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Independent Study

Principles | Course/Program Offering | Faculty Participation | Student-Related Issues

 Principles

• Uniform policies are established for the offering of Online College Independent Study courses and programs through AOCE. All colleges and departments (academic units) will abide by these policies; no special arrangements will be negotiated or created.

• Sufficient revenues will be generated by AOCE to support and develop its Online College Independent Study courses.

• Academic units may approve a faculty member to teach an Online College Independent Study course. In such cases, faculty will be committed to a 12-month contract, and students will enroll and pay tuition in the normal fashion. However, academic units may not develop their own Academic Outreach divisions, including the development of their own Online College Independent Study courses, and/or programs.

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Course/Program Offering

• Prior to any Online College Independent Study course/program’s initial delivery through AOCE, the University Committee on Courses and Curricula (if an initial course offering) and administrative approval must be obtained. 

• All Online College Independent Study courses/programs delivered via AOCE will be held to applicable university/IHL regulations and accreditation standards.

• All academic Online College Independent Study course/programs offered through AOCE will be certified annually by the respective college, AOCE, and Academic Affairs to verify the integrity of course content, quality of instruction, and sufficiency of enrollment.

• Online College Independent Study courses/programs delivered through AOCE will be included in the home academic department’s five-year review process.

• All Online College Independent Study courses/programs have two sections; a 12-month section, and a semester-based section. The semester-based sections are financial aid eligible.

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Faculty Participation

• Any faculty member may teach Online College Independent Study courses on a 12-month contract through AOCE with the permission of the Department Head, Dean, AOCE, and Provost.

• Non-MSU faculty with appropriate credentials as approved by the academic Department Head, Dean, AOCE and Provost may be the instructor of record for Online College Independent Study courses. 

• For faculty whose workload assignment includes research/service time, the Department Head must determine whether the overload activity will diminish the faculty member’s research/service productivity prior to submitting the AOCE overload assignment for Online College Independent Study courses.

• Instructional payment for teaching an Online College Independent Study course on a 12-month contract is based on student completion and is processed every other month -

$75.00 per student completing the course
$50.00 per student dropping the course after the 60th day
$25.00 per student dropping the course within the first 60 days

• Development/Revision payment for developing/revising an Online College Independent Study course is processed upon completion of work as categorized below -

$1000.00 - course rewrite to include new textbook, new syllabus, no less than 50% update of course materials, and develop structure for publication online
$750.00 - moderate revision to include updated textbook, updated syllabus, updates to less than 50% of the course materials, changes to current tests/examinations, and develop structure for publication online
$500.00 - partial revision to include minimal changes to the syllabus, changes to approximately 25% of the course materials, few (if any) changes to current tests/examinations, and develop structure for publication online
$250.00 - minimal revision to include few changes to syllabus, minimal changes to course/tests/examinations, and develop structure for publication online

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Student-Related Issues

• Online College Independent Study courses delivered through AOCE target main campus and distance learning students; however, no more than twenty percent (20%) of any curriculum may be earned through Online College Independent Study courses. Individual departments at Mississippi State University may have other restrictions, as well.

• Any students, regardless of classification or campus designation, wishing to enroll in an Online College Independent Study course delivered through AOCE will pay a tuition rate of $449.00 per three credit hour course, which is subject to change without notice. Additional material/mailing fees may apply.

• Online College Independent Study courses/programs may be taken by graduate students, regardless of classification or campus designation, only to remove undergraduate deficiencies and to fulfill requirements for certification. No graduate courses are offered through Online College Independent Study at this time.

• All students, regardless of classification or campus designation, have up to one (1) year to complete an Online College Independent Study course. The minimum time allowed for completion of a three-hour course is thirty (30) days from the date of registration. The minimum time for the completion of two (2) three-hour courses, taken concurrently, is forty-five (45) days from the date of registration.

• All students, regardless of classification or campus designation, may apply for up to two (2) 3-month extensions at $50.00 per extension.

• AOCE will facilitate the collection of all necessary student related documentation associated with the delivery of a particular Online College Independent Study courses/programs, including - but not limited to - admission, enrollment, financial marketing and promotion, and technology assistance.

• Mississippi State University does not offer a degree or diploma through Online College Independent Study coursework.

• All College Independent Study courses are assessed the three credit hour rate regardless of student load.

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