Centralized Course Management Model

In order to meet the needs of its students supported via the SOUL model, The American Women’s College has developed, deployed, and maintained a centralized course management model.  Each course in every academic program has been created and built in the Learning Management System (Canvas).  To build the content in Canvas, we have a structured course development process and uses standardized tools and templates in prescribed course development phases with specific due dates and timelines. The last step that an Academic Program Director tackles to complete a course development project is the development of the syllabus. The syllabus is carefully and thoughtfully created to align with content and learning activities in the Canvas course shell.  We use a software tool called Concourse to maintain the content in syllabi, which helps to maintain the consistency needed across all adjuncts who teach each course section and to minimize errors and confusion for students.

This image shows the American Women's College curriculum development process. The center top box says curriculum design. There is an arrow pointing to the next box that reads build and develop. The next box reads deliver. The next step in the process is assess. The final step in the cycle is feedback from facutly.

Courses developed and maintained in the centralized course management model are subject to continuous improvement both during the course development phases and when courses are running as live sections taught by adjuncts.  During the course development phase, the Academic Program Director and an Instructional Designer both review the completed templates which include course content, learning activities, and rubrics.  As a course runs, adjunct instructors are required to provide their feedback using a Course Feedback Form, whose data informs curricular enhancements and redesigns in a quality assurance process that closes the loop.  Having say in the curriculum also serves as a form of investment and motivation on the part of adjuncts as well.

TAWC runs approximately 735 courses in each academic year, in six 6-week long sessions.  The August-September session, the October-November session, and the November-December session comprise the fall semester, while the January-February session, March-May session and May-June session comprise the spring semester.  Students, faculty, and administrators are all oriented to this unique schedule and its implications for financial aid and student persistence.  The schedule of all courses that run annually is maintained by the Registrar’s Office, and reviewed prior to student registration each semester in a collaborative process among the Program Director, the Registrar, the faculty chairs in the Traditional Program, and the academic advisors who support students in the respective disciplines.  Information on student course needs generated by the academic advisors and data on prior course enrollments inform the collaborative decision-making that goes into the scheduling of courses.

August-September Fall Session 1 January-February Spring Session 1
October-November Fall Session 2 March-May Spring Session 2
November-December Fall Session 3 May-June Spring Session 3

 

Key Takeaways

  • Course content is developed by a curriculum development team and built in the Learning Management System (Canvas) for all courses.
  • Courses developed and maintained in the centralized course management model are subject to continuous improvement both during the course development phases and when courses are running as live sections taught by adjuncts.
  • Curriculum/course feedback from faculty is collected during each session using the Course Feedback Form embedded into every Canvas course.
  • Courses at TAWC are 6 weeks long, and there are 6 sessions per academic year.
  • The August-September session, the October-November session, and the November-December session comprise the fall semester, while the January-February session, March-May session and May-June session comprise the spring semester.
  • The schedule of all courses that run annually are maintained by the Registrar’s Office, and reviewed prior to student registration each semester in a collaborative process among the Program Director, the Registrar, the faculty chairs in the Traditional Program, and Academic Advisors who support students in the respective disciplines.

 

License

The American Women's College Teaching and Learning Handbook Copyright © by The American Women's College. All Rights Reserved.