2.3.7 Instructional Delivery: Off-Campus & Online

(Last Modified March 10, 2025)   Report a broken link

Each institution of the University System of Georgia has a main campus that constitutes the legal address. In addition, institutions may offer instruction external to the main campus.

Two categories of external instruction are recognized by the Board, as outlined in BOR Policies 3.3.2 and 3.3.3: off-campus instruction and distance education.

1. Off-campus instruction is defined as instruction where a face-to-face classroom component occurs at a location away from the home premises of the institution.
2. Distance education, which includes online education, is defined as a formal educational process in which the majority of the instruction occurs when student and instructor are not in the same place and the instruction is delivered using technology.

All programs, regardless of instructional delivery, must have comparable levels of academic and student support services that contribute to overall student success and that are available for students at that location whether in person or virtually.

2.3.7.1 Off-Campus Instructional Sites

If an institution delivers instruction at a physical location geographically apart from an institution’s main campus, and if a student is required to be at the location to receive instruction, then the location is an off-campus instructional site.
Off-campus instructional sites can be categorized as follows:

• Institutional Sites, which are sites that are part of an institution’s official facilities inventory, and include:
• Branch campuses,
• Other sites with space owned or leased by the institution, and
• Other non-USG sites with space exclusively controlled by the institution (e.g., centers)
• External sites, which are not part of an institution’s facilities inventory and include:
• Other USG institutions or facilities, and
• Consortial sites where the institution is not the primary owner or leaseholder, and
• Sites controlled by outside entities (e.g., schools, private universities, hospitals, local government facilities, corporate sites, military bases, or agencies)

For all types of off-campus instructional delivery, it is desirable, in terms of program availability and mission appropriateness, to have the closest qualified institution respond to off-campus credit course needs. In cases where requests for services exceed the qualifications, mission, program availability, or capability of the closest institution, then attempts should be made to have such requests met by other qualified university system institutions. Prior to the submission of a request for off-campus course work delivery, the president of the proposing institution will discuss and notify the president(s) of all other university system institution(s) located in closer geographic proximity to the site proposed for the off-campus course work. A letter of non-objection or support from the president of the closer proximity institution should be included in the administrative approval request. In the event the involved institutions are unable to arrive at a mutual agreement on the offering of off-campus credit courses, the issues will be referred to the USG Chief Academic Officer for final resolution.

If at least 50% of the instruction of any course will be offered at a specific off-campus instructional site (i.e., at a specific address), then notification to the USG is required. Institutions may also choose to notify the USG of off-campus instructional sites not meeting this threshold for the purpose of being issued an external site code to add building/room locations to course sections in the student information system.

If at least 50% of the instruction of any program will be offered at an off-campus instructional site, then approval by the USG Office of Academic Affairs is required. After an instructional site has been approved, the institution may offer 50% or more of any of their existing approved programs at the instructional location by obtaining administrative approval through the Office of Academic Affairs at least 60 days prior to the implementation of the additional program(s) at the site.

Specific information on each type of site is listed below. Additional information and request forms for all off-campus instructional delivery may be found at the following website: https://www.usg.edu/academic_programs/academic_approvals.

Institutional Sites Approval Procedures

Institutional sites are locations controlled and/or exclusively occupied by the institution. Establishment of institutional sites requires approval by the Board of Regents through its Committee on Academic Affairs. (See BOR Policy 3.3.2 Academic Approval for Off-Campus Instructional Sites and 9.3 – Facilities Approval for Off-Campus Instructional Sites for additional information on off-campus instruction.) Requests should be submitted via the Academic Proposals Submission Portal in Smartsheet.

External Site Approval Procedures

External sites are typically spaces occupied non-exclusively by an institution. External sites are usually contractual, have a nominal cost, and/or are time-limited. Such arrangements do not involve the naming of this location as an official institutional instructional site and do not require Board of Regents or University System Office Facilities approval. Instructional delivery at external sites requires notification to the University System of Georgia. Requests should be submitted via the Academic Proposals Submission Portal in Smartsheet.

Study Abroad Locations

All Study Abroad programs should minimally be submitted via the USG Study Abroad Directory, and may also require notification via Smartsheet as listed below.

Most study abroad sites would not meet the threshold for notifications as an off-campus instructional site. If there is not a specified single location (i.e. a specific address) for the majority of the course, then it would not reach the minimum threshold for required notification. Study abroad sites for which at least 50% of the instruction of any course will be offered at that site require notification that must be submitted via the Academic Proposals Submission Portal in Smartsheet.

2.3.7.2 Distance Learning Approval Procedures

The Board of Regents encourages the use of distance learning to help meet the instructional needs of the citizens of the State. Prior approval by the Board of Regents is required for an initial program delivered fifty percent or more via distance learning by an institution and for any additional distance learning program(s) requiring an institution’s United States Department of Education-recognized accrediting body approval for substantive change (i.e., significant departure from originally approved programs). Institutions must receive Board approval for their initial distance learning delivery of fifty percent or more of an existing approved program prior to implementing the program. However, once an institution is approved for distance delivery, only notification to the University System Office is needed to offer additional existing approved programs 50% or more via distance learning, unless the distance delivery of the program requires the institution’s United States Department of Education-recognized accrediting body approval for a substantive change. In the latter case, Board approval must be obtained in order to implement the additional program. Additional information and request forms for all off-campus instructional delivery may be found at the following website: https://www.usg.edu/academic_programs/academic_approvals.

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