/Institutions/Palm-Beach-State-College/json/Current/Academic-Management-Manual-local.json

/Institutions/Palm-Beach-State-College/json/Current/Academic-Management-Manual.json

Online Course Template Development (Department / Cluster Owned Templates)

Based on the needs of a department and/or cluster, the development of an online course template can be requested by the department’s dean, associate dean, or director. The request is to be sent to the PBSC Online Instructional Design Manager.

The course development process begins with a contract being sent to the designated Subject Matter Expert (SME). The SME completes the initial contract information, including the course details, the identified Cluster Chair and Associate Dean, and the predetermined level of course build required for template development.

The contract is then routed for the Cluster Chair approval, followed by Associate Dean approval. Once approved, the request is forwarded to the Instructional Design Manager, who reviews and verifies the submission before assigning an Instructional Designer to begin the course build process.

Course builds are assigned within a designated Spring, Summer, or Fall development cycle with a projected completion timeline that allows the course to be finalized during the following semester. For example, a course build assigned to begin in Spring 2026 would allow for finalization in Summer 2026. This process supports a rolling development and implementation schedule.

The assigned Instructional Designer will work closely with the Subject Matter Expert throughout the development process to ensure the course template and instructional materials meet the College’s online course certification standards. The Instructional Designer is responsible for assisting with course structure, formatting, organization, and publishing instructional materials into the approved course template.

 The course will be built according to the current certification rubric (as listed in the PBSC Online – Online Course Template Development Contract). Upon approval, the content expert will be compensated for the development of the instructional material and the course template will become property of the College.

The department/cluster must appoint a template manager (must be a full-time employee, department chair is suggested and will be the default if no one is provided) who will serve as a liaison to PBSC Online and ensure the template’s instructional material remains current and ready for deployment for instruction. The PBSC Online department will assist with template updates and revisions.

The department/cluster must adopt the course template for instruction in all online sections of this course for subsequent terms. The department’s dean, associate dean, or director will submit to PBSC Online a list of all online sections at least 10 workdays before the first day of each term, and the PBSC Online department will manage the template’s distribution, populating all course sections based on the provided list.

The department/cluster may assign any credentialed instructor to teach the template-based courses -- PBSC Online will provide template-based faculty certifications. It is the department’s dean’s, associate dean’s, or director’s responsibility to ensure the instructor has the skills to instruct online utilizing the college-provided LMS. Should any training needs be identified by the department, PBSC Online will provide such training based on the department’s request.

 Whether submitting a course for certification for the first time or developing a course template as a Subject Matter Expert (SME), faculty must complete either the Online Course Design Fundamentals training or obtain ACUE certification before the course certification process can be finalized.

Faculty should submit the appropriate documentation to along with:

• The course URL
• The term in which the course should be certified

The required level of certification