Course and Program Approval Process
Courses must be approved by the Curriculum and Academic Policies Council (CAPC) before they can be placed on the schedule.
As part of the CAPC approval process, courses are designated with a
There are five CAPC course designations for “Method of Delivery”.
| Face to Face | Web-enhanced | Blended | O-8 (Mostly Online) | (Fully) Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 15% of instruction through digital means | Up to 30% of instruction through digital means | Up to 80% of instruction through digital means | Up to 99% of instruction through digital means | 100% of instruction through digital means |
The approved method of delivery indicates the highest allowable percentage of digital instruction; however, a course can be taught at a lower percentage. For example, a course approved as blended may be taught in face to face, web-enhanced, or blended formats, but not in O-8 or online formats. Thus, a course approved to be taught online can be taught in any of the five methods of delivery.
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CAPC Course Approval Process
Faculty are strongly encouraged to consult with the Office of Digital Learning and Innovation as they prepare the necessary documentation for the CAPC approval process.
Step 1: Prepare
Before starting the approval process, a faculty member should have a:
1. Current Distance Education Training Credential
See Faculty Training and Renewal
2. Completed Course Syllabus
See the Policy on Required Course Information, Evaluations, and Syllabi
The Office of Digital Learning and Innovation has prepared two sample syllabi for faculty to reference. While these syllabi examples are updated regularly, it is still the faculty members responsibility to confirm that they have the current language of any required syllabus statements from the Senior Vice Provost Faculty/Staff website.
Undergraduate Syllabus Example
3. Distance Education Required Statements Checklist
The Distance Ed Course Proposal Required Statements Checklist is available to faculty for personal use, to ensure that they have included all of the required items in their syllabi, per the Policy on Approval of Distance Education and Hybrid Courses.
Step 2: Secure Department and College Approval
All colleges in the university have policies for curriculum and course review at the department and college level. The steps below describe the process after such review has taken place. Department and College representatives will certify that those steps were completed as part of the CAPC approval process.
Step 3: Submit a CAPC Application
Once the necessary documentation has been prepared and all department and college approvals secured, a faculty member utilizes the CIM system to submit the course changes to CAPC. (See the CAPC Proposals website and the CIM Directions SharePoint site for directions on how to use the CIM system).
Once submitted the process includes the following steps:
Step 1:
Department Chair Approval
Step 2:
College Dean Approval
Step 3:
Faculty Affirms Desire to Continue
Step 4:
CAPC Review and Approval
Step 5:
Provost Approval
Step 6:
Catalog is Updated
Within CAPC, courses are reviewed by relevant subcommittees, the CAPC Executive Committee, and then the CAPC General Assembly. Any person or body on the review path may request changes, prior to approval.
New distance learning courses that are major course requirements will go to the CAPC floor in the normal manner, as approval will also require approval of a change in program and require a Program Revision form. The preparer should simultaneously apply for the distance learning attribute.
CAPC regularly publishes deadlines regarding the last meeting at which courses can be approved for an upcoming semester implementation on the CAPC Meeting Dates website. Faculty should assume that it will take a semester for a course to make its way through the CAPC approval process. Plan accordingly to account for those timelines. The Office of Digital Learning and Innovation recommends starting a year in advance of when faculty would like to teach the course.
Course Development
Faculty do not need to wait for CAPC approval to begin course development. Visit Services We Provide for more information on course development.
Program Approval
Program approval processes outlined by CAPC apply for online programs as well. There is one additional Office of Digital Learning and Innovation Programs Checklist which outlines the elements that must be addressed for a distance education program application. Because each program has unique circumstances, departments planning to put programs online should consult with the Office of Digital Learning and Innovation.