Tasks assigned the committee include:

1. (1) Analysis of the current state of distance education in Texas higher education including the use of various distance education modalities, the cost of distance education, the availability of high need and high demand degree programs through distance education, institutional fee structures associated with distance education, the role of technology in instructional cost effectiveness, duplication of distance education programs, and public/private distance education collaborations;

2. (2) Development of policy recommendations to the Board on critical issues such as:

   1. (A) The development of distance education institutional collaboratives;
   2. (B) The development of shared electronic course resources and learning materials, including textbooks and other digital learning objects;
   3. (C) Best practices in the evaluation of distance education;
   4. (D) The role of online and hybrid education in offering accessible and affordable degree programs;
   5. (E) Partnerships between community colleges and universities that leverage technology to increase the number of degree completion options available to students;
   6. (F) Ways to creatively and innovatively use technology to change the way in which higher education is offered; and
   7. (G) Ways to creatively and innovatively use technology to increase student retention and success through programs such as just-in-time, on-demand academic support services.
3. (3) Review and provide recommendations of all distance education doctoral proposals to ensure the development of high quality programs.

Source Note:The provisions of this §1.190 adopted to be effective December 2, 2013, 38 TexReg 8664.