Online courses are typically offered entirely via distance. Hybrid courses are offered 50 to 85 percent via distance and include face-to-face instruction or mandatory meetings.

Once you've decided to develop an online or hybrid course, complete the Request to Deliver an Online Course or Program form and we will contact you within two business days. Deadlines for submitting this form are noted below. We recommend that you submit this form as early as possible to allow for a smooth course development process.

Process for Online Course Development

After you submit the Request to Deliver an Online Course or Program form, you will meet with an Instructional Consultant (IC) and CLEAR will provide approval to develop and an intellectual property agreement to you, your chair, and your dean for electronic signature. Approval to develop the course allows the course to be listed in the Schedule of Classes for the target delivery term and begins the course development process.

The development process is team-driven, and in most cases involves periodic meetings with CLEAR Instructional Consultants as well as a provisional approval check and a quality review for final approval. Your consultant will also coordinate any production work you might need from our CLEAR production department and help you make wise selections in terms of instructional technologies, and online pedagogical practices. Developing an online course is a demanding task that requires extensive planning, organization, and the ability to work within a schedule and meet deadlines. This collaborative process is designed to ensure that the course will be ready at the start of the target delivery term.

Provisional Approval Check

You will meet with an IC for a Provisional Approval Check no later than 10 weeks before the start of the target delivery term (see dates below). At that time, the course will either be given provisional approval for delivery in the upcoming semester, or if progress is not sufficient for course delivery in the target semester, you will be asked to continue development for a later semester. Please note that if progress is not sufficient to allow for the course to be completed, provisional approval will not be given, and the course will be removed from the schedule of classes.

Final Quality Review and Approval

A final Quality Review will be completed no later than 5 weeks before the start of the target delivery term (see dates below). At that time, any necessary revisions will be identified and you will be asked to complete them prior to final approval.

Notification of final approval will be provided to you, your chair, and dean, and the course will be approved for a period of three years. If content is significantly amended before the three year period is up, the course will need to be resubmitted for review.

Online/Hybrid Course Development and Approval Process Deadlines