to specific student posts, pointing out strong arguments, tactfully correcting incorrect information, asking follow-up questions to promote conversation, and perhaps pointing students to additional resources on the given subject, such as embedding a video link, journal article, blog, etc.

Regarding regular and substantive interaction (RSI), faculty are encouraged to comment two (2) to three (3) times in each graded discussion forum and collaborative learning assignment. These comments can be concise or more expansive but should be instructional. Such comments could highlight thoughts from students' posts that are especially strong in content or reasoning. Additionally, they could spur the discussion deeper or redirect it as needed. It is recommended that the instructor not always respond to the same students, which can create perceptions of an inequitable classroom atmosphere.

At the end of each week, when there is such an activity, faculty are encouraged to post a summary within the forum to the class, providing feedback on themes they observed in the students' posts, strengths and weaknesses, redirection, and corrections where the discussion may have drifted. This is yet another teaching moment to stress the objectives of the assignment.

Faculty-to-student feedback related to grades for discussion forums/collaborative learning should be private in the LMS gradebook, not placed in the forum itself.

Additionally, instructors might decide to host a voluntary, synchronous video meeting with students using a platform like Microsoft Teams or Zoom. See 4.3.4 Instructional Presentations.

Due to the often-accelerated nature of online education, timeliness in all online-related communications is one of the most critical factors for faculty engagement and student success. To ensure that students have timely responses to inquiries, instructors should respond to student emails, phone calls, or other modes of communication within twenty-four (24) hours ideally, but no later than forty-eight (48) hours. Written communications to students should be cordial, address the student by name, be well-written and thorough, and should answer content-related questions.

Internal communications between faculty and administration regarding urgent online matters require timely responses to triage and mitigate specific issues. When such an issue is flagged as urgent (which should be somewhat rare), please respond to applicable communication as soon as possible.

KYSU Online does not require that online faculty hold virtual office hours, but instructors can choose to offer this to their students. Due to the nature of online learning and the unique needs of online students, faculty are expected to schedule online appointments with students who request to one. Although KYSU Online does not require a minimum number of virtual office hours each week, instructors should invite students to schedule synchronous communication such as phone calls or video conferences when needed (on platforms like Microsoft Teams or Zoom).60 The

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