• Definition
• Faculty Peer Assistance (FPA) Program
• Peer and Chair Reviews
• Course Approval
• Course Not Approved for Delivery
• Student Registration
• Payment of Course Development Fees
• Payment of FPA Review Fees

Definition:
A course review and approval system (Faculty Peer Assistant Program) was created in 1995 to provide mentors for online/hybrid course designers.  It was also established to provide a course review/approval system for these offerings. Peer reviews are conducted on all new online and hybrid courses and on existing courses under revision. Department chairs review each course and give final approval following the peer review.  The purpose of this process is to promote online and hybrid course excellence and quality.

 Faculty Peer Assistant (FPA) Program
Online course designers and instructors who have earned the LERN Certified Online Instructor (COI) designation are eligible to serve as Faculty Peer Assistants (FPAs), or mentors, for new course developers and for faculty revising existing courses.FPAs are assigned by the Distance Learning Faculty Services Office, and serve as mentors during:

• Online/hybrid course development and revision;
• course review;
• course approval;
• initial course delivery.

Course Assignments

• Course assignments are made by the Distance Learning Faculty Services Office  upon receipt of the following documents:
    -New courses - Course Proposal Form and Syllabus;
    -Courses being revised - Revision contract.
  

• FPA assignments are made based on the number of courses already assigned,  the schedule/availability of the FPA during the projected review period, and course discipline.  Assignments are not usually made between FPAs and course designers within the same discipline.             

Peer and Chair Reviews
When course development is complete:

• The course designer conducts a self-review using the Peer Review/Evaluation Form.

• The course designer adds the assigned FPA and department chair to the course by completing the; Add A User Request Form.  The course designer must designate the name of the course shell and its status (development or active) on the request.

• The self-review is shared with the Faculty Peer Assistant. Peer reviews are conducted only after the FPA receives the completed self-evaluation.
  
  All course development must be complete prior to the peer review.
  

• The FPA conducts the peer review accessing the course through Pipeline or at http://elearn.mtsu.edu using his/her regular user name and password.  The course will appear in his/her list of courses on the D2L MyHome page after he/she has been added to it as a reviewer.
  
  Course content is not addressed in the peer review.  All action taken and/or comments should be documented on the official Peer Review/Evaluation Form.  All areas of the Peer Review/Evaluation Form must be rated.
  

• When the peer review is completed, the FPA shares it with the course designer who then has the opportunity to make any recommended course revisions and to have those areas of the course re-reviewed and re-rated prior to chair review.

 Please note:  FPAs rarely recommend that a course not be offered. They are careful to recognize the difference between course design preferences and course design problems/issues.  If that type of recommendation is made, however, the course designer can take steps to amend the areas in question or to discuss the reasons for the course design with the assigned FPA.

The recommendation that a course not be offered does not necessarily mean that the course will not be offered—the department chair is the only person who can make that decision.  However, if an FPA makes this recommendation, it usually signals a significant issue with the course design.

• When the course designer and FPA are satisfied with the course, the signed (FPA’s signature is required on the completed form--electronic signatures are accepted) review form is forwarded to Distance Learning Faculty Services at MTSU Box X109 or to cladams@mtsu.edu .

Course Approval 

• When the completed Peer Review/Evaluation Form is received in Distance Learning    Faculty Services, the Course Approval Form is attached and both documents are sent to the respective department chair for final review and course approval.

• Upon receipt of the Chair Approval and Peer Review/Evaluation Forms, the chair or dean (if the course designer is the chair) reviews the course design and content.  Any notes may be made on the Review Form. The chair’s signature  approves the course for delivery. (A signature line is also provided for non approval.)     

Both forms are returned to the Distance Learning Faculty Services Office at MTSU Box X109.

Course Not Approved for Delivery

If the course is not approved by the chair, the Distance Learning Faculty Services Office contacts the course designer to discuss the recommended revisions as noted on the peer review form and/or Approval Form.If revisions are made, the areas in question are again reviewed by the department chair in order for the course to be approved for delivery.

Student Registration

• When the course is approved, Distance Learning Faculty Services requests that the   Scheduling Center open it for student registration for the target semester.   This applies only to new courses.  Courses in revision are not closed to  student registration.

Payment of Course Development Fees

• When the completed and signed Peer Review/Evaluation and Chair Approval Forms    are on file in the Distance Learning Faculty Services Office, development fee pay ($2,500 online / $2,000 hybrid) instruments are generated by Distance Learning Faculty Services.