RODP Course Development
Definition
Regents Online Degree Program (RODP)
The Tennessee Board of Regents technology centers, community colleges, and universities
have joined in a collaborative, strategic planning effort to offer the Regents Online Degree
Programs (RODP). The thirteen two-year community colleges deliver and award associate
degrees, and the six TBR universities deliver and award bachelor and master’s degrees.
RODP courses are entirely online and transferable among all the participating institutions.
Students may choose the college or university (home school) through which the admission
and registration processes are completed and from which their degrees are awarded.
“The Regents Online Campus Collaborative works from a Master Course model in which a
single course is developed and then taught by multiple instructors from multiple institutions.
A course is approved for development by a Curriculum Committee, developed by a subject
matter expert, and sent through a Quality Review process for final approval. Once
approved, the developed course becomes the Master Course Copy of that specific course.
The Master Course Copy is never taught from, nor does it ever have students enrolled into
it. It is used simply as an original version of the course which is kept updated as the most
recent and relevant copy of the course.” (ROCC website http://www.rodp.org/facultyresources/faculty-faqs)
Faculty wishing to participate in the RODP may find information at the RODP website, or
they may call the MTSU Distance Education Faculty Services Office at 615/898-5374.
Responsibilities
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RODP Course Developer
Sign/submit required proposal and supporting documents.
Sign/submit approved TBR contract for development and delivery of course.
Submit faculty credentials to Distance Education Faculty Services to be sent to the
TBR to fulfill SACS requirements.
Complete required training in preparation for course development.
Complete course development per RODP standards and submit for review/approval.
Notify D. E. Faculty Services when course is approved for delivery.
Update the course prior to the beginning of each semester.
Continually make course improvements by collaborating with sectional instructors
and considering student suggestions.
Search for relevant content and resources to enhance the course and enrich student
learning experiences.
Recruit and prepare colleagues and/or adjunct faculty for course instruction,
especially when enrollment increases create additional course sections.
Department
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Approve course proposal form
Approve TBR contract when course is approved for development.
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Unless a course is placed on a semester rotation, departments are expected to offer
it every semester.
Each semester, registration for RODP courses remains open through the first week of
class. The department is expected to staff every section that fills.
The institution that develops the course has the right to staff 60% of the sections
that make each semester. However, if the department cannot staff a course, that
section is offered to any other four-year school that can staff it with a qualified
instructor.
Distance Education Faculty Services
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Direct faculty who wish to develop RODP courses to the RODP website and Course
Proposal Form and assist with the approval process.
Obtain approval to request faculty credentials from the University Provost’s Office
and forward them to the TBR to be kept on file per SACS requirements.
Attend RODP Curriculum Committee Meetings to monitor proposal status.
Send faculty member TBR contract when course has been approved for development.
Send approved contract to the TBR and retain original in D. E. Faculty Services
office.
Provide course developer with RODP training information.
Provide funding for course developer travel to RODP for development training.
Pay course development fee when the course is approved for delivery.
Pay course redesign fee when courses are substantially (50% or more) revised
(typically after contract expiration – 3-year terms).
Assist the department in scheduling RODP courses.
Monitor enrollments during registration and assist departments in staffing additional
sections.
Financially support offering of each RODP course/section at the faculty extra-comp or
adjunct rate of pay.
Getting Started
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Faculty who wish to propose development of a Regents Online Degree Program
(RODP) course should:
o Check the existing RODP courses and programs (RODP Courses and
Programs) to determine if the course has been developed and to determine
for what program the course should be designed.
o Confirm that the course for proposal has been approved by the MTSU
Curriculum Committee or the MTSU Graduate Council, as appropriate.
o Proposals are not accepted for courses which require a prerequisite unless the
prerequisite is already in the RODP course inventory.
o Submit proposals for 3000- and 4000-level courses only. Community colleges
have first choice of 1000- and 2000-level courses.
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Submission of a Course Proposal to the RODP does not guarantee course
development approval.
Course Completion Deadlines
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November 1 - Spring Semester
April 1 - Summer Semester
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July 1 - Fall Semester
Two semesters, minimum, should be allotted for course approval, development,
review, and scheduling.
Course Proposal Process
Course Proposal Form
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Review the RODP Standards and Template Guidelines
Complete a Course Development Proposal Form, and follow instructions for
submission on the form.
Incomplete proposals will be returned to the course developer.
Send copies of the all proposal documents to the Distance Education Faculty Services
Office at MTSU Box 54 to be placed on file.
Course Proposal Review
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Each proposal is reviewed by the appropriate subcommittee of the RODP Curriculum
Committee;
A recommendation for acceptance or rejection is made to the RODP Curriculum
Committee;
The faculty member is notified, via RODP email, of the committee’s decision.
Accepted for Course Development
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If the proposal is accepted, the course developer will receive training and course
development information from the RODP;
The course designer should contact the Distance Education Faculty Services Office to
obtain a course development contract.
The course designer is given two compensation options (see Development Fees
below):
o Payment only;
o Payment and laptop computer.
Rejected Proposal
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If the proposal is rejected, course content may have overlapped with or been too
similar to an existing course.
If revisions are requested, a re-review by the subcommittee is necessary before
submission to the full committee.
Course Development Agreement
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After a course is accepted for development, the course designer signs an online
course development contract which outlines course development and instruction
expectations as well as the terms for compensation.
The contract is available from the Distance Education Faculty Services Office.
When the contract has been approved by all parties, a copy is sent to the Tennessee
Board of Regents (TBR), and a copy is kept on file in the Distance Education Faculty
Services Office.
A copy of the approved document will be provided upon request by contacting
Distance Education Faculty Services at 615/898-5374 or cladams@mtsu.edu.
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The approved contract must be on file in Distance Education Faculty Services prior to
completion of course development in order to receive compensation.
Course Development
New course designers will develop their courses according to the RODP Course Development
Process, Procedures, Guidelines, and Training (adhering to TBR Quality Matters for Online
Teaching and Learning), and the New Guidelines for Addressing Online Retention.
“The Regents Online Campus Collaborative works from a Master Course model in which a
single course is developed and then taught by multiple instructors from multiple institutions.
A course is approved for development by a Curriculum Committee, developed by a subject
matter expert, and sent through a Quality Review process for final approval. Once
approved, the developed course becomes the Master Course Copy of that specific course.
The Master Course Copy is never taught from, nor does it ever have students enrolled into
it. It is used simply as an original version of the course which is kept updated as the most
recent and relevant copy of the course.” (RODP website http://www.rodp.org/facultyresources/faculty-faqs)
Desire2Learn (D2L) Course Shell
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When a course is accepted for development, a Desire2Learn (D2L) course shell is
provided by the RODP.
RODP courses are accessed through the RODP website (https://elearn.rodp.org/)
(not through the MTSU server or PipelineMT).
Required Training
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All course developers are required to attend four face-to-face and three online
training sessions which utilize seven Desire2Learn (D2L) modules.
o Module 1: Best Practices and the RODP Template
o Module 2: Developing Content in D2L - Based on Learning Outcomes
o Module 3: Virtual Library and Learning Objects
o Module 4: Assessments and Rubrics
o Module 5: Multimedia Enhancements
o Module 6: Support Services
o Module 7: Course Completion and Preparing for Teaching
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Completion of the training is required before the development of any course
materials.
The workshops are taught by the RODP training staff and RODP mentors.
Additional training and support is available from the MTSU Faculty Instructional
Technology Center (FITC).
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Final Course Reviews/Approval
Information about the RODP course development review process may be found online.
RODP Course Development Fees
When the Distance Education Faculty Services office receives the email approving the
course for delivery, a pay document is prepared to compensate the course designer
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according to the amount noted on the development contract and selected from the chart
below. Fees are paid usually within eight (8) weeks of course approval.
Course Level
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
RODP COURSE DEVELOPMENT FEES
Effective June 1, 2005
New/Redesign/Conversion
Fee – no
laptop
New Course Development
Course Conversion
Fee – with
laptop
$4,500
$3,000
$3,000
$2,250
$5,000
$3,500
$3,500
$2,750
$1,000
NA
(MTSU to RODP)
Graduate
Graduate
New Course Development
Course Conversion
UG and Grad
Course Redesign
(MTSU to RODP)
Scheduling
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Unless RODP courses are offered on a rotation schedule, they are expected to be
offered every semester.
The number of sections offered is dependent on the history of the course.
If MTSU cannot staff a course it developed, the course is offered to the other fouryear institutions for staffing.
Course scheduling is coordinated by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) through
the Distance Education Faculty Services Office and the MTSU Scheduling Center.
RODP and MTSU courses share a common academic calendar with one exception:
RODP summer courses are taught in a single session which lasts from early June to
mid-August.
Course Enrollments
As students register for the RODP courses, enrollment numbers on the MTSU Banner
system reflect only the students who claim MTSU as their home school even though
students from other institutions may have registered for the courses.
The RODP administrative website reflects all student enrollments. There is a 24-hour
delay in the data shown on this site. Instructions for access are below.
Course Balancing
As students register for RODP courses, they are enrolled in the first, or R50, section
until it fills. The enrollment caps are 25 students (undergraduate) and 15 students
(graduate). Students then fill the second, or R51, section, etc.
Shortly before the semester begins, the course sections are balanced which equally
divides the enrollments among the course sections.
The RODP rarely allows cancellation of a course, due to low enrollment, prior to a
week before classes begin.
RODP Enrollment Data
Website and Access Instructions
Website
https://rodp.tbr.state.tn.us/main.asp
(Use Internet Explorer to access)
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Access Instructions
• Select “Continue to this website (not recommended)”
• Select “Administration Login” (second button);
• Select MTSU as the "institution" - the password is mtsu2402;
• Select semester and year from the drop-down menu and hit "go".
To view MTSU courses only, select "Course Offering by Institution" from the drop-down
menu and MTSU as the "institution" and then hit "go";
Or
Select “View All Course Offerings” which lists all courses offered by all the TBR schools for
that semester (this selection may not be available until the beginning of the semester).
These instructions should take you to the enrollment data for the semester selected. This
site also links you to various other RODP student, course and enrollment reports.
RODP Faculty
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Hiring
Academic departments are responsible for hiring faculty to teach RODP courses.
In addition to the documents submitted by the academic departments, faculty hired
to teach Regents Online Degree Program (RODP) courses must send a current
resume or vita and a copy of the transcript of their highest degree earned to
Distance Education Faculty Services at MTSU Box 54. These documents are sent to
the TBR to be placed on file to fulfill SACS faculty credential requirements.
Training
All new RODP instructors are required to participate in these training sessions:
o Faculty RODP Orientation (must be completed through RODP);
o Teaching with D2L Tools (may be completed through RODP or at MTSU with
confirmation sent to Dr. David Tiller (david.tiller@tbr.edu) at the TBR.
Also required of all MTSU faculty is the successful completion of Preventing Sexual
Harassment training. The MTSU policy statement on sexual harassment (and other
resources) is available on the Institutional Equity and Compliance web site.
Instructional Support
Distance Education Faculty Services funds the instruction of all RODP courses in the
Fall and Spring Semesters.
Departments receive funds at the extra-comp/adjunct rate of pay, depending upon
faculty rank, for full-time faculty teaching RODP courses within their loads.
Adjunct Faculty are paid according to the adjunct pay criteria guidelines or their rank
within their academic departments (see chart below).
The pay dates for adjunct faculty during Spring and Fall Semesters are as follows:
o Spring Semester: 1/3 February 28; 1/3 March 31; 1/3 April 30;
o Fall Semester: 1/3 October 31; 1/3 November 30; 1/3 December 31.
Faculty Rank
Full Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor
Rate Per Credit Hour
$700
$650
$600
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Instructor
$550
Instructional Best Practices
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According to the RODP website, faculty are more successful when they:
o “Encourage contact between students and faculty;
o Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students;
o Encourage active learning;
o Give prompt feedback;
o Emphasize time on task;
o Communicate high expectations;
o Respect diverse talents and ways of learning”.
MTSU’s RODP Faculty Mentor is Dr. Jacqueline Gilbert (jgilbert@mtsu.edu). She is a
professor in the Management and Marketing Department, and will be happy to assist
RODP course instructors throughout the semester.
First Day of Class
(Based on Best Practices for Student Success and RODP Policies & Guidelines)
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Send an email and post a message on the Discussion Board to students welcoming
them to class and encouraging them to actively communicate with their classmates.
Encourage them to email you regarding any learning problems or issues.
Direct students to review the course syllabus and any “Getting Started” information.
This will help students to understand the organization and requirements of the
course.
In an effort to establish a positive and respectful classroom environment, encourage
your students to review your course expectations and remind them of appropriate
behavior in an online environment.
First Week of Class
(Based on Best Practices for Student Success and RODP Policies & Guidelines)
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Be prepared for registration adjustments during the first week of class.
Students on financial aid may be delayed in obtaining their textbooks due the
processing of the materials. Therefore, please provide some alternative options for
students without books to access the information for the first week (Internet, etc.).
Make students aware of support services that may enhance their success online (free
tutoring, virtual library, ADA services, etc.) Share with them that within their class
are links to all of the services.
“Be sure to help students practice any tools they will need later on, such as a special
quizzing browser, an online writing or math lab with a code required to get in, a
certain type of file or program, a media player, an audio recorder, a video camera,
etc. Get problems solved during the first week so that students can focus on learning
content – not technology – later on.”
If your students will require a proctor, urge them to schedule this during the first
week or two of class. Most testing centers are not heavily staffed, and trying to
accommodate latecomers can become a nightmare for them.
Especially during the first week of class, try to be online every day. This will help
students by:
o reducing concerns;
o addressing questions;
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o establishing bonding;
o assisting students in preparing for the class;
o assisting students in learning to navigate the course.
Studies have shown that instructors who are available online every day during the
first week have a significantly higher retention rate, increased communication and
bonding, and fewer classroom problems.
After the Second Week of Class
(Based on Best Practices for Student Success and RODP Policies & Guidelines)
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Identify students who have not participated in the course and contact Susan Jones,
Academic Outreach and Distance Learning, at smjones@mtsu.edu. Susan will try to
contact the students to confirm that they are still enrolled and to offer assistance.
When it is evident that a student is falling behind in his/her work, email them
immediately to try to get back on track. Make sure that your policies on accepting
late work are clear. If no late work is allowed, communicate this at the start of the
semester. Also, quickly contact students who miss an assignment in an effort to
assist them before the next assignment is due.
Semester Instructional Tips
(Based on Best Practices for Student Success and RODP Policies & Guidelines)
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Log into class at least three times per week to initiate communication with your
students in an effort to serve as “facilitators of learning” and “motivators”.
Respond to student e-mails and discussion postings within 48 hours, unless the
students have been notified of any change beyond the required 48 hours.
Grade assignments, discussions, quizzes, etc., and post the grades within two weeks
of the assignment’s posted due date.
MTSU online courses are to be taught asynchronously, and professors cannot require
synchronous student interaction or assignments where students must be online at
the same time as other students or with the instructor.
Discussion Board Examples
The discussion board is a useful teaching tool and allows for student-to-student
interaction. If you intend to grade discussion, provide students with guidelines.
All students will post a response to each of the discussion questions. In addition
each student will respond to the comments left by at least one of the other
students. You may only respond once to any particular student and that student
must respond to your comments. You may however respond to as many students as
you like, and they may respond once to you.
General criteria used to assess class discussions include:
(1) Content Mastery: Students must evidence an understanding of the fact, concepts,
and theories presented in the assigned readings and lectures. This ability is the basis for
all higher-level skills and must be made evident by comments and/or response to
questions.
(2) Communication Skills: Students must be able to inform others in an intelligent
manner what he/she knows. Ideas must be communicated clearly and persuasively.
Communication skills include listening to others and understanding what they have said,
responding appropriately, asking questions in a clear manner, avoiding rambling
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discourses or class domination, using proper vocabulary pertinent to the discussion,
building on the ideas of others, etc.
(3) Synthesis/Integration: Students must be able to illuminate the connections between
the material under consideration and other bodies of knowledge. For example, one could
take several ideas from the reading or class discussions and combine them to produce a
new perspective on an issue, or one could take outside materials (from other classes,
personal experiences, etc.) and combine them to create novel insights. Students who
probe the interdisciplinary roots of the theories presented or who are able to view the
author or the materials from several viewpoints demonstrate this skill.
(4) Creativity: Students must demonstrate that they have mastered the basic materials
and have gone on to produce their own insights. A simple repetition of ideas from the
articles will not suffice, nor will simply commenting on what others have said. Students
must go beyond the obvious by bringing their own beliefs and imagination to bear.
Creativity may be displayed by showing further implications of the material, by applying
it to a new field, or by finding new ways of articulating the materials, which produce
significant insights.
(5) Valuing: Students should be able to identify the value inherent in the material
studied. Furthermore, students should be able to articulate their own positions by
reference to basic underlying values. Students must not simply feel something is wrong
or incorrect; she or he must be able to state why, based on some hierarchy of values. In
either accepting or rejecting a position, the operative values must be explicit.
(6) General Enthusiasm and Interest in the Class: This can be shown by regularity
of discussion and bringing in outside, ancillary materials that you read or have passed
along to you. The more substance that you bring to the discussion, the higher your
grade.
Testing
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Test Proctoring Information
Students are responsible for identifying appropriate proctors and for scheduling
their tests according to the noted RODP guidelines.
RODP instructors review and approve all potential exam proctors.
Test Proctoring Sites
Students should check with their home institution proctoring contacts regarding their
proctoring needs.
Course Development Resources
Academic Calendar
Accessible Web Design (ADA)
• MAGPie
• Vischeck
• Page Valet
• Cynthia Says
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Do-It
ADA Compliance
ADA Home Page
MTSU ADA Compliance Office
Adaptive Technology Center - Disabled Student Services
Copyright Policies
• Citation Style Guides
• United States Copyright Office
• TBR Copyright Issues in Digital Distance Education
• TBR Copyright Basics
• TBR Guideline 075 – Distance Education and Intellectual Property
• The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998
• Copyright Website
Content Modules
• MERLOT Content Library
Desire2Learn (D2L)
• Course Access
• D2L Faculty Support
• D2L Learning Community
• D2L Student Support
• Training – D2L
Electronic Campus (SREB)
• Principles of Good Practice
MTSU Instructional Technology Division (ITD)
Desire2Learn (D2L)
• Course Access
• D2L Faculty Support
• D2L Learning Community
• D2L Student Support
• Training – D2L
Faculty Instructional Technology Center
• ElluminateLive! – Request Form
• Free Downloads
• Multi-media Request
• iTunes U
• Podcasting
• Training
• Equipment Check-out
• Turnitin Educational Suite – plagiarism detection/prevention
Technical Support – ITD
• Help Desk
• ITD Quick Links
• Free Software Downloads
• Software and Hardware Supported by FITC
• Software Titles and Price List
• ITD Faculty Services
• ITD Resources Policy
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ITD Hardware and Software Support Information
Online Tutorials
E. Walker Library
Distance Librarian
Instructor Resources
Library Resources and Services for Distance Students
Embedded Librarian
Research Gateway
Research Guides
Learning, Teaching and Innovative Technologies Center
• LT&ITC Resources
Regents Online Degree Program (RODP)
• Faculty FAQs
• Course Development Resources
• Training
• Technical Support
• Contact Information
• RODP Virtual Library
• Go To Class
• ROCC Bookstore
• Term Calendars
Sloan Consortium
• Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) - institutions and organizations committed to quality
online education
Student Resources
• Student Online Readiness Tool (SORT) - University System of Georgia USG SHARE
• University Computer Labs
• Smarthinking Online Tutorial Service
Virginia Commonwealth University
• VCU Online Teaching and Learning Resource Guide
Learning Resources Network (LERN)
LERN Club
• Username: logina156
Password: zxtrielw
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