Applications are now closed for the 2024 cohort. Please contact us if you have any questions about the program, or about developing an online course.

The Strategic Curriculum Development Program provides incentives and structured support for SAS faculty and instructors to develop courses that align with SAS strategic priorities.

The program currently supports the expansion of high-quality asynchronous online course offerings in SAS, with an emphasis on supporting full-time faculty in moving courses online or developing new fully online courses.

Coordinated departmental plans to develop multiple courses that will enable nontraditional students to complete at least a minor via asynchronous courses are especially encouraged. If you are an undergraduate director interested in pursuing this, please contact us before having instructors submit a proposal.

The Program

Teaching online poses different challenges than in-person teaching; it also comes with its own affordances and opportunities. The Strategic Curriculum Development program is designed to provide the support you need to develop an asynchronous online course that is rigorous, engaging for students, and rewarding to teach. It has three parts:

Asynchronous Kickstart Course 

  • Running 6/1–7/14 (with a break the week of 7/1), this asynchronous course-build experience provides you with one-on-one guidance and feedback from an instructional designer, input and feedback from your peers, and the experience of being a student in an asynchronous course. Expect to spend approximately 6 hours per week engaging in course activities.
  • You’ll engage with asynchronous course design principles as you create your learning goals, syllabus, Canvas module structure, student-student and student-faculty engagement plan, content delivery plan, and curriculum committee online course proposal form.

Instructional Design Consults

  • During the remainder of the summer, you’ll consult regularly with an instructional designer while completing your course design. Your instructional designer will provide support that’s customized to your needs and goals as you develop a well-organized, humanized, and engaging asynchronous course.

Culminating Peer Review

  • Once you've developed a significant portion of your course, the program's Faculty Steering Committee—comprising program alumni and other expert online teachers—will review it. In addition to approving the release of incentives for completion of the program's basic requirements, the Steering Committee will provide constructive feedback, suggestions, and ideas to help you continue improving your course.

Eligibility

Individual instructors interested in developing asynchronous courses are warmly welcomed to apply, but should consult with their department's undergraduate vice chair/undergraduate director before applying. All applications must be endorsed by the home department's undergraduate chair/director.

Incentives

Upon completion of the program, participants will receive:

  • A letter of recognition from the Vice Dean for Undergraduate Education memorializing your expertise in course design demonstrated by completion of the program, suitable for inclusion in a teaching portfolio.
  • $2000 in research/professional development funds.

You do not need to have a research account to receive research/professional development funds. These funds can be used for purchasing research or pedagogy-related books and resources; expenses related to research, including Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research; registration and attendance at conferences related to your Rutgers disciplinary appointment; and other forms of professional development.

Applications are now closed for the 2024 cohort. Please contact us if you have any questions about the program, or about developing an online course.