General InfoDistance Learning
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Distance learning courses provide flexibility for where and when you attend class. Midland College offers a wide variety of courses in online, hybrid, and interactive videoconference formats. Most of Midland College’s Core Curriculum Courses and General Education courses are offered online. New to Distance Learning? Is Distance Learning for you? |
Types of Distance Learning Courses at MC
Online courses are taught in a virtual classroom environment using a Learning Management System (LMS) and the Internet. Midland College uses Canvas for their online course delivery. Most online courses do not require any on-campus class attendance.
In some instances, there may be required face-to-face attendance (no more than 15%) for proctored exams, orientation, or laboratories. Check the online course syllabus for detailed information regarding any attendance requirements.
Registered students Canvas accounts are created a few days before classes begin. To learn how to login to Canvas, visit:
Hybrid courses reduce the amount of face-to-face instruction in the classroom and replace it with an online component so that a significant portion of the course (more than 50% but less than 85%) occurs online.
Hybrid courses use Canvas for the online portion of the course.
An interactive videoconference course is one in which the instructor teaches the course from one location and students attend from other remote locations.
For example, Midland and Fort Stockton nursing students, over 100 miles apart, share classes through the MCNET system.
The Virtual College of Texas (VCT) is a collaborative between other Texas colleges. Students have the opportunity to register at Midland College to take credit classes from other colleges whenever a Midland College online class is full or not offered during the semester needed. Midland College does not "host" science classes with labs or courses that don't align with approved curriculum. Please contact the Midland College VCT coordinator at 432-685-5538 for more information.
Out-of-State Students
Midland College complies with state regulations for conducting activities in states other than Texas. Midland College is a NC-SARA member which allows the College to offer limited activities in other NC-SARA member states. Currently, MC may not enroll students in online courses from non-NC-SARA member states. Please note that MC is not authorized to accept online student enrollment from the following states:
- California
- Massachusetts
Midland College is not authorized to conduct internships leading to professional licensure
in other states without direct coordination with the licensure board in that state.
Student Grievance
Out-of-state students will follow Midland College complaint procedures to resolve
issues. In the event resolution is not obtained, students may file a grievance with
the designated agency in their home state.
State Complaint Information Links (pdf)
Get Started with an Online Course
To enroll in a distance learning course, you must first apply to Midland College,
even if you are already attending another college or university. To begin the process,
visit our Steps to Enroll page.
Attendance in an Online Course
Students must login to Canvas and actively participate by completing academic assignments,
required by the instructor, by the official census date. Students who login but do
not actively participate in an academically-related activity will be reported as "Never
Attended" and dropped from the course.
Privacy Procedures
Midland College complies with Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and protects the privacy of students’ educational records regardless of delivery mode. The Registrar’s Office enforces FERPA and is the main point of contact for all FERPA related issues. The Registrar’s Office is responsible for ensuring that faculty and staff receive training in their responsibilities of unauthorized release of confidential records or information. Because an online environment creates a record of student activity, it is subject to FERPA privacy rights, unlike verbal exchanges in a physical classroom.
IDENTITY VERIFICATION IN DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES
The identity verification process for online courses protects student’s privacy through the use of a secure portal, a secure login and password. Online courses are hosted on Midland Colleges secure learning management system, Canvas. Faculty post assignments and exams within the learning management system to ensure the privacy of student information.
FACULTY RESPONSIBILITY
Student’s records are kept private by faculty, except in cases where academic staff or administration access the course, with legitimate educational interest under FERPA guidelines.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
It is the student’s responsibility to keep his/her login and password confidential. Password reset is completed through a security question protocol.
Only work submitted to open forums, like discussion boards, can be accessed by other students; other assignments, grades and correspondence are not viewable by other students.
PASSWORD SECURITY
Both students and faculty are responsible for maintaining the security of their secure-portal passwords.
EXAMS
Fully online courses may require students to come to campus for proctored exams or may allow proctoring through online proctoring services in order to verify student identity and maintain academic integrity.
COMMUNICATION
Midland College students are encouraged to use their assigned email address to communicate with online instructors or contact the instructor through the communication feature of the learning management system. This is to ensure that electronic communications with the instructor are secure.
Apply to MC Now
Thank you for choosing Midland College! If you are here to collect a few credits, take courses to transfer, or here to start a new career, we welcome you.