Program Delivery Modes Policy

Ref. No.	Executive sponsor	Policy steward	Approval authority	First approved	Last reviewed	Effective date	Next review
13.31	Vice President, Academic	Director, Academic Equity and Quality	Executive Council	Mar. 8, 2022	Apr. 22, 2025	Apr. 22, 2025	Apr. 2026

Purpose
1. NSCC is committed to broadening access to higher education through program delivery that delivers academic excellence that is flexible, utilizes evolving technology, and meets the needs of students and the NSCC community.
2. The purpose of this policy is:
  1. to define program delivery modes; and,
  2. to outline the principles that guide the decision-making process for program delivery modes.

Scope
1. This policy applies to all employees making and implementing program delivery mode decisions.

Definitions

Term	Definition
Academic school	A College division responsible for oversight of programming within identified academic subject areas or disciplines also referred to as program clusters. These include: Access, Education and Language, Business and Creative Industries, Health and Human Services, Technology and Environment, and Trades and Transportation.
Asynchronous delivery	Learning that does not have scheduled class meeting times.
Asynchronous online course	Course learning, including evaluation, is fully online with no scheduled classes. Students can complete course requirements from any location and will not have required class meetings.
Course	A unit of teaching and learning that is led by one or more faculty and has a roster of students.
Delivery mode	The method learning is delivered to support and enable the learning process.
Distributed course	Course learning is delivered to students on-site at one NSCC location and virtually to students at one or more other NSCC locations.
Faculty	Any employee who performs instructional and related professional responsibilities with NSCC.
Hybrid course	Course learning includes a combination of in-person and online learning. Online learning could include synchronous and / or asynchronous learning.
In-person course	Course learning is delivered face-to-face to students on a campus or at a learning site.
In-person learning	Learning takes place in a classroom, shop, or lab on a campus or at a learning site.
Online learning	A form of distance education where the primary delivery mechanism is via the Internet. Instruction is delivered synchronously or asynchronously, and the course and materials are intentionally designed in advance to be delivered fully online. Faculty use pedagogical strategies for instruction, student engagement, and assessment that are specific to learning in a virtual environment online.
Program	An approved combination of courses and requirements leading to a College credential.
Program section	An offering of a specific program, including location and / or delivery mode. There may be multiple sections of a program delivered at the same time.
Student	Anyone who is active in a program and / or enrolled in courses.
Synchronous delivery	Learning that has scheduled class meeting times.
Synchronous online course	Course learning, including evaluation, is fully online with scheduled classes. A minimum of 50% of the course is delivered synchronously. Students can complete course requirements from any location during scheduled class meetings.
Work Integrated Learning course	Practical learning in programs that includes field experience, co-operative education, internship, mandatory professional practice and / or service learning, that is a program or course outcome. Work Integrated Learning could require on-site or virtual participation.

Policy
1. Guiding Principles
  1. Student Success
    We will choose and explain how we deliver programs and courses, using the right technology to help students succeed.
  2. Accessibility and Educational Equity
    We will make decisions based on our commitment to making education accessible and fair for everyone.
  3. Academic Quality
    We aim for excellent teaching and learning, ensuring high quality in all programs and how they are delivered.
  4. Flexibility
    We will create flexible program options that include technology and online learning as key parts of teaching and learning.
  5. Teaching and Learning Excellence
    We will make sure all faculty are ready to support learning effectively, so all students have similar learning experience, no matter how or where they learn.
2. Program Delivery Modes
  1. NSCC has approved different ways to deliver programs at all campuses. Any program with Work Integrated Learning (WIL) may require students to attend n person.
    1. In-person Program - program learning takes place primarily in a classroom, shop, or lab on a campus or at a learning site. In-person programs are comprised of in-person courses and can also include a maximum of one hybrid or fully online course per term.
    2. Asynchronous Online Program - program learning is fully online using only asynchronous delivery with no scheduled class requirements. Optional synchronous events such as online “drop-in” sessions may be scheduled.
    3. Synchronous Online Program - program learning takes place fully online. Synchronous Online programs are comprised of synchronous online courses, but may include some asynchronous class requirements.
    4. Blended Program - a minimum of 50% of program learning occurs on a campus or at a learning site over the course of the entire program delivery. Blended programs are comprised of a combination of online (synchronous and / or asynchronous), hybrid and in-person courses.
    5. Blended Flex Program - less than 50% of program learning occurs on a campus or at a learning site. Blended Flex programs are comprised of a combination of online (synchronous and / or asynchronous), hybrid and in-person courses with a minimum of one in-person or hybrid course.
    6. Blended Distributed Program - program delivery aligns with blended program delivery; however, in-person courses are delivered to students in-person at one NSCC location and virtually to students at other NSCC locations.
    7. Distributed Program - program delivery aligns with In-person program delivery; however, it is delivered to students in-person at one NSCC location and virtually to students at other NSCC locations.
    8. Course-based Program - the Adult Learning Program (ALP) and Academic Career and Connections (ACC) are course-based programs, and courses offered from campuses and learning centers, with the exception of eCampus, are comprised of a combination of online (synchronous and / or asynchronous), hybrid and in-person courses. ALP and ACC do not include WIL.
  2. Delivery mode is assessed at the program level by the Academic Schools in consultation with Campus Management Teams based on:
    1. Program and course learning outcomes;
    2. Teaching and learning requirements;
    3. Instructional approaches and technologies;
    4. Student needs and demographics and;
    5. Resource capacity.
  3. Delivery mode for each program must be approved by the NSCC Board of Governors
  4. Section delivery modes are set during program planning and approved by the School Dean. Program delivery can vary by campus, based on the approved modes, and is determined in consultation with Academic Chairs and Principals. Program sections must follow one of the approved modes for the whole program. Delivery modes for sections delivered through Contract Training, will be set by Workforce Development.
  5. Permitted course instruction modes are listed in each Program Delivery mode definition. Approved instruction modes within be included in course outlines. The process for approving a new instruction mode will be explained in a Course Instruction mode procedure.
  6. Technical training apprenticeship programs will follow the definitions and guidelines created by the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency (NSAA) and NSCC.
3. Program Delivery Exceptions and Considerations
  1. Only the School Dean, with input from the Campus Principal, can change program or section delivery modes after they are finalized and approved.
  2. If something unusual happens that stops the approved delivery mode (such as environmental or societal events or technical issues), changes can be made only if the Academic Dean approves the alternative delivery mode is approved by the NSCC Board of Governors.
  3. The NSCC Remote Attendance Guidelines explain how to request and approve accommodations.
4. Roles and Responsibilities
  1. Academic School Deans
    1. Establish program delivery mode options for the School.
    2. School Deans, with input from Campus Principals, will review and approve program delivery modes for each section.
    3. Review and approve requests to change existing program, or section delivery modes or to assign delivery modes to new programs.
  2. Campus Teams
    1. Campus Principals, with input from School Deans, will review and provide feedback on program delivery modes for each section.
    2. Academic Chairs must ensure that all course instruction modes used for class scheduling match the approved modes in curriculum and program delivery mode definitions.
    3. Academic Chairs and faculty can give input or make suggestions to program delivery modes.
  3. Academic Equity and Quality
    1. Steward the Program Delivery Policy with the Centre for Teaching and Learning.
    2. Work with school leadership and faculty working groups (FWG) to review program curriculum and suggest program delivery modes to Deans.
    3. Support the planning process with Academic, and Campus Communities, to establish the program mix, including program delivery modes and supporting materials.
  4. Centre for Teaching and Learning
    1. Create resources to help Academic Schools and Campus teams make informed decisions and get ready for course delivery.

Policy Supports

22.01 Evaluation Policy
23.11 Grading Policy
41.21 Educational Equity Policy