Mission Statement
The Administration, the Faculty and the Board of Trustees of Palm Beach Community College (PBCC) believe that the students should be given the opportunity to learn in an environment which best meets their varied lifestyles. To foster this principle, the College shall offer both credit and non-credit courses, degrees and certifications by distance learning so students will have an opportunity to enroll in these courses. The course goals and objectives and the course name and number of these distance learning courses shall be the same as those offered on campus.

What is Distance Learning?

Distance learning includes Online Classes. Distance learning also supports the integration of technology in the learning environment, online use of the Internet as a resource in the classroom, email, and satellite up/down linking, compressed video and other instructional technologies. Palm Beach Community College offers distance learning course work in both credit and non-credit classes that require few (if any) on-campus meetings. Classes are designed to provide close interaction with instructors while also allowing greater time and space flexibility to serve the students' needs. Use of email, conference boards, telephone, fax and occasional face-to-face meetings (if needed) occur to encourage effective communication with students and instructor or student-to-student interaction. These courses are rigorous and cover the same material as on-campus classes. Credits earned though distance learning course work are transferable and appear on transcripts just like any other class.

Goals for Distance Learning:

• To provide an alternative education delivery system for greater access by our students.
• To provide flexibility of time and location.
• To promote the integration of technology in the learning environment.
• To promote globalization of education through electronic access to information and experts worldwide.

Review the History of Distance Learning

Who are our Distance Learners?
Almost 80% of the distance learning students here at PBCC will attend class on one of the campuses as well as taking distance learning courses.

Profile of PBCC's Distance Learning student:

• 70% are females
• Average age is 29
• 40% of these students have less than 30 credits
• Over 50% are seeking an AA degree
• 85% are residents of Palm Beach County

Students enroll in distance learning classes for the following reasons:

• No transportation
• Disabled
• Work Commitment requires extensive travel
• Personal Commitment requires time flexibility
• Lack of child care

Major Delivery Systems Panthernet coding
PBCC’s commitment to students is to provide anytime, anyplace learning opportunities through an array of distance learning technologies and delivery systems. The primary difference between distance learning courses and face-to-face (traditional) courses is the delivery format not the content. Distance learning courses go through the same rigorous curriculum process as face-to-face courses.

Online courses allow students to take courses on the Internet providing greater flexibility and convenience. Students can access the course from a computer with an Internet connection 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week from home, work, library, or a college facility. Each course will have specific deadlines for the completion of assignments, projects, and quizzes/exams that meet course objectives just like face-to-face classes. Some courses may require students to take exams in a proctored testing environment such as a PBCC Testing Center (see the course syllabus for details/ requirements).

Panthernet coding for courses using the Internet
Special designators are used to identify the delivery method of distance learning courses as well as the automatic loading of sections and students for those courses using the PBCC Blackboard server. Only online courses are a part of the DL program.

Use of the Web Content Designators - These web class special designators may only be placed on a class if the instructor has the appropriate training level. Programming now underway at the consortium will check to see if the assigned faculty member has the appropriate training. The special designators are only applied to the class with the approval of the dean or associate dean of the sponsoring campus.

Note: Existing sections may NOT have web content designators added or changed once registration has begun for students. Students need to be informed of all associated fees and web expectations prior to their registration for classes.

Once the course is loaded in Panthernet by the campus, these additional special designator codes/ special fees must be added (effective fall 20081 term):

Delivery	DL Class Y or N	Special Designator	PBCC BlackboardServer	Description	Fee
Online	Yes	C1 & DL WP & DL	No Yes	ONLINE CLASS	$10.00 per credit hour (DL automatically adds fee)
Hybrid	No	HY WH	No Yes	COMBINATION OF ONLINE/ INCLASS	$30.00 ONLN Fee per course (Manual Add)
Component	No	IC WC	No Yes	WEB ENHANCED CLASS	$10.00 COMP Fee per course (Manual Add)

Organizational Information
The Vice President of Academic Affairs oversees the Distance Learning program at PBCC. Active committees for distance learning provide opportunities for faculty and staff to discuss pertinent distance learning issues and offer guidance to maintain a quality program.