How to Propose an Online Course

We at MTSU Online are happy to help you with your new proposed courses. Please follow the steps below.

1. Get approvals:
   • Before proposing an online version of a course, the course itself must be approved to be included in the MTSU curriculum by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) or Graduate Council.
   • Consult with your department chair to make sure they are aware and agree to your online course proposal.
   • If your department or college has a curriculum committee, those committees should be aware of and approve your course proposals.
   • When you submit your proposal form (see below) via the electronic “dynamic form,” your chair and the curriculum committee will have opportunities to support or decline your proposal.
2. Review the description of MTSU Course Types and choose a course type to develop. This page describes the various course types and the faculty stipends associated with development.
3. Read about the expectations and procedures for course developers.  
4. Read and be familiar with the Online and Distance Education Guidelines from MTSU Online.
5. Submit a Course Development Proposal Form. (This form is available from August 1 to October 1 and then February 1 to April 1, as seen in the table below).
   • The course proposer (the faculty member) initiates this dynamic form.
   • The dynamic form is automatically routed to your department chair for comment and approval. If your department and college have curriculum committees, they will review the proposal as well.
   • By the date described below (October 30 or April 30), MTSU Online reviews all the course proposals based on the criteria below.
   • If MTSU Online approves (or declines) your proposal, you will be notified via email. Carol Hayes, the MTSU Online Faculty Services Coordinator, will send an Online Course Development Agreement Form to the faculty developer.
     • This form specifies the developer’s duties and obligations and facilitates developer compensation.
     • Compensation will not be paid until all parties have completed and signed the agreement.
     • Note that non-standard courses such as internships, practicum, independent studies, etc., are not compensated.

How MTSU Online Reviews and Prioritizes Course Proposals

A course development proposal most likely to be accepted for (re)development is for a course that:

• is part of a fully online, or soon to be fully online degree program
• is in demonstrated high demand by online students
• is a key elective for students seeking to complete a degree online
• is significantly outdated relative to the field of study
• has a strong justification from the proposer and a strong endorsement from the department chair

Typical reasons a course proposal might be declined

1. The chair, department, or college curriculum committee did not support or approve the proposal.
2. The faculty member proposed more than two courses to develop. In our experience, developing more than two courses in a term by one faculty developer is very challenging due to faculty time constraints.
3. The unit or department proposed so many courses that MTSU Online needed to “triage” the most crucial courses, to be fair to all the departments proposing.

Due Dates