Committee On Online Education (OLEC)
The Committee on Online Education (OLEC), an advisory committee of the College Faculty, establishes faculty-approved criteria for online and blended undergraduate courses, evaluates course development proposals, and recommends appropriate courses for faculty approval. OLEC works closely with the Office of Online Education (OOE) and serves as a liaison between faculty and OOE staff.
If you have any questions about this process, please contact Adam Kadlac, OLEC Chair (24-25), at kadlacaj@wfu.edu.
OLEC Course Approval Process for Online and Blended Courses
Faculty seeking to develop a new online or blended undergraduate course must follow the Approval Process for New Online Courses. New online courses are those which have not previously been taught online at WFU. Courses that were only taught online from Summer 2020 to Spring 2021 must also undergo the new course approval process.
- Step 1: Application: Faculty must submit their proposal via the Online Course Development Proposal Form by November 1, 2024.
- Step 2: Instructional Design & Conditional Approval: Faculty whose proposals are approved will work with OOE to develop an Instructional Design Plan using the Online Course Review Checklist. This plan will be submitted to OLEC for conditional approval, at which point the course may be offered online once.
- Step 3: Design Review & Full Approval: The semester following the course’s initial offering, OOE will review the full course using the checklist and consult with faculty on revisions. Once the course meets standards, OLEC will take their recommendations to the full Faculty for an approval vote. Courses with full approval do not need to undergo official review or revision for the fifteen consecutive academic terms (five academic years, including summers) following the date of full approval.
Approval for Multi-Section Online Courses
For multi-section courses, instructors have two approval pathways:
- Unified Course Design: If all sections follow a unified course design, the course can be approved as a whole. All instructors must agree to use the same approved design.
- Individual Design: If instructors wish to use their own unique design in their section(s), they must seek approval independently.
Online and blended courses must be regularly reviewed to ensure they remain effective, current, and aligned with best practices in course design and emerging learning technologies. In light of the shifts in online learning brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, previously approved courses have specific renewal requirements depending on when they were developed and first offered:
- Courses Approved Prior to Summer 2020: These do not need to be renewed at this time.
- Courses First Taught between Summer 2020 and Spring 2021: If they have not received temporary approval from OLEC since their initial offering, they must go through the Approval Process for New Online Courses.
- Courses Granted Temporary Approval (Summer 2021 or later): These courses must go through the standard Course Renewal Process before being offered again.
The Course Renewal application will be available in October 2024, and faculty intending to teach in Summer 2025 or later should submit their application no later than November 1, 2024.
- Course Evaluation: OOE will evaluate up to 40 courses during the 2024-2025 academic year using the Online Course Review Checklist. Remaining courses will retain temporary approval for Summer 2025, but must be renewed by Fall 2025 before being offered again. OLEC will be responsible for all communication with faculty regarding feedback during this process.
- Re-Approval: Once a course meets all standards, OOE will submit it to OLEC for a vote of approval. Re-approved courses may be offered in their online or blended format during any of the fifteen consecutive academic terms (five academic years) following the date of re-approval.
Important Dates
Summer 2025 applications (both renewal and new courses) due November 1, 2024
Course Design Plan (new courses only) due January 13, 2025
Quick Links
OLEC Approved Courses
Course Number | Course Title | Instructor | Date Approved | Modality Approved | Expiration of Approval |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CNS/EDU 120 | Personal Framework for Career Exploration | Heidi Robinson/Brian Calhoun | 2016 | Online | * |
CNS/EDU 220 | Options in the World of Work | Heidi Robinson/Brian Calhoun | 2016 | Online | * |
CNS/EDU 320 | Strategic Job Search Processes; | Brian Calhoun | 2017 | Online | * |
CNS 334 | Ethics in Health and Human Services | Jamie Crockett | 2016 | Online | * |
COM 120 | Introduction to Film and Media Aesthetics | Woodrow Hood | 2017 | Online | * |
COM 318 | Culture and the Sitcom | Mary Dalton | 2016 | Online | * |
COM 323 | Superheroes, Cinema, and American Mythology | Woodrow Hood | 2018 | Online | * |
CSC 112 | Fundamentals of Computer Science | William Turkett | 2016 | Online | * |
GES/HMN 340 | German Masterworks in Translation | Mary Knight and Tina Boyer | 2015 | Online | * |
HES 384 | Global Perspectives in Food Activity and Health | 2019 | Online | * | |
INS 150 | Preparing for Cross-Cultural Engagement Abroad, | 2017 | Online | * | |
INS 151 | Cross-Cultural Engagement While Abroad , | 2017 | Online | * | |
INS 152 | Re-entry from Study Abroad | 2017 | Online | * | |
JOU 270 | Introduction to Journalism | Phoebe Zerwick | 2015 | Online | * |
LIB 100 | Academic Research and Information Issues | Kyle Denlinger/Amanda Foster/Joy Gambill | 2015 | Online | * |
LIB210 | Social Science Research Sources and Strategies | 2019 | Online | * | |
LIB 220 | Science Research Sources and Strategies | 2019 | Online | * | |
PHI 220 | Logic | Stavroula Glezakos | 2019 | Online | * |
REL 390/395 | Exploring Interfaith Practice and Leadership | Nelly Van Doorn Harder, Leann Pace | 2019 | Online | * |
SOC 271 | Social Statistics | Saylor Breckenridge | 2016 | Online | * |
* A process for review is currently being developed. Please look for updates from OLEC.