Distance learning at the University of Texas-Pan American

T he University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) is a comprehensive university serving the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. This multipolitan area, with a population of over one million, is the sixth largest population area in Texas, the second fastest growing area in Texas, and the fourth fastest growing area in the United States. The University delivers courses both on campus and regionally, statewide, nationally and internationally using ITV and webbased technologies. The university established the Center for Distance Learning and Teaching Excellence to coordinate the development and delivery of distance learning courses locally. It does this in conjunction with two consortia: the University of Texas TeleCampus and the Hispanic Educational Telecommunications System (HETS). The assurance of quality in distance learning offerings is a primary role of the Cehter. At UTPAs Center for Distance Learning, we deal with quality in three aspects of distance learning: the quality of the materials, the quality of the presentation, and the quality of student services. We accomplish this through faculty development, the use of a rubric and certification of best practices, a staged implementation process and online support services. While we Distance Learning at the University of Texas-Pan American