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Policy Contact: Office of Academic Affairs

1. Purpose

   This policy sets forth the guidelines for the Quality Assurance course review for Online and Hybrid Courses at the University in accordance with SDBOR policies, guidelines, and other applicable requirements.

2. Definitions
    
   1. Online Asynchronous Course: Faculty member delivers entirety (100%) of course content via internet-based methodologies; instructor and students are physically separated. Students are not required to participate in learning engagements on specified days/times. Typically, a one (1) credit hour course lasting for a semester equates to forty-five (45) hours of engagement by the student.
       
   2. Online Synchronous Course: Faculty member delivers entirety (100%) of course content via internet-based methodologies; instructor and students are physically separated. Students are required to participate in learning engagements on specified days/times; this condition of the course is made known before the start of the term.
       
   3. Hybrid Online Course: Faculty member delivers course content through an integration of online and face-to-face methodologies. Between 75 and 99% of instruction is provided via online modalities.
       
   4. Hybrid F2F Course: Faculty member delivers course content through an integration of online and face-to-face methodologies. No more than 74% of instruction is provided via online modalities.
       
   5. Online/Hybrid Instructor Certification Program: A training program provided by Instructional Design Services designed specifically for online/hybrid instructors.
       
   6. Online/Hybrid Course Design House: A full-service course design program available to colleges, schools, and departments.
       
3. Policy
    
   1. Support in Online and Hybrid course design and training at the University is facilitated by Instructional Design Services in collaboration with Continuing and Distance Education.
       
   2. Online and Hybrid Courses at the University must be reviewed by Instructional Design Services for quality assurance per HLC accreditation standards and SDBOR requirements. Online and Hybrid course review shall follow the Online Course Review Rubric. Online synchronous and Hybrid F2F courses are excluded.
       
   3. The purpose of the Quality Assurance course review is to ensure that all University Online and Hybrid courses are of the highest possible quality, and that they provide a rigorous, engaging, and valued learning experience for all students. Cyclical reviews ensure that gaps, obsolescence, or redundancies have not crept into the curricula over time.
       
   4. A course at the University must be reviewed if:
      1. It is a new course (i.e., never been taught online or hybrid);or
      2. It is an established online or hybrid course that is being taught by an instructor who has never taught the course in the specified delivery method. This applies even if the course has previously been reviewed; or
      3. The course has not been reviewed in three (3) years; or
      4. The course’s format changed from online to hybrid or vice versa.
          
   5. Once schedules are finalized by the Registrar’s Office, Continuing and Distance Education determines which online and hybrid courses require a review per 3.d. Continuing and Distance Education will complete at least one review of the course schedule no later than six (6) weeks prior to the start of the semester to identify schedule and faculty updates.
      1. First time online or hybrid teaching instructors will be prioritized for training and course review for quality assurance by Instructional Design Services. Training shall follow the Major Components of Online Instructor Training and D2L Tools Checklist.
      2. Quality Assurance course reviews conducted as part of the Online/Hybrid Instructor Certification Program or courses developed by through the Online/Hybrid Course Design House satisfy the course review requirements; however, they would be subject to a new course review in instances outlined above in 3.d.
          
   6. Courses must be ready to teach to be reviewed, which means that the course syllabus, learning outcomes, content, and assessments to begin instruction must be present in the course on D2L.
       
   7. The applicable Department Head/School Director is responsible to ensure that faculty assigned to teach online and hybrid courses have enough time prior to the start of the course to meet the deadlines outlined in this policy and satisfactorily meet the standards of the Quality Assurance rubric. If a faculty cannot comply with this policy, the Department Head/School Director may reassign the course to another qualified faculty who can comply with the policy. For newly employed faculty, Department Heads/School Directors can request early access to the Learning Management System (LMS) by completing the Early Account Request Form.
       
   8. Departments/Schools may develop a peer course review program that allows courses to be reviewed internally prior to official review with Instructional Design Services. Peer course review programs are highly encouraged, but are not in lieu of the official Quality Assurance review conducted by Instructional Design Services.
       
   9. Impromptu Quality Assurance course reviews are at the discretion of Continuing and Distance Education and could be triggered by factors including, but not limited to, multiple student complaints, high number of student drops, or other related factors.
       
4. Procedures
    
   1. Continuing and Distance Education will communicate, through DocuSign, to instructors any course(s) for the upcoming semester (Spring, Summer, Fall) which have been identified for a course review based upon criteria noted in 3.d.
       
   2. Instructors will complete a self-review of “Course Learning Outcomes” which are approved by Department/School via the Quality Assurance Rubric within DocuSign. Upon completion the instructor will schedule an appointment with Instructional Design Services at least (4) weeks prior to the start of the course to complete the Major Components of Online Instructor Training (as needed) and the Quality Assurance course review. In the instance of a change in faculty assignment or course delivery method within two (2) weeks of the course start date, the Department Head/School Director may request the first 2-3 weeks of the course be reviewed to ensure the course syllabus, learning outcomes, content, and assessments to begin instruction are present, with a full Quality Assurance review completed by mid-term of the given semester.
       
   3. Course reviews must be completed and meet the standards of the Quality Assurance rubric no later than one (1) week prior to the start of the course.
       
   4. The Department Head/School Director acknowledges the Quality Assurance review via signature in DocuSign. Course review reports for courses that satisfactorily meet the established Quality Assurance rubric requirements will be returned to the instructor and the Department Head/School Director via DocuSign.
       
   5. Continuing and Distance Education will contact instructors and their Department Head/School Director whose course(s) do not meet the Quality Assurance rubric requirements. A copy of the Quality Assurance rubric will be provided outlining the improvements needed to meet the Quality Assurance rubric requirements. Instructors will be advised to:
      1. Continue working with Instructional Design Services on the components identified during the review that need improvement and request the course to be re-reviewed once updates are complete prior to one (1) week ahead of the course start date.
      2. The instructor can request to work with a faculty mentor. Instructional Design Services will assign a faculty member who has completed the Online/Hybrid Instructor Certification Program.
          
   6. If a course does not meet the standards of the Quality Assurance rubric by one (1) week prior to the start of the course, it will be evaluated by the Department Head/School Director.
      1. The Department Head/School Director may opt to allow the course to run with the instructor continuing to work with Instructional Design Services to ensure the course meets the Quality Assurance standards by mid-term. The Department Head/School Director shall closely oversee the instructor’s improvement process.
      2. The Department Head/School Director may opt to assign a new faculty member to the course. Training and course review may be required as per this policy.
      3. The Department Head/School Director may opt to cancel the course(s).
          

5. Responsible Administrator

   The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, or designee, is responsible for the annual and ad hoc review of this policy. The University President is responsible for approval of this policy.

Approved by President on 10/30/2015. Revised; Approved by President on 8/1/2019. Revised; Approved by President on 05/04/2021. Revised; Approved by President on 02/08/2024.

Sources: ; ; 2.3.8.B(1) Online Course Quality Assurance Rubric; 2.3.8.B(1)(A-1) Quality Assurance Rubric; and 2.4.3.B Delivery Method Code Guidelines)

Associated Forms: ; ; ; ; ;