility of a one year extension. In some instances, students were allowed a second extension. There were questions as to whether such a long term process really accomplished a similar quality learning outcome as courses taught through traditional or the online instructional methods over a more compact time period.
 * 3) Bring Independent and Distance Learning grading policies in line with grading policy in the faculty handbook.
 * 4) Eliminate the “cancellation” of the registration for those who failed to complete.
 * 5) Reduce the extremely high “failure to complete” rates attributed in part to allowing students to quit the course with no record.
 * 6) Lack of academic record for attempted academic work was inconsistent with accurate record keeping and consistency across programs.