| The study investigated faculty and student ratings of distance learning support services to establish a rank order list of the essential support services. These ratings may assist in determining which support services are best suited for an institution's unique population. The study looked at the broad foundational areas of distance education, the role of higher education partnerships and consortiums, and the major policy players guiding the evolution of distance education. The study also focused on the distance education areas of instructional design, infrastructure and costs, and the innovative technology-enhanced support services that use web-Portals, Customer Relationship Management, and collaborations to empower institutions, faculty members and students. The literature review consistently concluded student, faculty and technology support services are critical to the institution's mission of recruiting and retaining quality students and faculty members, especially in a global, technology-driven marketplace. Just as the implementation and expansion of distance education has substantial costs, so do initiatives to provide integrated support services for distance learners.; The study participants included 302 distance education faculty and 299 distance education students representing 37 of the 71 Texas private and public colleges and universities identified by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as distance education providers. Participants were asked to rate the importance of each of 64 items, within nine categories of support services, related to distance education. The nine categories were: (1) Recruitment and Enrollment Services, (2) Academic Support Services, (3) Educational Materials and Research Resources, (4) Career Development Services, (5) Community Development Services, (6) Quality Assurance and Evaluative Services, (7) Financial Services, (8) Faculty Development Resources, and (9) Technical Support services. The results of the study provided a ranked list of support services considered essential by both the faculty and student participants. The analyses also showed the difference between the faculty and student responses to the 64 items were statistically significant in six of the nine categories of support services. Additionally, two demographic questionnaires, one for faculty and one for students, were used to collect data on selected characteristics of the respondents. These characteristics may be used in the future to determine the distinct needs of each of the institutions providing distance education. |
