Caldwell College – CC Online
A Proposal to Develop and Offer
Fully-Online Courses at Caldwell College
Initially Developed September 26, 2008
Revised January 13 and February 11, 2009
Program Assumptions
The details of the development plan are based on the following assumptions:
• All offerings will be fully online
• Offerings will commence Summer 2010
• Courses for both Adult UG and Graduate students will be offered
• Initial offerings will feature three courses at each level
• Program will feature three 12-week terms, i.e., 5/10/10-7/30/10
• FT Faculty will be asked (and compensated) to develop and teach courses
• Courses will be marketed to all segments of Caldwell enrollees as well as
non-matriculated students (but not to traditional UGs initially)
• Initial course selection will be limited to subjects expected to attract strong
enrollments but perhaps leading to full programs in future
Expected Approval Process
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Concept review by Executive Group – late Spring 08
Formation of Distance Learning Taskforce – late Spring 08
Concept Brainstorming by Distance Learning Taskforce – early Fall 08
Initial Proposal presented to Task Force – early Fall 08
Establishment of Taskforce Work Groups – early Fall 08
Work Groups provide feedback on initial Proposal - Fall 08
Preliminary Business Plan Approved by Executive Group – mid-Fall 08
Revised Program Proposal Developed and Circulated to Taskforce – early Spring 09
Proposal Revised and Reviewed by AVP - early Spring 09
Faculty Council reviews proposal, stipend plan and agreements - early Spring 09
Discussion in AUPC & GAFC – mid-Spring 09
Revised Program Proposal Review by Planning Council – late Spring 09
Presentation to Curriculum Committee – early Fall 09
Solicitation of courses with Chairs and Coordinators –mid-Fall 09
Faculty recruitment, course development and marketing begins – early Spring 10
Collaboration with ETC in providing faculty training –early Spring 10
Courses commence – Summer 10
Important Subtopics
After initial discussions, the members of the Task Force were
asked to deliberate and provide suggestions on following
topics:
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Course Guidelines
Enrollment Policy
Course Selection
Relationship/Impact on External Program
Compensation for Course Development & Teaching
Faculty Training & Assistance
Course Guidelines
To assure that each course has a common feel, is easily navigable and makes full use of
Blackboard, there was general agreement that developers and instructors should follow
a set of suggestions. A document, entitled: Guidelines for the Development and
Teaching of Fully Online Courses has been created to inform course development and
instruction. Suggestions in the Guidelines include:
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Undergo Blackboard training provided by an IT and GCS collaboration
Create a detailed syllabus summarizing expected student activities
Craft learning objectives for each course segment
Upload word, spreadsheet or power point documents to Blackboard
as course content
Utilize discussion groups and/or chat rooms to facilitate student engagement
Establish regular e-mail communications procedures
Establish weekly office hours (telephone and/or e-mail availability)
Incorporate evaluative and assessment mechanisms in course
Note: Memoranda of Agreements linked to the Guidelines will require approval
by faculty governance
Enrollment Policies
Two separate matters were considered regarding the enrollment
policies necessary to implement fully online learning:
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What student populations ought to be eligible to enroll in online
courses and what might the limitations be, if any, for each
population?
[Only adult and graduate students initially with no limits – if traditional
students eventually are allowed to enroll, courses should be open to
only juniors or seniors and enrollments limited to no more than two
courses totally]
2.
What might be appropriate maximums (class size before adding a
second section) and minimums (for a course to run) for online
UG and graduate courses?
[Max: UG = 20; Graduate = 15; Min: UG = 8 Graduate = 6]
Course Selection
The Task Force considered both course level and the
selection process:
1. Should a selection of both UG and graduate courses be
considered or whole programs?
[A selection was preferred and perhaps the proposed MPA as well
(as the market study conducted Fall 08 supports demand for
online delivery)]
2. How should courses (or programs) be selected: (by polling
departments for faculty interest, market considerations, i.e.,
potential demand, core courses, electives or what?
[See assumptions in following slide]
Assumptions Underpinning Course Selection
• The selection of UG courses depicted below was chosen as the
initial offerings to enhance degree completion in business and
psychology programs in anticipation of important demand areas for
students currently in the External Degree (ED) program and to
attract new enrollees to ED and other programs who will find the
flexibility and accessibility of online course appealing. The courses
also are UG prerequisites for the MBA and MAs in CPS and ABA.
• Graduate courses (within existing Master’s programs) were selected
with content that is feasible for online teaching and in courses that
potentially are of interest either for persons seeking professional or
personal enhancement as non-matriculate enrollees or
would allow existing or potential graduate students
greater flexibility or access.
Possible Initial Undergraduate Courses
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BU 211
BU 205
BU 221
BU 305
BU 330
PS 208
PS 216
PS 211
PS 402
Accounting I
Economics I
Marketing
Statistics
Management
Psychological Statistics
Adolescent Psychology
Child Psychology
Experimental Psychology
Possible Initial Graduate Courses
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ATP 501
BU 520
BU 537
ED 521
ED 523
PS 500
PS 525
PS 526
PM 512
History and Development of Art Therapy
Advanced Business Strategy
Financial Management
Overview of Students in Special Education
Special Education and the Law
Introduction to School Counseling
Personality Theories
Behavior Analysis and Learning (ABA)
Organizing as Ministry
Number of Terms and Term Length
There was not much discussion of these matters in the Task
Force. The terms proposed on the following page are based on
two assumptions:
1. Twelve week terms reflect the preferences of distance learners
nationally for shorter, accelerated semesters than are normal in
traditional study (this assumption supported in Aslanian
studies)
2. The proposed dates for Fall and Spring are inside the traditional
terms and would facilitate students using several delivery
modes; the Summer term ends in late July
enabling
the usual August break for faculty.
Preliminary Course Offering Plan
• Summer 10 - six courses – 5/10/10-7/30/10
BU 211 BU 330 PS 208 ATP 501 BU 520 PS 500
• Fall 10 - six courses – 9/13/10-12/3/10
BU 205 PS 211 PS 216 ED 521 PM 512 PS 525
• Spring 11 - six courses – 1/24/11-4/15/11
BU 221 BU 305 PS 402 BU 537 ED 523 PS 526
Relationship/Impact on External Degree Program
The Task Force explored how the inauguration of online courses might interact with the
External Degree Program (EDP), including the following possibilities:
1. A selection of high demand courses currently offered by EDP could be converted to
online format and both programs could be continued as distinct delivery options
2. Gradually online courses could replace all EDP offerings
3. The two programs could be kept completely separate and online courses could be
marketed to a distinct audience beyond the usual “footprint” for EDP
4. Current EDP offerings could be examined to distinguish between those subjects
most appropriate for a hybrid (EDP ) format and those subjects conducive to a fully
online format and offerings could be maintained accordingly.
[ #s 2 and 3 were ruled out as impractical or undetermined – course selection reflects
mostly #1 and some elements of #4]
Compensation for Course Development and Teaching
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Currently, faculty members are paid (as overloads) $2200 to teach an UG course and
$2700 for a graduate course and there is no routine stipend for course development. For
online courses it is envisioned that both course development (because of the demands of
creating a fully online course) and teaching should be compensated fairly and at a higher
level than is currently the case. Draft Memoranda of Agreements have been developed to
stipulate expectations and compensation.
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To encourage the migration of existing external courses to full online status as well as
create fair compensation for modifying external courses and major revisions to online
additional stipends and compensation packages are proposed
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These considerations have resulted in the recommendations depicted on the following
page which would be effective July 1, 2009 (unless stipulated otherwise rates pertain to
both UG and Graduate courses):
Proposed Stipends
– Conversion of an external course to fully online - $2000
– Fully online course development (not already offered as an external course) - $3500
– Major online course revision (or conversion of distance course developed
at another institution) - $2000
– Online course teaching stipend – UG $3300 Graduate $3500
– Per student stipend for teaching online courses below minimum of 8 (UG) - $350;
6 (Graduate) - $450
– Per student stipend for teaching online courses above maximum of 20 (UG) - $250;
15 (Graduate) - $300 (up to minimum enrollment for second section)
Note: Stipends will need to be approved by Faculty Liaison Committee
Faculty Training and Assistance
There was a consensus in the Task Force that there would
need to be instructional design and course delivery assistance
to faculty if online courses were to be offered. Deliberation
focused on various the ways such assistance might be
provided: a consultant, several faculty trained to train others,
workshops, a new FT staff with instructional design expertise
or some combination of these approaches. The Preliminary
Business Plan reflects using a consultant initially and a new
FT staff position in 2011-12. The person acting as a
consultant or in the FT position would be supervised by GCS
but be expected to work closely with the IT Department and
with FT faculty and adjuncts assigned to the
development or teaching of online courses.
Preliminary Business Plan 2009-10
(pre-launch, no revenues)
Expenditures Items (2009-10)
Course development stipends (6 courses for Summer 2010)
Marketing (Web ads, radio, cable TV, Newspaper)
Instructional Design Consultant
GCS and IT Staff augmentation
To launch 3 UG and 3 Graduate courses commencing 5/10/10
Preliminary Business Plan 2010-11
Expenditures Items
Course development UG (6 courses)
Course development GR (6 courses)
Instructional Costs (18 courses)
Publications and Marketing
FT GCS Program Director*
FT Support Staff*
Instructional Design Consultant*
PT IT Staff*
Projected Annual Revenues
9 UG courses @ 10/course = 90 x 3 = 270 credits @$580+ = $156,600
9 Grad courses @ 10/course = 90 x 3 = 270 credits @$720+ = $194,400
Total = $351,000
* - Position roles described on page below
+ - estimated tuition
Preliminary Business Plan 2011-12
Expenditures Items
Course development (20 courses)
Instructional Costs (30 courses)
Publication Revisions/Reprints
Marketing
FT GCS Program Director
FT Support Staff
FT Instructional Designer
FT IT Staff
Projected Annual Revenues
15 UG courses @ 10/course = 150 x 3 = 450 credits @$600+ = $270,000
15 Grad courses @ 10/course = 150 x 3 = 450 credits @$735+= $330,750
Total = $600,750
* - position roles described on previous page
+ - estimated tuition
Expected New DL Staff Roles
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GCS Director of Online Learning – coordinates the development of courses
and faculty recruitment and training with departments, assists online
students. supervises marketing activity, provides liaison to IT and
supervises a support staff (reports to GCS Dean).
IT Online Learning Support Specialist – develops and supervises a 24/7
Online Course Help Desk, consults with the Instructional Designer and
cooperates with other IT staff involved with Blackboard and supportive
technologies (reports to IT Director).
GCS Instructional Designer or Consultant – works with faculty in designing
online courses and in using Blackboard fully in the teaching of online
courses, provides faculty training and virtual services to students such as
“New Student Orientation” and other assistance to advance student learning
(reports to GCS Dean)
GCS Online Learning Support Staff – provides administrative assistance to
the Director of Online Learning and the Instructional Designer
under the general supervision of the GCS Office Manager.
Initial Online Marketing Plan
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Media & Web Announcement of Offerings – early 2010
Virtual Information Session (on Web Site) Spring 2010
Flyers/Posters to Selected Colleges in CT, NYS, NJ & PA
Maximizing Exposure on Search Sites March 2010
Organization Contacts March 2010
Alumni E-Mails and Mailings March 2010
Newspaper and Cable TV Ads April 2010
Inquiry Mailings & E-Mails with Telephone Follow-Up
CC Online
Accessible, flexible and innovative
online learning at Caldwell College
available anywhere (any setting),
anytime (24/7) and anyplace (location)