Academic Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual

P-10: DIGITAL LEARNING COOPERATIVE

Policy:

The Digital Learning Cooperative (DLC) at Penn State is operated by the Office for the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses (OVPCC) and provides residential students opportunities to enroll in distance courses (e.g., web, remote synchronous, or hybrid) offered through their home campus but taught by instructors at another campus. In effect, the campus providing the students is the receiving campus/college and the academic unit supplying the instruction is the broadcasting campus/college.

The DLC is a seat reservation system designed for courses that bring students from multiple locations into a common class. Additional interactions with course content and testing, as well as communications among instructors, between instructors and students, and among students, can occur via other modes (e.g., learning management systems, e-mail, approved software, etc.).

Operating Principles and Guidelines:

1. Penn State colleges and campuses consult with the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses (OVPCC) about broadcasting courses on the DLC and establish the total course enrollment limits.
2. Penn State colleges and campuses determine which courses are available for broadcasting via the DLC to other campuses.
3. Penn State colleges or campuses decide which course offerings are to be received from other campuses or colleges and the course enrollment limits for their college/campus and request those enrollments from the broadcasting college/campus.
4. The broadcasting college/campus agrees to meet the technical standards and pedagogical guidelines established by the Penn State Online Coordinating Council and the IP03 Courseware Policy (https://policy.psu.edu/policies/ip03) regarding copyright issues.
5. The receiving college/campus schedules the course such that student registration remains at their home campus. Receiving campuses provide all local support services, facilities, communication linkages, and non-instructional staff necessary to offer the course.
6. The broadcasting college/campus provides the instruction, academic policy oversight, instructional materials, systems, and originating communications as appropriate to the course and in accord with agreements.
7. DLC courses are offered as regular courses at each location where students enroll. This means that a single course can be offered simultaneously at multiple campuses with the course scheduled as a local course at each participating campus. The receiving location lists the course in its Schedule of Courses as a normal course offering and lists any special requirements as agreed upon by both the broadcasting and the receiving locations. No special characteristics are entered on students' transcripts.
8. Courses offered by the World Campus may, with the concurrence of the broadcasting academic college/campus, be available to other locations through the DLC. Where the World Campus supports the cost of delivery, it will receive compensation from the scheduling location, in turn compensating the originating department as appropriate.
9. In special circumstances, the World Campus is a potential location for broadcasting or receiving instruction when particular course exchanges are negotiated. Prior approval must be received from the World Campus, the college/campus, and the OVPCC.

Assignment of Enrollment Headcounts and credit hours:

• Student credit hours generated through the DLC are assigned to the campus, college, or unit that employees the instructor. 
• Enrollment headcounts are credited to the home campus, college, or unit of the student.
• No direct fees are paid between units. Revenue is distributed according to the current budget model of the university.