State Regulations

The California Community College Chancellor's Office maintains a Distance Education site and faculty should familiarize themselves with this information.

The Distance Education Guidelines were last updated in 2020 to better align with Federal Regulations

From the DE Guidelines document, the salient pieces to instruction are:

55200. Definition and Application

Distance education means instruction in which the instructor and student are separated by time and/or distance and interact through the assistance of technology. All distance education is subject to the general requirements of this chapter as well as the specific requirements of this article. In addition, instruction provided as distance education is subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12100 et seq.) and section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794d).
Note: Authority cited: Sections 66700 and 70901, Education Code. Reference: Sections 70901 and 70902, Education Code; title 29 United States Code section 794d; and title 42 United States Code sections 12100, 12101, 12102, 12103, 12131, 12132, 12133 and 12134

55202. Course Quality Standards

The same standards of course quality shall be applied to any portion of a class conducted through distance education as are applied to in-person classes, in regard to the course quality judgment made pursuant to the requirements of section 55002, and in regard to any local course quality determination or review process. Determinations and judgments about the quality of distance education under the course quality standards shall be made with the full involvement of faculty in accordance with the provisions of subchapter 2 (commencing with section 53200) of chapter 2.
NOTE: Authority cited: Section 66700 and 70901, Education Code. References: Sections 70901 and 70902, Education Code.

55204. Instructor Contact

In addition to the requirements of section 55002 and any locally established requirements applicable to all courses, district governing boards shall ensure that:

1. Any portion of a course conducted through distance education includes regular
   effective contact between instructor and students, and among students, either
   synchronously or asynchronously, through group or individual meetings,
   orientation and review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field
   trips, library workshops, telephone contact, voice mail, e-mail, or other activities.
   Regular effective contact is an academic and professional matter pursuant to
   sections 53200 et seq.
2. Any portion of a course provided through distance education is conducted
   consistent with guidelines issued by the Chancellor pursuant to section 409 of the Procedures and Standing Orders of the Board of Governors.
   NOTE: Authority cited: Sections 66700 and 70901, Education Code. Reference: Sections 70901 and 70902, Education Code

55206. Separate Course Approval

If any portion of the instruction in a new or existing course is to be provided through distance education, an addendum to the official course outline of record shall be required. In addition to addressing how course outcomes will be achieved in a distance education mode, the addendum shall at a minimum specify how the portion of instruction delivered via distance education meets:

1. Regular and effective contact between instructors and students and among
   students as referenced in title 5, section 55204(a), and
2. Requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C Section 12100 et seq.) and section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, (29 U.S.C. Section 749d)

The addendum shall be separately approved according to the district's adopted
curriculum approval procedures.
NOTE: Authority cited: Sections 66700 and 70901, Education Code. Reference: Sections
70901 and 70902, Education Code.

---

Previous : Federal Regulations

Next : College of the Desert Distance Education Policies