Introduction Eastern Illinois University is embarking on the establishment of distance education programs.
Distance education encompasses a variety of technologies and forms of learning at a distance.
It is an educational process in which the majority of the instruction occurs when the learner and the instructor are not in the same place. The interaction between and among students and faculty may be synchronous or asynchronous. Educational values that define Eastern Illinois University include a curriculum delivered by faculty who are dedicated to teaching and research excellence and committed to a student-faculty bond that serves as a foundation for teaching, learning and research. The potential exists for enhancing the commitment to students, quality programs and teaching excellence through applications of technology. Because this initiative will require significant resources, it is important to establish a framework to guide the further development of technology applications which can serve as a guide in Eastern's ongoing planning and budgeting processes.