Editor’s note: This is an updated article from a previously published article containing inaccuracies.
University spokeswoman Tammy DeMel reached out to The Sentinel Tuesday to notify it of inaccurate information from the “E-tuition cuts hurting online instructors, courses” in this week’s print issue and to provide the university’s statements regarding comments made in the article.
DeMel said Dr. Tamara Powell, mentioned in the article, serves as the director of distance learning for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and not as the director of distance learning for the university.
DeMel also said that the undergraduate tuition differential was reduced by 50 percent in fall 2018, and the university anticipates that it will be phased out completely by fall 2019, not spring 2019 as the article states.
In response to online technical coordinator for the English department Anne Corbitt’s statement that the loss of funding will likely impact students and the quality of online education, DeMel said, “The university is working to ensure that all online course quality programs remain in place.
“Funding for the ongoing support of distance learning and the associated costs of the online course quality program is currently being explored. The reduction in funding will not equate proportionally to reductions in services and support.”
Corbitt also said the funding for training online instructors will also be impacted. DeMel said the university plans to continue faculty training and development.
Powell also told The Sentinel that quality control, which would guarantee classes are meeting students’ needs, will be taken away. DeMel said the university does not expect a drop in program quality assurance.
The article also mentions that students’ online resources will also be impacted by the loss of funding and programs such as D2L and SoftChalk are funded by e-tuition. DeMel said online resources will likely not be impacted.
She also said that D2L is not funded by online tuition, but is instead supported by funds the university receives from the State of Georgia.
