| In distance education systems institutional policy provides the basis for almost
all activities associated with providing education and training to students. These
policies are normally framed within national or regional policies and an institutional
mandate or mission. But the policies that govern an institution's relationships with its
main components-faculty and students, for example-are usually established by the
institution itself, as in conventional education. Such policies must recognize that the
nature of distance education-with the physical gap between an institution and its
students-often necessitates a view of teaching and learning and of supporting activities
that is very different from that adopted by conventional institutions.
A key to ensuring that mandates or missions are carried out and that institutional
policies are implemented is development of a strategic plan. This plan becomes one of the
primary instruments of institutional policy and provides the framework for allocating and
managing resources and accommodating institutional change and development.
Discussions of institutional policy issues need to address such questions as these:
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