Distance Education

Ventura College offers convenient access to quality higher education and learning opportunities via distance education. Distance Education means instruction in which the instructor and student are separated by distance and/or time and interact through the assistance of online communication technologies. Distance Education courses are ideal for independent, self-directed, and motivated students who have access to functional computers and high-speed internet. Students selecting Distance Education courses should have good study and time management skills.

In addition, Ventura College provides multiple online support systems and tools to assist our distance education students such as online tutoring, access to the library, databases for research, writing assistance, online counseling, and other services.

DE Course Formats

There are several types of online course formats: Fully Online (no scheduled live Zoom sessions), Fully Online (with scheduled live Zoom sessions), Partially Online (Hybrid), and Partially Online (Hyflex).

• Fully Online (No Scheduled Live Sessions): In an asynchronous online course, there are no scheduled class meetings. No on-campus meetings or on-campus assessments are required. Coursework has weekly due dates and weekly interactions as set by the instructor, and all materials and activities are delivered through Canvas.
• Fully Online (with Zoom/Live Sessions): In a live online course, there are weekly scheduled virtual class meetings via Zoom. The dates and times for these meetings can be found on the class schedule and the course syllabus. No on-campus meetings or on-campus assessments are required. Coursework has weekly due dates and weekly interactions as set by the instructor, and all materials and activities are delivered through Canvas.
• Partially Online/Hybrid (In-Person/Online Mix): In a hybrid course, learning and weekly interaction occur both through Canvas and on campus. The weekly time commitments for on-campus and online learning will vary based on the class schedule. The online class schedule will indicate the scheduled on-campus times and locations.
• HyFlex: In a hyflex course, all weekly course meetings are held on campus and simultaneously streamed on Zoom. Students may choose to attend on campus or via Zoom. Instructors will also use Canvas to share materials and activities.

View the CRN notes to see if a partially online course is a Hyflex course.

Searching the Course Schedule for DE Classes

Each course’s format is denoted in the CRN Notes in the Schedule of Classes on the Ventura College website. When searching the online class schedule, all courses have indicated a meeting time and location. Courses that indicate “Ventura Internet Classes” means that the content is completely offered online. Classes that list both “Ventura Internet Classes” and a campus classroom are a hybrid format and attendance is required both online and in person. Courses that indicate “Ventura Zoom Web Live Meeting” have required live Zoom meeting times. Please read the CRN notes on the schedule carefully as they will indicate the time commitment for both the online and in-person portions of classes. You can find the CRN notes by clicking on the hyperlinked CRN number for the course.

Distance Education Orientations

We encourage all students new to online learning to explore the readiness tutorials on the Distance Education Website. We encourage all students (including new students) to sign up and take our VC Distance Education Student Orientation which familiarizes students with Canvas and can be accessed through the VC Student Portal. Links to these services can be found on the Distance Education webpage at https://www.venturacollege.edu/online-services/distance-education/current-students/.

Please see Appendix XXII for more details regarding Distance Education.

Library and Learning Resource Center (LRC) Building

The LRC is one of the most recognizable and well-utilized buildings on the Ventura campus. On the first floor of the LRC is the Learning Center, the Stan Weisel Tutoring Center, the Speech Studio, the Writing Center, the Institutional Accessibility Support Center (I-ASC), the LEAP Division Office, the Gateway Division Office, and Faculty Office spaces.

Evelyn and Howard Boroughs Library can be found the second floor of the LRC, while the third floor is home to the Social/Behavioral Sciences and Humanities Division Office, as well as offices for faculty members in Communication Studies, English, and Social/Behavioral Sciences and Humanities.

Learning Center

The Learning Center is a collaborative learning commons, located on the ground floor of the Library and Learning Resource Center building. Within the Learning Center, students can access several programs and services to support academic success and scholarly community building. The Learning Center offers collaborative group learning pods and an open-access computer lab which students can use on a drop-in basis for their college-related work. Computers are available with internet access and software for word processing, textbook-related materials, Adobe Creative Cloud, and specialized programs such as Kurzweil 3000, Dragon Natural Speaking, Inspiration, Read and Write Gold, and QuickBooks. Instructors regularly utilize the Learning Center Computer Lab Pods for classroom instruction. The Learning Center is also home to the Writing Center, offering free tutoring support for writing across the curriculum, as well as the I-ASC, our Institutional Accessibility Support Center, where students may receive support with instructional technology such as Canvas. In addition to these services, the Learning Center provides charging stations and mobile battery packs for students to use with their devices and supports the Distance Education program by hosting orientations and exams. The Learning Center can connect students to LEAP Peer Ambassadors, who can help students learn how to best utilize the academic success and social supports available at Ventura College.

For more information, call (805) 289-6320.

The Ventura College East Campus location in Santa Paula also offers a Learning Center open to all students, with computer access, tutoring, and group workshops scheduled throughout the week.

Call (805) 525-7136 for directions and information about the East Campus Learning Center.

Stan Weisel Tutoring Center

The Stan Weisel Tutoring Center provides academic support in more than 95 course subjects in the form of drop-in (in-person and online), appointments, (in-person and online), and embedded tutoring. Online tutoring through our Zoom Tutoring Center is also available to all students during all hours of operation. Tutors are Ventura College students who have been recommended by their instructors to assist students, as well as volunteers from the community, many of whom are VC graduates. In addition to helping students with course content, tutors clarify instructions for assignments, help brainstorm ideas for papers and projects, and strengthen strategies for effective study and exam preparation.

The Tutoring Center has an extensive Embedded Peer Tutoring program. Embedded Tutors serve as an additional resource for students inside and outside of the classroom, enhancing student engagement and modeling exceptional study habits. They are experts in their content area, making them able to assist students and reinforce class material. To further enhance student support, Embedded Tutors hold one-hour group tutoring sessions each week.

The Tutoring Center is located on the first floor of the Learning Resource Center (LRC). For more information, please call (805) 289-6026 or visit the Tutoring Center website for current hours of operation at https://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student-services/tutoring.

Tutoring services are also available at the Ventura College East Campus in Santa Paula. Please call (805) 525-7136 for current schedules and more information. All Ventura College students may use services at both sites.

Speech Studio

The Speech Studio is a student resource that provides support at every stage of the public speaking process, from brainstorming and writing to delivering engaging, impactful presentations. Students who visit the Speech Studio will receive constructive feedback on their speeches or presentations, helping them refine their content and delivery before presenting in class.

Students are welcome to drop in during our hours of operation, with no appointment needed. The Speech Studio is located in the Stan Weisel Tutoring Center, on the first floor of the Learning Resource Center (LRC) Building. For more information, please contact us at (805) 289-6026 or vctutoring@vcccd.edu.

Online Tutoring

Ventura College students may access Online Tutoring through the Zoom Tutoring Center, which is open for all hours of operation of the Tutoring Center. When the Tutoring Center is closed (typically during the late evening hours and limited hours on the weekends), students also have access to NetTutor, an online tutoring service that is free for all VC students, for their VC courses.

For more information, please see our online tutoring page on the Ventura College website at https://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student-services/tutoring/online-tutoring.

The Writing Center

The Writing Center is located in the Learning Center on the first floor of the LRC Building, directly across from the Tutoring Center. The Writing Center supports students with a reading-and-writing-across-the-curriculum approach. Students are encouraged to visit writing tutors for assistance with clarifying writing assignments, developing ideas for essays, aligning documents with citation styles, and other issues related to coursework. Tutors can also provide individualized guidance in navigating Canvas class modules and understanding online assignments.

The Writing Center hosts regular workshops to support reading and writing across the curriculum. For more information, please visit the Tutoring Center webpage at https://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student-services/tutoring or call (805) 289-6026.

Testing Center

The Testing Center has been developed to serve both faculty and students. The Testing Center proctors make-up exams for instructors who have students who are unable to take a scheduled exam, assists the Educational Assistance Center in proctoring exams for students with testing accommodations and other individualized needs, and proctors exams for students in the community who are taking distance learning courses or completing certifying tests for career advancement.

The Testing Center is a member of the National College Testing Association. The Testing Center is located in ELC 1. For more information, including hours of operation, please visit the Testing Center webpage at https://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/student-services/testing-center or call (805) 289-6093.

Library

The Evelyn and Howard Boroughs Library supports the mission of the college by providing collections and services to meet the educational, research, and professional needs of Ventura College students, faculty, and staff.

The Library, located on the second floor of the Learning Resource Center (LRC), has eight group study rooms, quiet study areas, and a large ocean-view reading room. Technology available within the Library includes computers, printers, photocopiers, and wireless internet access. The Library’s print collection consists of more than 100,000 books, 1,800

textbooks, and 131 print periodicals. The Library’s digital collection includes more than 40 full-text electronic article, book, and streaming media databases.

The Library is home to several specialized collections that support equity and diversity. The Ventura College Foundation Textbook Reserve Collection and the Textbook Lending Library provide students with access to textbooks at no cost. The Ventura College Foundation has generously provided financial support for both collections. The Textbook Reserve Collection consists of current copies of textbooks that are available for one-day check-out. The Textbook Lending Library contains a limited collection of textbooks that students may check out for an entire semester. The Textbook Lending Library materials are primarily used textbooks and may include prior editions.

The Library provides equity in access to its diverse collections, services, and resources to Ventura College students, faculty, and staff, regardless of their location or educational modality. Library services and resources are available remotely on the Library’s website at www.venturacollege.edu/library.

Library service hours are listed on the homepage. Librarians are available to assist in-person, and remotely by phone, email, library chat, and online library appointments. Library research guides, video tutorials, and other learning support services are available online.

The Library actively supports the development of students’ information competency skills with a focus on lifelong learning. The Library supports ISLO 4 through their reference and instruction programs, where librarians emphasize the development of research skills including recognizing an information need, locating and evaluating information, and the ethical use of information. Reference services are provided in-person at the reference desk and online through Library Chat and online library appointments.

Library instruction is conducted both in-person and online, and includes orientations, tours, and workshops, online tutorials, videos, and learning objects, and a one-unit library course (LIB V01). Librarians collaborate with instructional faculty to create high-quality educational experiences that infuse information literacy across the curricula.

A branch of the Library is located at the Ventura College East Campus in Santa Paula. All library services, including library instruction, are available at the branch, and students attending classes at East Campus may utilize all remote library services and resources.

For assistance with Circulation and Reserves, contact (805) 289-6482. To reach a librarian, contact (805) 289-6382. The Library Guidelines are available on the Ventura College Library website at https://venturacollege.edu/library.