We are here to help. We provide academic departments with resources to assist in the development, marketing, coordination and delivery of online and site-based programs. Other key unit responsibilities include the assessment of online programs and providing students with valuable student services that will enable them to complete their programs while maintaining career and family obligations.
Developing and Delivering Distance Education Programs and Courses
Academic departments should contact the School of Professional Studies when initially considering developing programs for online or off-campus delivery. Distance Education expertise helps assure that distance education programs comply with UNC System and SACSCOC requirements.
Individual course development for online delivery requires that the course be an approved UNC Charlotte course approved for development by the originating academic department; and, if the School of Professional Studies funds the course development, the course will be developed and delivered per the stipulations described in an Online Course Development Agreement signed by the instructor developing the course and the department chair prior to the initiation of course development.
UNC Charlotte subscribes to Quality Matters (QM) a nationally recognized, faculty-centered, peer review process designed to certify the design of online courses. Any faculty or staff member may create an account at QM and explore the services offered as a subscribing institution.
Marketing
We view our relationship with academic departments and instructors as a partnership. Through continuous consultation, the School of Professional Studies gains knowledge of your department’s goals and target student populations, allowing us to develop and implement effective marketing plans.
Program Evaluation
In an effort to continuously improve our services and programs, we conduct an annual survey of distance education students and a survey of the instructors who have delivered those courses. The results of these program evaluations are shared with the Chair of the academic departments from which the distance education programs originate.
Students have the opportunity to evaluate the delivery of their programs, the quality of student administrative support they received from Distance Education, the quality of academic advising received, and service quality of UNC Charlotte’s student services offices. This evaluation does not address instructional concerns or serve as a substitute for the course evaluation.