A. Model Standards for Distance Learning for Legal Education

• Author: Rebecca Purdom - Greg Brandes - Karen Westwood
• Pages: 74-84

74

Appendix A

Model Standards for Distance Learning for

Legal Education

As an increasing number of law schools implement distance learning courses—as well as entire distance

learning programs—an increasing number of schools and administrators request guidance and standards.

These model standards set forth recommended practices for providing student services and ensuring

student engagement and interaction for directors, deans, administrators, and faculty that are involved in

developing, administering, and supporting these distance learning programs. In addition to online

teaching standards, these policies set forth key aspects of programs including student services, access to

information, distance learning student registration, financial aid, billing, and accounting, career services

and scheduling, alumni relations, accessibility, academic advising, and technology.

Standard 1. RESOURCES FOR PROVISION OF STUDENT SERVICES

Standard 1.1

A school must maintain an adequate infrastructure for distance education, including, but not limited to,

staffing, technology, and infrastructure sufficient to meet the needs of distance learning students and the

faculty and staff that serve them, and system security sufficient to adequately protect/prevent release of

sensitive, confidential information.

Standard 1.2

The infrastructure for the provision of student services for distance education should be sufficient to

provide a level of service that is of equivalent quality, though not necessarily identical, to those provided

for residential post-JD students in comparable degree programs.

Standard 1.2 Interpretation

Resources accessible to online students should include, at minimum, the following:

(A) An online admissions process that has effective (as tested) fraud protection but provides applicants

the ability to electronically sign their admissions application and enrollment agreement.

- Real-time communications with applicants utilizing Skype, Facetime, or other live video

enabled communication platform may be used to verify English-language ability of foreign

students.

(B) Financial aid application assistance by a trained Financial Aid officer for students who may be

eligible.

(C) Secure systems for course registration, billing and accounting, and posting of grades.

- Secure student access to registration, billing and accounting, grade information, and

applicable forms, preferably via an online portal