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.
Review Cycle | Best consideration date for interest form |
| Spring 2026 | November 21, 2025 |
| Summer 2026 | There will be no Summer 2026 review cycle. |
| Fall 2026 | May 8, 2026 |
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. This process may span an entire semester, depending on the scope and stage of course development, and is designed to remain flexible while supporting progress through agreed-upon milestones, including an initial review and subsequent revisions.
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. For questions, contact UNM Online at unmonlineproposals@unm.edu.
Answer: Foundational Course Design Reviews are only required for brand new courses that will be offered as part of an Accelerated Online Program (AOP) or Online + Classroom (O+C) course. For all other online courses, the review is optional, but it is highly recommended to ensure that your course meets the foundational elements of the Online Learning Excellence Framework.
Answer: Priority will be given to the following courses:
- Newly developed or redesigned courses that are part of an online degree program (including Accelerated Online Program [AOP] and Online + Classroom [O+C] courses)
- General education online courses
- Online courses that have not undergone an online course quality review with UNM
- Courses that have not been reviewed by UNM Online or the Center for Teaching & Learning in the past five years or more
Answer: Complete the Online Interest Form. If your course is approved, you will be notified towards the end of the semester before the review cycle you are interested in participating in.
Answer: To ensure the course is fully prepared for review, the process spans an entire semester and requires ongoing work which includes completing milestones, submitting the course at mid-semester, and finishing final revisions approximately one month before the semester concludes.
Answer: Courses that are designed for an AOP or as an O+C course must go through review the semester before they launch. For example, if you intend to launch an AOP course in the fall, the course should be reviewed in the summer cycle. This means development of the course should occur during the spring to ensure that your course is ready for review in the summer.
Please note that O+C courses must pass review before they can be scheduled.
Answer: Courses can only be submitted for review if they have followed all the steps in the process: submitting an interest form, meeting with designer, and verifying alignment. Once all steps are completed, contact the instructional designer and the designer will submit for review on your behalf. For more information, refer to the Review Process section.
Answer: The Foundational Course Design Review assesses a course based on the 18 foundational elements and applicable special considerations outlined in the Online Learning Excellence Framework. This review is managed by UNM Online, and the course is evaluated by a qualified UNM Online course reviewer. In contrast, the Golden Paw review is managed by the Center for Teaching & Learning, that consists of a faculty committee from across UNM evaluating not only the foundational elements but also the advanced strategies of the Online Learning Excellence Framework.
Answer: At this time, Foundational Course Design Reviews are only available for online courses offered at the UNM Albuquerque campus.
Answer: You will be assigned to an instructional designer from the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL). Instructional designers can be considered partners for your course design, pedagogical strategies, assessment tools, and they will provide timely feedback to prepare your course for review. They are also your main point of contact during the review. In addition to receiving instructional design support, UNM Online has project assistants who can assist with document remediation of PDF, Word, and PowerPoint presentations to meet Element 11 – Accessibility. To request assistance with document remediation, contact your assigned instructional designer.
Answer: $500. Please note that the amount you receive may differ from the full stipend amount initially communicated, as departmental policies may affect the final distribution. We recommend contacting your department chair or administrative office for specific details about how funds will be allocated within your department.
Answer: Stipends are disbursed at the end of the cycle you complete your review. The funds will be disbursed directly to your college, and then the designated academic department. Your department is responsible for the subsequent distribution of these funds. If you have not received your stipend, contact your department chair or administrative office directly.
