Course Approval Requirements
The State of Texas requires that all public institutions of higher education implement approval processes for courses and programs to be delivered electronically (i.e., online through digital transmission) or offsite (i.e., away from campus). A course or program is considered to be electronically-delivered or off-site if more than 50% of the course or program is conducted via that delivery method (i.e., digital transmission or off-site).
In order to comply with state regulations, the University has adopted approval procedures explained in this section. These procedures are intended to accomplish the following goals:
- Ensure high quality online instruction that meets or exceeds the quality of on-campus courses and programs
- Allow programs the flexibility to compete in a highly competitive environment
- Encourage faculty to participate in distributed learning and off-site delivery
- Meet federal and state guidelines
Faculty or departments that wish to offer electronically-delivered or offsite courses must follow these approval procedures. Follow the links in the left side menu to view the procedures and forms for approval of electronically-delivered or offsite courses and programs.
The University of North Texas Board of Regents voted to delegate authority over the approval process to the Center for Distributed Learning (which later became a part of CLEAR) and a Steering Committee that has representatives from each academic college and school. State rules governing delivery of distance education (electronically-delivered) and offsite courses and programs can be found here:
19 TEX. ADMIN. CODE Chapter 4 Subchapter P: Approval of Distance Education Courses and Programs for Public Institutions
19 TEX. ADMIN. CODE Chapter 4 Subchapter Q: Approval of Off-Campus and Self-Supporting Courses and Programs for Public Institutions