Online Quality Assurance

Quality Standards for Online Education   

The quality standards of online education ensure FGCU meets national, state and accreditation standards. The standards also support a foundation that provides a rich, engaging, and effective learning environment for all online students at FGCU. Practices and processes for implementation of approved standards will be identified in the FGCU Quality Assurance Plan for Online Education.

On September 30, 2024, the FGCU Provost’s Council approved the following quality standards for FGCU online education, with implementation beginning Fall 2025.

• FGCU Quality Assurance Plan for Online Education (Under Development)

Quality Standards and Criteria 

Course Design 

1. Faculty teaching an online course complete training on FGCUs adopted online course quality design standards. Faculty complete this training requirement within 2 semesters of teaching their first online course. (SACSCOC, Curriculum and Instruction) 
2. Faculty developing new online courses or redesigning existing online courses will have someone familiar with FGCU’s adopted online course quality design standards complete a high-level, quality design alignment review of the course and provide feedback. (SACSCOC, Curriculum and Instruction; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 1.1.3 and 1.2.4) 
3. All online courses must be reviewed using the approved FGCU adopted online course quality design standards. The course design review must take place before the end of the second semester in which the course is taught, and the course design review must be successfully completed before the course is taught moving forward. (SACSCOC, Curriculum and Instruction; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 1.1.3 and 1.2.4) 
4. Online courses have parity of time/and effort that is analogous to other modalities (e.g. Traditional, Synchronous, Hybrid, Flex, Blend Flex), and align with assigned credit hours. (Department of Education, Distance Education and Innovation regulations – Clock Hours; Online Course Instructional Contact Hours - Table) 
5. Online courses, including online master courses, go through a renewal design review cycle using the approved FGCU adopted online course quality design standards every 5 years, or after substantial revisions have been made, whichever comes first. (SACSCOC, Curriculum and Instruction; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 1.1.3 and 1.2.4) 

Course Delivery/Teaching 

1. Readiness 

1. 1. Faculty teaching an online course must complete training on LMS Introduction and the principles of regular and substantive interaction (RSI), either prior to teaching their first online course or during the first semester of online teaching. (SACSCOC, Faculty; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 1.2.5) 
   2. Faculty who teach an online course at least once per academic year, complete professional development on topics related to online education. (SACSCOC, Faculty; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 1.2.5) 
   3. Faculty must obtain approval from supervisors before teaching an online course. (SACSCOC, Faculty; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 1.2.5)
      
      
2. Instructor and Student Interaction 

1. 1. Regular and substantive instructor interaction (RSI) is required in every online course. "Regular" is defined as frequent, predictable, and integrated into the course design. "Substantive" refers to interactions that are relevant to academic subject matter. (Department of Education, Distance Education and Innovation regulations) 
   2. Faculty teaching online courses reply to student inquiries within 24-48 hours on weekdays. 
   3. Faculty teaching online courses establish and maintain predictable and scheduled virtual office hours. (Department of Education, Distance Education and Innovation regulations) 
   4. Faculty maintain grades within the LMS gradebook and update grades within a reasonable timeframe to allow students to track their progress and make informed decisions about their course participation. 

3. Academic Integrity 

1. 1. Online courses have mechanisms in place to ensure academic integrity, including use of proctoring, and plagiarism detection tools. (SACSCOC, Standards and Policy Statements) 

Online Degree and Certificate Programs 

To ensure quality expectations are monitored and managed within the online programs, duplication of standards listed in other quality categories may occur. 

1. Each online degree and certificate program measures learning objectives, outcomes, or competencies. (SACSCOC, Institutional Effectiveness; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 1.1.4) 
2. The learning objectives, course level outcomes, or competencies of the individual courses are consistent with the online degree or certificate program objectives, outcomes, or competencies. (SACSCOC, Institutional Effectiveness; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 1.1.4) 
3. Each online degree or certificate program has recommendations, guidelines, or formal policies, on instructor response time and availability appropriate to support and engage online learners.  
4. Online degree and certificate programs offered in both traditional and online formats have comparable success and student satisfaction. (SACSCOC, Institutional Effectiveness; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 1.1.4) 
5. Students enrolled in an online degree or certificate program are provided with opportunities to become oriented to the unique requirements of the online program.  

Online Student Experience 

1. Regular and predictable contact for support is available to students enrolled in online programs. (SACSCOC, Student Services, and Institutional Effectiveness; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 2.3.1) 
2. Any student enrolling in an online course has access to the support and services available to traditional students (comparable support can be remote, direct, or indirect). (SACSCOC, Student Services, and Institutional Effectiveness; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 2.3.1) 
3. Through a subset of questions within the Student Perception of Instruction (SPoI), online student feedback is collected, distributed, and used to inform and improve the online student experience. (SACSCOC, Institutional Effectiveness) 
4. Courses offered in both traditional and online formats have comparable success and student satisfaction. (SACSCOC, Institutional Effectiveness; FL SUS 2025 Strategic Plan of Online Education, Quality 1.1.4) 
5. Students enrolled in an online course are provided with opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for effective online learning.