I. Scope
This policy applies to all for-credit undergraduate and graduate programs and courses at George Mason University that include an online offering.
II. Policy Statement
George Mason University recognizes multiple levels of distance education and online academic delivery; these categories serve distinct regulatory, reporting, instructional, and student-information purposes. For the purposes of this policy, Distance Education includes Online Degree Programs, Online Degree Pathways, Online Courses, and/or Courses with Online Components. Academic units offering distance education programs and/or courses shall comply with applicable state, federal, and institutional requirements governing distance education. Online Degree Programs and Online Degree Pathways must be approved via the process outlined below.
Whether or not a degree program is also approved as an Online Program, all degree programs that have been approved by SCHEV as on-campus programs must continue to offer all courses in that program via an In-Person format frequently enough to allow students to complete the degree program without taking Online Courses. Programs that no longer plan to provide In-Person delivery for all degree requirements must obtain SCHEV approval to discontinue the on-campus delivery format.
The university will verify that the student who registers for an Online Program or Online Course is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives academic credit using the attached procedures.
A. Online Programs
All approved Online Degree Programs and Online Degree Pathways must offer all required classes as Online Courses often enough for students to complete their degree requirements in a timely manner without taking In-Person classes.
No in-person courses may be required for graded coursework, including exams. Limited residential components (e.g., orientations, practicums, professional residencies) are permissible but must (a) be fewer than 90 days across the duration of the degree and (b) be clearly disclosed to students in all public-facing materials prior to enrollment.
For purposes of program classification and disclosure, the University distinguishes between fully Online Degree Programs and Online Degree Pathways based on whether every variation of a degree is available to be completed online:
- Online Degree Programs require approval by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and must be approved by Undergraduate Council or Graduate Council. Additionally, programs meeting this definition align with distance education standards established by SCHEV and must receive SCHEV approval before being described or advertised as fully online.
- Online Degree Pathways do not require approval by SCHEV, but must be approved by Undergraduate Council or Graduate Council. All publicly available documentation about Online Degree Pathways shall include university-approved disclosures stating which variations of the degree are available for online delivery.
B. Online Courses and Courses with Online Components
Regardless of modality, instructors are responsible for delivering course-accessible content and must meet the qualifications for instruction established by the University, as required by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), University Policy 3005, University Policy 1308, and George Mason’s Faculty Credentialing Manual. Instructors who teach Distance Education courses must meet the same qualifications as those who teach In-Person courses and go through the same hiring process as instructors of the same contract type who teach In-Person courses.
All instructors of Online Courses and Courses with Online Components must provide Direct Instruction and engage in Regular and Substantive Interaction with their students, consistent with federal requirements.
All instructors of Online Courses and Courses with Online Components shall be responsible for acquiring the skills necessary to teach course content and related material effectively in an online learning environment. Local academic units shall communicate expectations for professional development and ensure that appropriate support and access to resources are available.
All Online Courses must be taught in the format in which they are described at the point of registration.
No in-person sessions may be required for graded coursework, including exams, for any Online Course.
III. Definitions
The University defines elements related to distance education in alignment with the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) in 34 CFR 600.2, the Commonwealth of Virginia (8VAC41-30-10) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). To ensure compliance with these external regulatory standards and to promote clarity in program development and student communication, the University adopts the following institutional definitions of Online Program and Online Course modalities.
Distance Education is education that uses university-approved technologies to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor(s), while supporting Regular and Substantive Interaction between students and instructors, either Synchronously or Asynchronously. Distance Education includes Online Degree Programs, Online Degree Pathways, Online Courses, and Courses with Online Components.
Online Programs
An Online Program is one in which all required learning activities for an entire curricular program can be completed using university-approved technologies, including the Learning Management System (LMS) and associated tools. There are two types of Online Programs:
- Online Degree Program: An Online Degree Program is one in which all required coursework for degree completion is available through Distance Education. This includes all general education requirements, restricted electives, all concentration options associated with the degree, and all degree tracks (e.g., B.A. and B.S. versions of a degree, if both exist).
- Online Degree Pathway: An Online Degree Pathway is one in which students can complete at least one – but not all – variations of the degree through Distance Education. In such programs, a pathway for degree completion is completable through Distance Education, but not every unique concentration or track available in the degree is offered online.
Course Modalities
Asynchronous: Asynchronous Online Courses do not have a required time at which students and instructors must meet; however, there are regular deadlines for completion of coursework. Asynchronous courses may include optional live meetings or office hours.
Synchronous: Synchronous Online Courses specify a required time during which instructors and students meet live, using supported video conferencing platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom). Required meeting times conform to standard patterns associated with In-Person classes and must be noted at the point of student registration. This includes the Synchronous Online component of a HyFlex course.
Hybrid: Hybrid courses have a pre-determined proportion of the class delivered using at least two alternating modalities (i.e., Asynchronous, Synchronous, in-person) on a planned schedule. Hybrid courses may fit into one of three categories:
- In-Person/Synchronous Hybrid: A course that meets in-person some days and Synchronously on other days.
- In-Person/Asynchronous Hybrid: A course that meets in-person some days and Asynchronously for the remaining portion of the coursework.
- Online Hybrid: A course that meets Synchronously online some days and Asynchronously online for the remaining portion of the coursework.
Meeting times for In-Person and Synchronous sessions are noted at the point of student registration and should be consistent over the course of the semester. Only Hybrid courses that meet in a combination of Synchronous and Asynchronous modalities (Hybrid 3) are considered Online Courses.
HyFlex: HyFlex courses include a combination in which some students attend in-person while others are simultaneously attending Synchronously. In a HyFlex model, all students engage with the same learning outcomes, assessments, instructional materials, and participate live in the same class sessions, regardless of modality in which they are enrolled. HyFlex courses appear in the schedule as cross-listed sections, and students must choose the modality in which they plan to attend all sessions when they register for the class. Only the Synchronous cross-listed section is considered a fully Online Course.
In-Person: In-Person courses meet in a physical classroom on campus on specified days and times.
Online Course: A course offered in the following modalities: Asynchronous, Synchronous (including the online section of HyFlex), or Online Hybrid (combination of Asynchronous and Synchronous).
Courses with Online Component: A course offered in the following modalities: In-Person/Synchronous Hybrid and In-Person/Asynchronous Hybrid
Regular and Substantive Interaction in Distance Education
Substantive Interaction: Instructor-driven interaction that is “engaging students in teaching, learning, and assessment, consistent with the content under discussion,” (34 C.F.R. § 600.2(4)(i)–(v)) and includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:
- Providing Direct Instruction;
- Assessing or providing feedback on a student’s coursework;
- Responding to student questions; and
- Providing information, content, and Asynchronous activities through announcements, e-mail, media, and/or other relevant technologies.
Other interactions that may be considered “substantive” include:
- Leading and facilitating discussion forums or group discussions; and
- Providing and engaging in other instructional activities outlined by a program’s accrediting agency.
Regular Interaction: Providing the opportunity for substantive interactions with students on a “predictable and regular basis commensurate with the length of time and the amount of content in the course; and monitor the student’s academic engagement and success, ensuring that an instructor is responsible for promptly and proactively engaging in substantive interaction with the student when needed, on the basis of such monitoring, or upon request by the student” (34 C.F.R. § 600.2(5)(i)–(ii)).
For purposes of supporting Substantive and Regular Interaction, Direct Instruction refers to instructional approaches that are structured, sequenced, and led by qualified instructors and/or the presentation of academic content to students by those qualified instructors. See University Policy 3005 and the Mason Faculty Credentialing Manual for information regarding instructor qualifications. Examples of direct instruction include intentionally sequenced modules using University-approved technologies, including plug-ins and publisher resources, within the Learning Management System (LMS), instructor-created or instructor-selected videos, and Asynchronous class sessions. See University Policy 1307.For information regarding acceptable and approved technologies. To find information based upon what the University currently supports, please visit the ITS Software Catalog.
IV. Responsibilities
Academic units proposing either program designation (Online Degree Program or Online Degree Pathway) must demonstrate, through an established program approval process and through the Academic Program Review process, that the program or pathway complies with the requirements of this policy, including that:
- Courses included within the program or pathway meet Online Course Quality standards;
- Courses included within the program or pathway are offered to ensure timely degree completion; and
- Instructors assigned instructional responsibility possess the appropriate qualifications and preparation to teach in the online modality.
Faculty have primary responsibility for the content, interaction, quality, and effectiveness of the curriculum, regardless of instructional modality. When teaching a Distance Education course, an instructor shall have engaged in appropriate professional development or equivalent preparation to support effective instruction in the online environment. Furthermore, instructors of Distance Education courses shall engage in Regular and Substantive Interaction with students in accordance with 34 CFR 600.2.
In conjunction with faculty, LAU administrators, and college/school administrators, the Office of the Provost is responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Distance Education; working with program leadership in maintaining compliance with federal, state, and institutional policies and regulations related to Distance Education; identifying new Distance Education opportunities; and coordinating with units to ensure quality and continuous improvement. The Office of the Provost is responsible for making student services available to all students enrolled in Distance Education programs and courses.
Mason Online provides support for instructors engaged in Distance Education. Support may include training and development, centrally managed learning resources, instructional design, and other support services and resources. Mason Online also provides Online Course Quality Assurance guidelines for Distance Education and provides course reviews and recommendations for faculty and academic units.
V. Compliance
Mason Online provides Quality Assurance guidelines, professional development, and instructional design support to support high-quality course design. Mason Online will conduct regular audits to monitor compliance with this policy.
VI. Timetable for Review: This policy shall be reviewed every three years, or more frequently as needed.
VII. Amendments: Amendments will be approved by the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and the Provost and Executive Vice President.
VIII. Dates:
Date approved and effective: June 29, 2021
Revised: July 21, 2026