Online Course Proposals (OCPs)

Online Course Proposal forms are available here.

UNM Online is accepting online course proposals for Spring 2025, with a best consideration date of November 22nd, 2024.

 

Spring OCPs received after the best consideration date will be placed on a waitlist.

Proposals for new, fully online, courses are accepted several months before they are to be developed. All new online courses accepted for development are provided instructional design support from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Courses receiving development stipends must be developed and reviewed by CTL by the end of the semester they are first scheduled and taught.

Download and complete the OCP form at this link. Email questions to unmonlineproposals@unm.edu. The OCP form is used to evaluate fully online (Online Max) courses.

The OCP proposal is not used to evaluate new Accelerated Online Program (AOP) courses. For AOP proposals, contact aop@unm.edu. 

Reasons to Develop an Online Course

Online courses are intended to provide wider access to higher education for working students, students with families, and students outside the Albuquerque area.

• UNM Online courses are built to high standards compliant to meet pedagogical best practices and the legalities of federal and state rules affecting distance education.
• The online delivery option allows students the flexibility to accommodate other responsibilities in their lives.
• The online format allows students from Branch campuses to take upper-division courses
• Due to the demands of work and caretaking, transportation limitations, and health reasons, access to higher education is not possible for some, unless it is delivered online.

If you are considering teaching online, there is support available. The Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL) offers course build assistance,  Evidence-Based Practices for Teaching Online (EBPTO) training, as well as workshops and open labs. CTL also reviews new online courses according to best practices for online instructional design.

Online Course Proposal Process

Step by Step:

1. The Academic Unit submits one OCP per online course to their college dean.
2. College dean conducts Tier 1 review and signs OCP forms.
3. The Academic Unit or the college dean submits approved OCPs to UNM Online by email at unmonlineproposals@unm.edu
4. UNM Online conducts a Tier 2 review to determine the courses approved for course build and/or a development stipend. UNM Online sends a decision memo to the college dean and Academic Unit.
5. OCPs that receive both Tier 1 and Tier 2 approvals are ready for course build and scheduling. Instructors are encouraged to visit UNM Online Faculty Support and the Center for Teaching & Learning for guidance.
6. Online courses approved for development are scheduled by the Academic Unit; see the UNM Online Scheduling page for details.

Contact unmonlineproposals@unm.edu with questions about the OCP form and the OCP process.

Contact aop@unm.edu about Accelerated Online Programs courses.                           

Foundational Course Design Review

At UNM Online, we are committed to providing exceptional online learning experiences for our students. The Foundational Course Design Review process ensures that our online courses meet the highest quality standards by ensuring the course meets the Foundational Elements of the Online Learning Excellence Framework. This framework and process will be used for all online reviews and stipends starting Spring 2025.

What is the Online Learning Excellence Framework?

The Online Learning Excellence Framework is a set of research-based guidelines  for designing and delivering high-quality online courses. It outlines the foundational elements required for an online course at UNM that contribute to an engaging and effective learning experience. 

The Foundational Elements of the framework focus on critical aspects such as: 

• Learning goals, alignment, and assessment: Ensuring that instructional materials, assessments, and learning activities are aligned with the course learning outcomes. 
• Learning activities and materials: Ensuring students have opportunities for practice and are provided with a variety of instructional materials to increase engagement and enhance learning. 
• Instructor presence and student support: Ensuring instructors provide timely and consistent communication throughout the course and verifying that students are provided with information about student support resources.  
• Course design: Ensuring the course is easy to use and accessible.  

Review Process

The Foundational Course Design Review is a collaborative process that involves the course instructor, an instructional designer from the Center for Teaching & Learning, and a course reviewer from UNM Online. Here's how it works: 

Getting Started

If you are an instructor interested in participating in the Foundational Course Design Review process: 

• Complete the Interest Form. 
• UNM Online will reach out to provide more information and guide you through the next steps.  

Please note that due to limited capacity, only a set number of courses will be approved for the review process each term. 

Consultation with Instructional Designer

• You will schedule a consultation with an assigned instructional designer. During this consultation, the instructional designer will provide feedback and support to help you prepare for the review. 
• The instructional designer will also review the course to ensure that the alignment between instructional materials, assessments, and learning outcomes is clear and readily available to students. If any required changes are identified, the instructor must make those updates before proceeding to the next step. 

Foundational Course Design Review

Once the required changes for course alignment are completed: 

• The instructional designer submits the course to UNM Online for review.  
• The reviewer evaluates the course against the Foundational Elements of the Online Learning Excellence Framework and provides feedback on any additional required changes. 

Implementation of Required Changes

• You will work closely with the instructional designer to implement the required changes identified during the review process.

Certification and Stipend

Upon successful completion of the review process and implementation of all required changes, 

• You will receive a certification notice from UNM Online, indicating that your course has passed the Foundational Course Design Review.  
• You will also receive a stipend and recognition through various channels for your efforts to enhance the online learning experience for your students.  

If you are interested in participating in the Foundational Course Design Review you may submit your interest form here. For questions, contact UNM Online at unmonlineproposals@unm.edu. 

Characteristics of an Online Course

A fully online, or 'Online Max', course is delivered to students in a virtual format. Most — if not all — course activity takes place in the learning management system (LMS).

An online course may offer:

• Optional web-conferencing meetings. Because they are optional, such meetings must not adversely impact a student not participating. Offering students a variety of days/times for optional web conferencing is recommended.
• Required web-conferencing meetings. Such meetings can take the form of class-wide sessions, small group sessions, or individual sessions. Offering many required web-conferencing meetings is discouraged. Online students are often depending on a flexible course schedule. Having many scheduled events can be difficult for online students to attend. Required web-conferencing meetings must be displayed in LoboWeb, the student registration system. This means that required meetings are to be clearly indicated on a course’s scheduling form.
• Required or optional in-person meetings. To qualify as fully online, the number of in-person meetings allowed is very restricted. Online courses are limited to three in-person meetings per 16-week term, and these meetings are often used for orientation and exams. In-person meetings are strongly discouraged. Instead, a virtual alternative to meeting in person is recommended. Required in-person meetings must appear in LoboWeb, the student registration system. This means that required meetings are to be clearly indicated on a course’s scheduling form.
• Exam proctoring. Virtual and in-person proctoring services are available. Most are offered to students for a fee. Virtual proctoring is recommended over in-person services. Exams that take place on a single date/time must be indicated on the form used to schedule the course.

All mandatory meetings, either virtual or in-person, must be scheduled in Banner.

Meetings that occur in an online course must comply with distance education regulations. Instructors use the Online with Meetings form to ensure compliance. Speak to your department scheduler about scheduling required in-person and web conference meetings.

How to know if your course requires an OCP

All 'Online Max' courses must have an OCP to be developed online. If your course is not clearly an 'Online Max' course type, see the decision tree below to help you determine whether your course needs an OCP:

Accelerated Online Courses

Accelerated Online Program (AOP) courses go through a review process different from Online Max courses. The tuition and fee structures are also different.

• AOP course characteristics include:
  • 8-week instructional format.
  • Flat tuition rate, regardless of residency. Differential tuition may apply.
  • No online delivery fee. There is a student technology fee. Other departmental fees may apply.
  • Enrollment is restricted to students accepted to The University into an Accelerated Online Program.
• The OCP form is not used to evaluate AOP courses 

Contact aop@unm.edu about proposing a new AOP

Required Trainings for Online Instructors

Starting Summer 2021, to teach an online or hybrid course, instructors must complete one of the following trainings:

• Evidence-Based Practices for Teaching Online (EBPTO)
  • EBPTO is a six-week course for instructors offered multiple times per year. The training is fully revamped. Those who completed a similar training before Fall 2019 are strongly encouraged to take EBPTO.
• Regular and Substantive Interaction (RASI) training in Learning Central
  
  • RASI training takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. This course provides insight into online education, touching on regulations related to regular and substantive interaction; student privacy and security; and guidance on effective student support. Instructors teaching classes that are not fully online but with online components are also expected to complete the training. Click here for tips to search for RASI in Learning Central.