University Technology

Online Course Approval

All new and redesigned online courses must go through the Online Course Approval Process before they are offered. 

The online course approval is a shared responsibility between the faculty member, uTech Online Teaching and Learning (OTL) Instructional Design and Technology Specialists, and the faculty member’s department chairperson or director.

The Western Illinois University Online Course Requirement Checklist is the assessment instrument for approving the instructional and technical design of online courses at WIU. All requirements included on this checklist must be satisfied for your online course approval. If there is an element missing or not meeting the requirement an Instructional Designer will assist you in meeting the approval requirements. It is recommended that all faculty download and familiarize themselves with the Online Course Requirement Checklist and rely upon it while developing your course to ensure that you are meeting all requirements. If you have questions contact uTech OTL staff for assistance.

 

The Approval Process

The Course Approval Checklist

Note: You must be logged into your WIU Account to access the documents above. 

Need Assistance? 

Please contact OTL@wiu.edu or submit a support request to support@wiu.edu with any questions you have, or to request assistance with the process. 

Notes of Interest

  • OTL Instructional Designers do not approve online courses . They verify that they have provided necessary information, templates, training, and ID assistance to the course developers and state which standards were met and those that were given suggestions for improvement. 
  • The entire process happens through uTech’s RT system, Google Docs, and Google Sheets. 
  • School Directors and College Deans will be able to see a list of approved courses for their area only. 
  • A new list of approved courses is being started beginning in 2026, as the previous list was approved using old standards. 
  • The OTL website will be updated with all of the appropriate information once the Provost’s office finalizes and approves this process.