Letter

Attachment 1

Cover Letter

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

August 2007

Dear PEQIS Survey Respondent:

On behalf of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), I am requesting your participation in the national survey on Online and Distance Education at Postsecondary Institutions. Westat is conducting the survey for NCES using the Postsecondary Education Quick Information System (PEQIS). The questionnaire is designed to be completed in 45 minutes or less.

The purpose of the survey is to provide nationally representative data about the prevalence and delivery of distance education at postsecondary institutions. The questionnaire is designed to be completed by the person or persons most knowledgeable about online and distance education courses and programs at your institution. This might be a distance education director or coordinator, a faculty member who specializes in educational technology, or someone else who is highly familiar with distance education programs at the institution.

The survey may be completed using either the enclosed questionnaire or an online version of the survey available through the Internet. The online version of the survey is available at [insert URL for survey]. If you choose to complete the online version, the USER ID and PASSWORD for your institution appear on the label at the bottom of this page and on the label affixed to the cover of the questionnaire. Regardless of whether you choose to use the paper version or the online version, please complete the survey only once.

The Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the survey (OMB No.: 1850-0733). Your participation, while voluntary, is vital to the development of national estimates. Data collected in this survey will be used only for statistical purposes. The data will be published by NCES in aggregate form only, and will not identify individual participants or their institutions. A copy of the survey report will be sent to your institution after this study is completed.

We ask that the survey be completed within 3 weeks, and that you keep a copy of the completed survey for your files. The paper version of the questionnaire may be returned to Westat in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Basmat Parsad, the Westat survey manager, at 800-937-8281, extension 8222 (toll-free) or 301-251-8222, or by e-mail at basmatparsad@westat.com. You may also call Bernie Greene, the NCES Project Officer, at 202-502-7348. Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Val Plisko

Associate Commissioner