FAU Online Quality Commitment

In keeping with the State of Florida Board of Governors online course quality mandate, new courses that are being added as fully online are assigned an instructional designer at the Center for Online and Continuing Education (COCE) to assist the faculty member in achieving state quality standards for online learning.

Faculty Online Quality Commitment

Faculty teaching online for the first time at FAU are directed to complete the Teaching Online Orientation training or the Teaching Online Pedagogy and Practice training. Registration forms and applicable faculty stipend information can be found on the Online Faculty Services page of the COCE website, or by utilizing the request for information form.

Online Program Quality Commitment

Program Chairs wishing to add online delivery to an existing program must complete an Intent Form for Online Modality and an Online Program Commitment Form to begin the process for approval of online program modality. Please contact onlineprograms@fau.edu for assistance and to inquire about the forms.

FAU High Quality Course Badge

New and previously offered online courses that have successfully gone through COCE’s course build, Quality Matters certification, or COCE’s course update will receive a High Quality Badge, indicating a HQ Designation as set forth by the Florida Board of Governors.

Relevant FAU, State, And National Policies/Guidelines For FAU Online

Florida Board of Governors
2025 SUS Strategic Plan for Online Education
[pages 9-16]

FAU Provost Memo
Distance Learning Scope and Policies

NC-SARA
National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement

U.S. Department of Education
Distance Education Definitions

Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC)
Quality Course Standards

FAU Online Definitions

A fully online program is defined as being offered 100 percent online with no on-campus commitment for students. In some cases, exam proctoring may be required at an approved testing center proximal to the student’s location. All classes in an online program are hosted in FAU’s online platform--Canvas. Courses in an online program are ideally offered asynchronously, but may require select online synchronous attendance where appropriate. FAU online courses require regular and substantive interaction between students and faculty in accordance with US Department of Education Policy.

A fully online course is defined by the Florida Board of Governors as having 100 percent of the direct instruction of the course delivered using a form of technology when the student and instructor are separated by time, space, or both. All special course components (exam, internship practice, clinicals, labs, etc.) that cannot be completed online can be completed off-campus.

Support

High Quality Course Design

FAU Online provides high quality online course design services. Faculty subject matter experts partner with Quality Matters certified instructional design professionals and digital media experts to create robust distance learning experiences.

Faculty Professional Development/Training

FAU Online provides faculty with ongoing training and support for facilitation of quality online learning. One-on-one consultations, group training, and peer-to-peer faculty mentoring are offered year round.

Online Student Support

FAU Online recognizes the unique needs of fully online students. Our online student ambassadors, eSuccess coach, and eTutoring staff are focused on giving distance learners what they need to succeed in their online programs. FAU Online provides academic support and co-curricular opportunities for our Online Owls including student government, virtual participation in clubs, and affinity groups.

Professional Licensure or Certification Degree Programs

This resource is intended to help students, applicants, and prospects better understand the connection that many FAU programs have to state-regulated professional licensure or certification.