| 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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