Course Build/Rebuild Requests

Course Build/Rebuild Request Instructions for Faculty, Admins, and Chairs.                               

Effective Date: August 11, 2025  
Revised Date: April 22, 2026                                            

1. Overview

All new builds and eligible rebuilds must receive department chair approval prior to submission.
Academic colleges are encouraged to review and evaluate course build proposals to ensure they represent a strategic and effective use of departmental AOS revenue sharing funds.

2. Definitions

New Build: A brand-new course developed for delivery in the AOS 100% online modality.

• Typically associated with a new program launch or curriculum change.
• An existing course that was previously offered through traditional online and is now to be offered through AOS for the first time is also considered a New Build.
• The course must pass Quality Matters (QM) review prior to being offered to students.

Eligible Rebuild: A previously developed course that:

• Has not been updated in two or more years, and
• Is undergoing substantive changes equating to 70% or more of the course content.

3. Funding Structure

New Builds

• Funded directly through the department AOS FOAP, as they are typically tied to new program launches with no existing revenue share.
• These are considered instructional/operational expenses and will be accounted for during the next revenue sharing cycle at the end of the term.

Eligible Rebuilds

• Funded through the department’s revenue sharing FOAP.
• The department admin must ensure this FOAP is listed on the Extra Compensation Form when submitted.

4. Quality Standards

All course builds and rebuilds must meet Quality Matters (QM) standards to qualify for the stipend.
Each course must achieve a minimum score of 85% and meet all essential standards, including ADA compliance and copyright requirements.

Faculty implementing Free Content/OER must:

• Completely remove any student costs for textbooks, learning materials, or paid subscriptions.
• Ensure all free materials are 100% ADA compliant and QM-aligned.
• Materials freely accessible only through Interlibrary Loan have limited availability and are not licensed by Arkansas State University. As such, these resources do not qualify for the OER stipend.
• Complete the build stipend before the OER stipend can be processed (OER stipend is optional).

5. Compensation and Payment

• Base Course Build Stipend:
  $500 per credit hour for all approved course builds and eligible rebuilds.
• Optional OER (No-Cost Materials) Stipend:
  An additional $500 per credit hour is available if the course is developed using no-cost-to-student materials (OER or other free resources). This is optional, and the instructor needs to apply for the additional stipend. 
• Example:
  For a 3-credit-hour course:
  • Standard build stipend = $1,500 total ($500 × 3)
  • If using OER = +$1,500 additional ($500 × 3)
  • Total possible stipend = $3,000

Payment Requirements:
1. The department admin will receive a Formstack notification once the course build has been approved for stipend processing.
2. The admin must complete the Extra Compensation Form and prepare the EPAF, but the EPAF should only be submitted after the course has successfully passed the Quality Matters (QM) review.
3. Extra Compensation Form is not required for Adjuncts.

6. Standard Build Date Ranges

Dates correspond with the term in which the course will first be offered. Please use these dates when completing the Extra Compensation Form:

• Summer 1: March 1 – May 15
• Summer 2: May 1 – June 15
• Fall 1: July 1 – August 15
• Fall 2: August 1 – September 30
• Spring 1: October 16 – December 31
• Spring 2: December 1 – February 15
  (These date patterns remain consistent each year.)

7. Submission Process

1. Obtain department chair approval for the proposed course build or rebuild.
2. Submit a TDX ticket to initiate the course build/rebuild stipend payment process.
   Submit TDX Ticket Here
3. Once submitted, the AOS Team will send the appropriate Formstack forms to the designated individuals.
4. The department admin will be notified through Formstack when it is time to complete the Extra Compensation Form and later submit the EPAF (after QM approval).
5. Workflow below:
   

8. Questions

For any questions about the course build process, please contact:
Vanessa Williams – vwilliams@astate.edu 
Rachel Washam – rwasham@astate.edu