Program Development Guide
Getting Started
When your department is interested in putting a program online, contact Amy Williamson
(williamsoad1@etsu.edu), Online Programs Support Coordinator, or Kristine Carter (carterka3@etsu.edu), Manager of Marketing for Online Programs. You will work with both departments on
the technical and marketing aspects of your new online program. You can also Request a Consultation using our online form.
Points to Consider:
- How does offering this particular program online fit with the goals of department, college, and university? What does the department hope to accomplish? Is this an existing program, a new program, or a modification of an existing program?
- Who will be the target group(s) for prospective students?
- Any eligible individuals who choose to enroll?
- This approach is probably best for niche programs or programs for which there are few, if any other, programs available online. For a common, plain vanilla program, we would be competing with institutions that are either cheaper than ETSU or more prestigious.
An identifiable group in nation, region, state or local area?- Members of a profession or employees of a type of agency or industry with needs for
updating, advanced credentials, etc.?
- Please note that enrolling a large number of students for whom tuition is reduced
or waived, (e.g., state employees who can use PC 191, various state grants to ETSU
that require waiver of tuition, any funded project that has waiver of tuition as an
institutional match) will reduce the cost effectiveness of the program.
- Please note that enrolling a large number of students for whom tuition is reduced
or waived, (e.g., state employees who can use PC 191, various state grants to ETSU
that require waiver of tuition, any funded project that has waiver of tuition as an
institutional match) will reduce the cost effectiveness of the program.
- Practitioners in ETSU's service area?
- For our non-niche programs and even for niche programs, we are finding that we have an important role in serving defined populations in our region with online or predominantly online programs. This approach capitalizes on ETSU's name recognition in the region and can provide a more controlled, higher quality experience than just a generic online program.
A group of students who have completed an appropriate curriculum at another institution, e.g., one of our TBR community colleges?- This approach can provide a very stable, high quality situation.
- This approach can provide a very stable, high quality situation.
- Any eligible individuals who choose to enroll?
If the department, Information Technology Services, and Cohort Programs agree that the program should be offered online, the department should begin their planning.
Planning
The items below do not represent a rigid sequence because the planning will be a comprehensive and iterative process involving the department, Information Technology Services, Cohort Programs, Online Marketing, Academic Technology Services, and other individuals and units; however, these are important aspects to consider when developing a new online program or converting an existing program to an online modality.
- Visualize the students who will most likely enroll and the issues they may present, e.g., transfer credit, ability to get some coursework online or by other means from other institutions, possible deficiencies in coursework or other qualifications, variations in background/experience, etc.
- Plan the complete sequence of the curriculum semester by semester. Decide whether to offer courses only in fall and spring semesters or whether to include summers in the sequence. Consider whether to offer electives, maximums and minimums for admission and course enrollment, and cohort start dates.
- Plan, at a broad level, the delivery methods for the curriculum and for individual courses.
- Identify who will develop and teach each course. Developers/Instructors may be regular faculty or adjunct faculty. Graduate assistants and others may help faculty members develop and teach online courses. Our experience indicates that it is best for the person who develops an online course to be the person who teaches it, at least for the first time it is offered.
- Plan for continuing administration and management of the program. Information Technology Services and the Curriculum Innovation Center will provide
some services and will advise the department in setting up and funding administrative
support systems that must be provided by the department.
- Develop a marketing plan. Online Marketing can help with creating and implementing a plan to promote your program. These services include responding promptly to inquiries from prospective students, sending them information, and/or referring them to appropriate individuals at ETSU, and helping prospective students at a distance go through ETSU's processes for application, admission, registration, fee payment, etc.
Online Course Development and Support
Academic Technology Services can provide many valuable reasources for individual online course development. Start with the Online Course Development and Support guide and schedule individual or group consulations with ATS.
Online Marketing Resources
Our Online Marketing department provides resources and utilizes a variety of strategies to reach prospective students and promote online programs. Visit the Marketing Resources page to learn more or submit an inquiry.