Regular & Substantive Interactions: Online Faculty Guidance

High impact and best practices in teaching and learning encourage meaningful interactions between instructors and students. MLC has long advocated for robust learning experiences across all modalities. Recent guidance by the federal government requires that institutions receiving Title IV funding demonstrate that their courses include regular and substantive interactions between instructors and students. These interactions occur when faculty meet with students at specific times, present information, solicit student feedback, and answer student questions within a predictable timeframe.

The U.S. Department of Education defines both regular and substantive interactions.

Regular interaction between students and their instructor in asynchronous online instruction must be intentionally planned and initiated by the instructor. Regular interaction includes BOTH

Substantive interaction involves engaging students in teaching, learning, and assessment consistent with the content under discussion, and also AT LEAST TWO of the following:

Martin Luther College expects its faculty to provide regular and substantive interactions with students in each online course in a uniform manner. To that end, each faculty member follows these practices and publishes them in their course syllabus: 


Revision #2
Created 24 April 2025 18:31:12 by Rachel Feld
Updated 24 April 2025 18:33:28 by Rachel Feld