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Although it would be easiest to do nothing and observe the colleges and districts
organically evolve toward creating suitable HyFlex polices, I contend that the process would be
slow, and many students would be hindered while waiting for a policy or set of policies to ensure
they receive educational experiences of high quality in HyFlex courses offered at CCCs. My
recommendations start with adopting Beatty’s (2006) official definition of HyFlex and go
beyond. I propose a statewide policy framework that builds upon Beatty’s official definition of
HyFlex and existing online education policies in the state to ensure students in the CCC system
experience consistent HyFlex courses and programs of high quality. The nature and scope of the
policy framework I propose is rooted in equity, student-centric, promotes faculty agency, and is
data driven. Adopting this policy framework at the state level makes it more likely that necessary
funding will be allocated for these purposes. If it is left to the institutions to determine these
policies, in an environment of competing interests and limited funding, HyFlex will continue to
be a disjointed experience across the CCC system because each institution will rank HyFlex
differently in terms of its importance to their mission and strategic priorities. For these reasons, I
recommend the creation of a statewide policy framework encompassing four areas: (a) creating a
standard definition of HyFlex for the entire CCC system, (b) creating matriculation codes for
HyFlex courses, (c) institutionalizing HyFlex-specific professional development for faculty, and
(d) developing a HyFlex-specific suite of student services and supports available for students
online and onsite.
