Updated RSI Regulations (DOE) 

On July 1, 2021, the Department of Education (DOE) released the final set of proposed regulations stemming from the 2019 Negotiated Rulemaking process (the Distance Education and Innovation Regulations). As part of these regulations, the definition of “distance education” in Chapter 34, §600.2 was updated, including specifically defining the critical terms: instructor, regular, and substantive.

These subsequent changes are reflected in the Memorandum of Understanding (see tabs below) between Foothill-De Anza Community College District and Foothill-De Anza Faculty Association.

In part, the agreement states that faculty teaching asynchronous online courses and hybrid courses with some asynchronous online hours must comply with the standards for Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) and accessibility. Therefore all faculty who plan to teach asynchronously must complete the training and certification.

In addition, De Anza College adopted this Administrative Procedure AP 4105 Chapter 4 Distance and Correspondence Education In February 2024.

Regular & Substantive Interaction refers to the federally mandated guidelines for instructor-led interaction with students in online and hybrid courses. 

Let's break down the major components of expectations for all online and hybrid courses.

  • Regular means scheduled and predictable communication with students consistently.
  • Substantive means engaging students in meaningful discussion about course content.
  • Interaction means instructor-initiated contact with an opportunity for students to respond.

RSI Training Requirements

  • Agreement (MOU)

    de anza logoPlease read the full Memorandum of Understanding  between Foothill-De Anza Community College District and Foothill-De Anza Faculty Association for more information.

  • Accreditation

    Regular and Substantive Interaction is a practice that supports quality online teaching. Faculty discussions about RSI should be a central component of collegial sharing and professional learning. Because RSI is the key difference between online courses and correspondence courses, assessing RSI is a component of accreditation.

    We want to continually improve our online teaching. The recent findings from the ACCJC, however, have added exigency to this work.

    Please take a moment to read the Core Inquiries and Recommendations from the 2024 Accreditation Team.

    ACCJC’s Policy on Distance and Correspondence Education.

  • Training Requirements

    The Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) certification consists of two parts, described below.

    Assignment Guidelines

    • To be assigned an asynchronous online course or a hybrid course with asynchronous hours in Spring 2025, faculty must complete Part I of training by the end of Fall 2024.
    • To be assigned an asynchronous online or hybrid course in Fall 2025, faculty must complete both Part I and Part II of the RSI certification process by the end of Winter 2025.
    • Scheduling of online or hybrid courses in Winter 2026 or beyond requires completion of both Part I and Part II by the time of scheduling for that quarter.

    Part I

    Coursework/Training Option

    Credit or Compensation

    A. Complete the RSI training course offered by FHDA online learning offices on Opening Days in Fall 2024 (4 hours on Sept 18, 2 hours on Sept 19)

    Full-time faculty attend as part of opening day.

    Part-Time Faculty attending receive normal pay for attendance ($150/day)

    B. Complete the Asynchronous Training Option

    Full-Time faculty on approved leave & Part-Time faculty and Article 19 faculty unable to attend Opening Days are paid $300.

    C. Submit an application for equivalency showing coursework or training from an accredited institution or @ONE. Coursework or training must have outcomes aligned with FHDA RSI training and faculty must provide proof of completion.

    Granting of equivalency is not automatic. It is only granted by the campus Online Learning Office after being reviewed using same rubric that will be used to verify outcomes from in-house RSI training. PGA can be granted for coursework during FHDA employment if it has not already been used for placement.

    Part II

    Certification/Verification Options

    Credit or Compensation

    A. Participate in a one quarter cohort discussion group facilitated by online learning. Faculty member will share course RSI and accessibility features, and work with campus instructional designers and colleagues to ensure the course meets standards.

    Cohort model requires certification by a representative of the Online Learning Office utilizing a rubric.

    Faculty choose to earn either 2 Units of PGA or $500

    B. Have an administrative evaluation of an asynchronous (J1.B) or hybrid (J1.C) course by an administrator trained on RSI. Must receive MT ratings as related to RSI and accessibility.

    Administrators/faculty must attend RSI training prior to performing a J1.B or J1.C evaluation

    No compensation for this option

    NOTE

    Completion of the required RSI training and certification will be tracked and coordinated by the Office of Online Education at De Anza.

    If a faculty member requests Option B in a timely fashion, and the J1 is not completed in a timely fashion through no fault of the faculty member, the faculty member will not be denied an online teaching assignment in subsequent quarters.

Resources

NEW RESOURCE

2024-25 Strategic Initiative: Distance Education Rubric

ACCJC recognizes that identifying and facilitating quality instruction in distance education, promoting equitable student outcomes in the modality, increasing clarity of ACCJC and federal expectations for institutions undergoing evaluation, and providing a consistent and objective approach for peer reviewers evaluating institutions are essential to ACCJC’s ongoing federal recognition and value as an accreditor.

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