Synchronous activities are those that occur at the same time for everyone in the course.

For example, the required residency at the beginning of every semester is a synchronous component of the RANA Distance Education Program. All students come to campus at the same time for face-to-face class meetings, registration, and advising.

A second synchronous component for RANA is the web-based chat sessions that occur each week for each course. Just as in a traditional classroom, everyone is expected to attend all chats and to participate in chat discussions, whether for algebra, writing, history, or any other course.

Residencies and scheduled chat sessions are the two mandatory synchronous components in the RANA Distance Education Program.

These synchronous components are essential for student success.

With the Residency requirement, students get a chance to meet classmates and instructors, get a feel for the coursework that they will be doing, and, most important, become a part of a larger group of students. Students help one another so that they don't feel alone, isolated, or stranded.

The web-based chat sessions also contribute to the success of RANA because instructors and students alike get to check in with each other throughout the semester. Students are kept up-to-date and encourage each other, and instructors get a chance to monitor students' progress.

RANA employs the use of both synchronous and asynchronous tools for students' success in completing their degrees.