Bethsaida Bunyi

As faculty, we have to be in alignment with our institution's mission, core values; have knowledge of accurate information on metrics monitored by accreditors and licensing agencies and used by students to make major decisions regarding their education. We also have to be always truthful, transparent, supportive, and aware of our role as facilitators, motivators, change-agents, and teachers. This awareness must dictate our thoughts, actions and behaviors.

Any action made by faculty to ensure that students get the education they deserve within the confines of institutional policies and agency regulations is advocacy. When faculty deviate from being facilitators and supporters, they lose the advocacy role which can result to student losing trust and giving up on their academic dreams.

With a long list of information or statements that can be given by us associates, a self-check is important to make sure information is factual and accurate.

Use of documented data, accurate facts supported by numbers, and absence of superlatives are basic concepts in avoiding misrepreresntations.

As an associate, we represent the institution and its learning environment where students can trust everyone to always do what is the right thing to do. By providing diclosures and representing only information that are true to our mission and in alignment with standards, we can expect to build a trusting relationship with students or prospective students.

Before students can enroll in a program, the school has to meet minimum requirements for academic standards by a regional or national accrediting agency (recornized by the Department of Education), and by a state governing agency if licensure or certification is required prior to graduates practicing in their field. If federal loans are going to be used as part of student loans, these schools must also be Title-IV eligible.

When the faculty believes and trusts the institution's mission and values to be focused on students' academic and professional success, it is so much eaier to align our behaviors and actions with the requirements of a culture of compliance.

Having taught in a blended program before in a university setting, I thought it would not be a great challenge to transition our ground students to full virtual/online format. I was dead wrong. Our student population is different and have different home environment, responsibilities, priorities, and backgrounds that may not prove conducive to an online learning environment. To improve both social engagement and nurture motivational engagement, I have learned that practices need to be evaluated every time for effectiveness and relevance. What worked before may not work all the time. With different age groups and different learner styles come the… >>>

From reading module 4, I was able to review the types of students that makes online learing challenging. It also provides tips on how to manage these types of students, manage the class as a whole, identify at risks behavior and at risk students. The module also highlights the srategies in conflict management, communication and providing feedback to students.