Initiatives

Background - Early in 2017,  the United States Access Board published a final rule updating requirements for information and communication technology that is covered in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  Those requirements went into effect on January 18, 2018.  The original intent of Section 508 deals with accessibility at the federal level.  However, because public institutions of higher education receive some form of federal funding, it is widely accepted that these requirements should be acknowledged and addressed by colleges and universities. 

Accessibility Community of Practice - Anyone tasked with, or involved in, the accessibility of Michigan community colleges' web presence meet to share best practices with accessibility in higher education.   To join please send a request to Ronda Edwards at redwards@mcca.org.

Listserv

To assist with the sharing of knowledge, MCO has set up a listserv for the Accessibility Community of Practice.  To join, please send a request to Carl Weckerle at cweckerle@mcca.org.

MCO Accessibility Activities

• This Google doc highlights activities taking place at Michigan Community Colleges that are focused on the accessibility of digital materials.  Members are encouraged to update the document with information from their institutions.
• Accessibility Resources for Faculty provides tutorials, cheatsheets, and websites with information on how to make instructional materials accessible.

As an outgrowth of an MCCA taskforce of presidents, the MCO developed a statewide platform for students to register for online classes across all member colleges which is now located at www.micollegesonline.org. Students can register for classes and complete programs from any of the participating Michigan community colleges. This platform is also used for student registrations through the Collaborative Programs Initiative.

For more information about the initiative, visit the related MCO Member page.

The MCO works collaboratively with Michigan community colleges to produce tools and resources that are used by faculty and staff in the development of online courses and programs of study. This includes the MCO Online Course Guidelines and Rubric, providing accreditation resources, and facilitating discussion and professional development around developing quality online courses/programs.

For more details, visit the MCO Member Online Course Development page.

The MCO OER Initiative provides a space and process for faculty and staff at Michigan community colleges to retain, reuse, revise, remix and redistribute Open Educational Resources.  The project is guided by the MCO OER Steering Committee.  Members of the steering committee include faculty, librarians, distance education administrators, chief academic officers, and other staff from the MCO member institutions.  The committee manages the platform for hosting open educational resources; creation of policies/procedures, and training and marketing of the opportunities available at the MCO Repository.  

Student Savings - The MCO works with the 28 Michigan community colleges to track OER usage at each institution. These reports can be generated on a semester basis and are available under Reports > OER Usage. 

The MCO works to provide timely and relevant information on the impact of changing federal regulations related to online learning. Along with information provided through the MCO Member site, the MCO also provides opportunities for discussions and professional development for distance education (online learning) practitioners.