Our goal at UCR is to provide engaging and inclusive in-person teaching experiences while exploring digital delivery methods that benefit students and instructors alike. These teaching frames must conform to the formal definitions and approval processes established by UC Riverside’s Academic Senate.
Note on Approvals: Each variant of a course—In-Person, or Online—requires a separate syllabus and separate approval by the Committee on Courses. Please consult your Department Chair and the CRS system to ensure the appropriate approvals are in place.
Official Definitions
A course’s identity is determined by the way contact hour activities (e.g., Lecture, Discussion, Consultation) and semi-contact activities (e.g., Laboratory, Studio) are delivered to students.
- In-Person
- All contact hours take place in assigned classrooms, labs, studios, or seminar rooms on campus or in other specified physical locations.
- In-person contact hours must be scheduled in Banner with an identified instructor or GSE and a specified time.
- Non-contact activities (like research or term papers) may be included but do not affect this status.
- Online
- All contact hours, including examinations, are delivered entirely via online technologies.
- While traditional lecture strategies are entirely appropriate for synchronous online courses, asynchronous online lectures must include interactive elements (e.g., segment breaks with questions, quizzes, or feedback opportunities) to earn Lecture activity credit.
- Instructors must design synchronous or asynchronous online offerings to maintain the same degree of pedagogical rigor and equivalent opportunity for engagement as compared with traditional in-person courses.
- The catalog description for any course offered "Online Only" must explicitly include verbiage noting this delivery method.
A Note on Flipped Classrooms: "Flipped" is a pedagogical approach where lecture material is delivered remotely while discussion sections meet in person or remotely. While this is an effective strategy, if this approach changes the delivery of scheduled contact hours from the original approved format, it must be formally approved as a Online variant in the CRS system.
Syllabus Requirements: Robust Evidence
Proposals for Online or Hybrid courses must include a sample syllabus providing "Robust Evidence" that Senate guidelines are met. This includes:
- Contact Hour Breakdown: A clear outline of Synchronous vs. Asynchronous hours and student access to TAs or instructors.
- Unit Justification: Documentation showing that total activity hours align with requested units (1 unit = 3 hours of work per week).
- Virtual Interface Description: Details on platforms used for lectures (Zoom), discussion (Canvas/Slack), and interaction (Yuja/Poll Everywhere).
- Proctoring and Fees: Explicit notification of online proctoring methods and any associated costs to the student, which must be reported to the Registrar before enrollment.