Online Learning
CCSF Unable to Verify Instruction for 16,000 Online Students
California’s City College of San Francisco has been unable to prove to the state that instructors taught approximately 16,000 students in nearly 600 online courses from 2011 to 2014. SF Gate reported that the lapse in tracking course participation occurred due to improper use of the institution’s learning management system.
Community colleges receive money from states on a per-pupil basis, but they must meet specific reporting requirements to keep the money. Due to faulty LMS use, CCSF lacks documentation for how much time instructors spent interacting with each student in the online courses.
CCSF’s vice chancellor for academic affairs at the time (now interim chancellor) first discovered the problem and brought it to the chancellor’s attention. CCSF attempted to fix the problem and alerted the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, which requested an audit in 2015. No fraud is suspected, but the college will repay the state $39 million over the next 10 years.