What is CDE?

The Center for Distance Education and Independent Learning is part of the College of Rural and Community Development. The Independent Learning Program (IL) is the oldest distance delivery program at the University of Alaska and has offered correspondence courses for more than forty years. There are more than 100 courses available, though the variety of courses is not designed to meet the requirements of any specific degree program. Some required courses for various degree programs, however, are included in the IL offerings.

Method of Delivery

Courses are delivered through print materials, audio and videotapes, telephone communication with the instructor, fax, CD, CD-ROM, World Wide Web, and/or electronic mail.

Required Texts

After a student enrolls in a course through the Center for Distance Education and Independent Learning (CDE), he or she will receive a course syllabus, necessary textbooks, and other materials in order to begin a program of individualized study.

Grading Standards

The course will follow the same standards for instruction and grading applied in the classroom. Graded lessons, instructors' comments, and answers to students' specific questions will be returned to students for use in evaluating progress and in studying for examinations.

Enrollment

Enrollment in the Independent Learning Program does not require, nor does it constitute, formal admission to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Any person who has the proper prerequisites for a specific course may be enrolled. Students, however, have the responsibility for selecting courses which will satisfy their degree requirements and should consult their academic advisors prior to enrollment. The Center for Distance Education and Independent Learning is not a degree-granting institution.

University Credit

All IL courses have been approved by the appropriate academic departments of the University of Alaska Fairbanks for course content and instructor qualifications. IL courses carry university credit and are applicable to UAF degree and certificate programs.

UAF Students

Regular year-long courses are not included in the determination of full-time status at UA. They are used for calculating the student's total grade point average for purposes of graduation, but are not factored into the student's semester grade point average. The course and grade will be recorded on the second page of the UAF transcript for the semester when enrollment occurs.

For UAF students, Independent Learning courses count as residence credit. UA students who need an Independent Learning course added to their course load in order to define eligibility for financial aid should check out the semester-based option.