1. Student Centered

Course modality formats can be leveraged to provide students with flexible course offerings that meet student needs, enhance student access to courses, reduce equity gaps, and boost student achievement. Units should use course fill rates and student success data available in the Undergraduate Modality Report by Subject (available upon request from UO Online) to inform course modality development and scheduling decisions.

To incorporate student-centered data in a unit’s course modality decision-making, 

• Units heads may analyze and assess their current curriculum modality decisions by examining and reflecting on their student-centered data in the Undergraduate Modality Report by Subject. This report includes information about student success, student preferences, and student demand data. 
• Unit heads may utilize their Undergraduate Modality Report by Subject as part of their annual program assessment, following the Modality Program Assessment Guide, to analyze, reflect on, and set course modality-related goals for the coming year that would enhance a unit’s student-centered outcomes through course modality decisions. 
• Unit heads may consult with academic advisors to learn more about student needs, preferences, and experiences with a unit’s curriculum and current course modality utilization. 
• Program schedulers may utilize the Undergraduate Modality Report by Subject for all units in their college to identify and recommend course modality decisions for the upcoming academic year/period based on student needs, access considerations, and/or equity gaps. 

2. Data Informed

Course modality decisions are to be informed by course and unit-specific data about current course modality offerings, in comparison to university norms. The Institutional Norm at UO: 

• Across Fall, Winter, Spring terms, 70-85% of undergraduate student credit hours (SCH) by a unit should be in a Face-to-Face format; 15-30% of student credit hours offered by a unit should be in online or hybrid formats. 
• For Summer terms, up to 100% of undergraduate student credit hours by a unit may be in online or hybrid formats. 

To incorporate extant data in a unit’s course modality decision-making,

• Units are encouraged to establish their unit’s modality offering load distribution, based on the student credit hours offered by a unit, for the coming academic year. 
• Units may analyze and assess their current curriculum modality decisions by examining and reflecting on their unit’s course modality data (e.g., modality distribution, course fill rates) in the Undergraduate Modality Report by Subject (available upon request from UO Online), in comparison to the university’s averages.
• Unit heads may utilize their Undergraduate Modality Report by Subject as part of their annual program assessment, following the Modality Program Assessment Guide, to analyze, reflect on, and set course modality-related goals for the coming year to better align a unit’s course modality load with university standards and norms and facilitate greater student success. 
• Program schedulers may use the Undergraduate Modality Report by Subject for all units in their college to identify units whose course modality load distribution may merit or necessitate adjustments in coming academic years. 

3. Strategically Based

Course modality decisions are to be informed by pedagogical and strategic considerations of units when scheduling and developing courses in different modalities. Unit heads are encouraged to consider the pedagogical aims of each course, in conjunction with student preferences and the affordances of each course modality format, to assess the fitness of each course for modality format development and/or scheduling. Units are also urged to consider how course modality decisions factor into the strategic goals for their unit and/or college.

To incorporate strategically-based data in unit modality decisions,

• Units are encouraged to assess the pedagogical fitness of prospective course offerings for modality development opportunities.
• Units are encouraged to periodically assess the pedagogical fitness of current course offerings for modality development opportunities.
• Units are encouraged to periodically review the modality fitness of their course offerings considering the affordances of course modalities. Insights and reflections therein may be used to guide course format scheduling decisions for a unit.
• Units may establish strategic goals relating to the use of course modalities within their curriculum. These course modality-specific goals should be considered in terms of how course modality formats can be used to support broader strategic goals of the unit/college. For example, if units are wanting to increase the flexibility of their course offerings in summer term, units could set a goal to have up to 100% of their courses offered in online or hybrid formats. 
• Program schedulers may use the Undergraduate Modality Report by Subject data (available upon request from UO Online) for all units in their college to identify units whose course modality load distribution may merit or necessitate adjustments in coming academic years so as to better meet the college’s strategic needs and goals. 

4. Faculty Facilitated

Units should strive to efficiently utilize faculty training, knowledge, and experience with course modalities when considering new course modality development and teaching opportunities. Units should also leverage faculty experiences in modality instruction to encourage sharing of best practices, resources, and pedagogical excellence, with the aim to continually improve and enhance the quality of courses within the unit.

To incorporate faculty-facilitated data in unit modality decisions, 

• Units may assess their faculty experience data in the Undergraduate Modality Report by Subject (available upon request from UO Online) to reflect on how efficient their unit is utilizing their faculty expertise in different modalities within their curriculum and course schedule.
• Units should provide the opportunity to teach a course in a specific modality first to faculty who have developed and/or taught this course in the determined modality.
• Units may utilize faculty reported training information to invite faculty to develop and/or teach a new course in a specific modality or to develop an existing course in a new modality or a new course in a specific modality.
• Units may devote time in department meetings to sharing pedagogical best practices for specific course modality formats.
• Units may consider the use of modality course coordinators or faculty mentors to share modality-specific resources and best practices among faculty teaching in specific modalities.
• Units are encouraged to ensure that their Peer Teaching Reviews for any individual and for a unit reflect teaching experience and excellence for the different modalities taught. 

5. Next Steps: Develop Faculty Expertise

Units should ensure that all career and tenure-related faculty have opportunities to be trained and teach in different modalities so that expertise is developed across a unit or department. 

To facilitate the development of faculty expertise in different course modality formats, 

• Units may assess their faculty modality data in the Undergraduate Modality Report by Subject (available upon request from UO Online).
• Units may survey faculty each AY year for those with interest in teaching or training in a new modality.
• Units may promote modality-related TEP/UO Online training opportunities in department meetings.
• Units may utilize faculty reported training information to invite faculty to develop and/or teach a new course in a specific modality or to develop an existing course in a new modality.