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In addition to the services and programs that characterize most such state-wide consortia, the University of Texas system actively encourages institutions within the system to collaborate and develop jointly-offered degree programs. This optimizes resources, knowledge, and encourages collaborations and pooled ideas, creating (ideally) excellent economies of scale as well as better service to all participants, faculty, students, and support staff. While they are offering multiple higher education options, the UT TeleCampus, the centralized support system, is also developing K12 test readiness programs and professional development modules for teachers.

Institution: The University of Texas System, comprised of 15 academic and medical research facilities, is served by the central support unit for online education, the UT TeleCampus. Main website address: http://www.telecampus.utsystem.edu/

Degrees and Courses offered online:
There are a number of degree programs and courses, ranging from the general education courses needed by undergraduate students to satisfy requirements, to master’s programs offered either by individual institutions, or cooperative arrangements between institutions in the UT system.

The site has a very nice “one-stop shopping” portal which allows students, instructors, and visitors to gain an idea of what courses are offered, how to proceed, how to succeed, etc. Degree programs are linked to information pages. In some cases, a prospective student must then select a school from a list of options, as is the case of the undergraduate general education (GenEd) and MBA online programs. In others, such as the Master in Educational Technology, the link takes the prospective student to the University of Texas – Brownsville and Texas Southernmost College (UTB-TSC), and directly to the appropriate degree granting department.

In some cases the universities offer courses to the degree granting institution in the collaboration (MED in Ed Tech) and in some cases multiple campuses offer the degree (MBA Online).

An overview of programs and the universities partnering follows:

—MBA Online (UTA, UTB, UTD, UTEP, UTPA, UTPB, UTSA, UTT)
—Master’s in Ed Tech (UTB, UT, UTEP, UTMB, UTPB, UTSA)
—Master’s in C&I with a Specialization in Reading (UTA)
—Master’s in Kinesiology (UTPB, UTSA, UTA, UTPA, UTT, UTEP)
—Master’s in CS & Electrical Engineering – Three degrees (UTA, UTD)
—Master’s in Technology/Human Resource Development (UTT+)
—Master’s in Public Administration (UTA)
—English as a Second Language (ESL) Endorsement (UTA)
—Chess in Education Certificate (UTD)
—Superintendent Certification (UTPB), in development
—Nursing Education Cluster (graduate) (UTEP)
—Bachelor’s Completion Program in Criminal Justice/ Criminology (UTA, UTPB, UTB, UTD)
—Bachelor of Applied Technology/Computer Information Systems Technology Track (UTB) in development
—RN/BSN Completion Program (UTEP) – in development
—Alternative Teacher Certification Program – EC-4 Generalist (UTEP), in development
—Alternative Teacher Certification Program – Secondary Ed Core (UTEP), in development
—Forensics Certificate (UTEP), in development
—Undergraduate Accounting Cluster (UTEP), in development
—Management of Information Systems (MIS) Track – developed by UT Austin (UTB, UTEP, UTPA, UTT)
—GenEd (UTA, UTB, UTPA, UTPB)
—Dual Credit (Concurrent Enrollment Program with GenEd)
—Developmental Reading and Math Courses (UTA)
—Various individual courses

Advising and Degree Information:

Which student services are offered online?
Online application – Download pdf and return with the application fee.

Online Enrollment: Yes, system wide via the TeleCampus Information System that facilitates cross campus registration in collaborative programs.

Financial Aid: the same financial aid applies to distant learners as does on campus learners within the UT System.
Testing and Assessment: Yes

Virtual Library: Extensive digital library resources and various digital librarian contacts

Online Bookstore: several

Student Support: Free live 24.x7.365 technical support, online academic support and tutoring, ditial library assistance, getting started CD with plug-ins and browsers and staffed student surpport M-F 8 – 5 toll free.

Guide to the University of Texas System TeleCampus: To help faculty, prospective students, and staff negotiate the complicated system and to find out the nature of resources available, the UT TeleCampus FactBook is available for download in pdf format: http://www.telecampus.utsystem.edu/fact%20book%20doc.pdf A new one is being developed now.

Online Calendar and Schedule: Inside the UT TeleCampus are links to academic calendars for each campus. You’ll also find course schedule offerings that look forward generally two years.

Online Faculty Selection, Orientation and Training:
The same faculty that teach on the UT campuses teach via the UT TeleCampus. In Fall 2003 there were more than 100 UT faculty teaching online. Faculty are given extensive and ongoing support and training. The online courses offered throughout the system are solicited and centrally managed by the University of Texas TeleCampus (UTTC) system’s Administration. This occurs by means of a request for proposal (RFP) process, which assures standard procedures and an organized approach. The information and procedures website is located here: http://www.telecampus.utsystem.edu/Administration/rfps.html. If the proposal is accepted, the faculty member will receive funding, development time off, travel funding (if necessary), and student support to help with html coding.

UT-TeleCampus emphasizes that all courses are faculty-led. For a guide to the faculty-led philosophy, UTTC provides a guide in pdf format.

Online Inquiry: The first step involves downloading the form and completing an RFP. http://www.telecampus.utsystem.edu/Administration/rfps.html

Faculty website: Pages dedicated to faculty resources are housed with in the UT TeleCampus and extensive listservs and portal communication groups exist for ongoing communication/peer mentoring and sharing of best practices.

Faculty Blackboard account: The University of Texas TeleCampus system currently uses Blackboard 6.0. They also use WebBoard for announcements.

Instructional Design and Distance Learning Initiatives: UT-Telecampus is very active and seeks partnerships and cooperative activities with institutions throughout the system and in other parts of the world. An initiative with Trinidad is described here: http://www.telecampus.utsystem.edu/newsletter/faculty.html#cbc

Course Content:
Course content, syllabi, textbooks, etc. are generated by the faculty. In essence, it is a faculty-driven model, with centrally-provided online instructional support services. Final approvals and control occurs where the course is housed. If it is a part of a cooperative degree program, then a committee comprised of members from the participating entities has authority.

Instructional design, instructional technology, informational technology and support are made available through a central office, and through each participating campus (and in some cases, departments).

Course Syllabi Accessible to Public? No. Course descriptions, however, are available.

Open Source Software Initiatives: No.

Institutional e-Learning Initiatives:
The University of Texas System has developed a program to complement the federal “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.” The System-wide initiative is called Every Child, Every Advantage. The UT TeleCampus role includes developing and deploying a free test readiness program for high school students in Texas facing the exit level TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) test. The program will launch in 2004 under the name TRACK – TAKS Readiness and Core Knowledge. TRACK is funded by grants from the Meadows Foundation and the Houston Endowment. It will be developed in three project segments:

TRACK – a free interactive website with sample diagnostic test items and supplemental learning materials to help 11th graders prepare for the TAKS test.

TRACKPlus – while not free, an affordably priced enhanced model of TRACK that allows school districts to track student progress and utilize online tutorial services.

Professional Development Modules (tentatively named TeachTRACK) – Six modules for teachers in the subject areas tested under the TAKS test.

For more information about TRACK please link through the UT TeleCampus home page (http://www.telecampus.utsystem.edu) or go directly to http://www.track.uttelecampus.org

The UT TeleCampus can be reached via toll-free number 888-TEXAS-16 or email at telecampus@utsystem.edu