To ensure the quality of online courses, CSUF took a faculty-driven approach to develop faculty expertise in online quality assurance and to cultivate a faculty community who provide pedagogical and technological support relevant to online teaching to each other; this approach has been enhanced with professional development and instructional designer support offered from CSUF’s Online Education and Training department.


Our campus commitment to sustainable quality assurance for online courses is supported via:


Campus Goals for Quality Assurance

Goal 1: Expand the awareness and implementation of the Quality Matters (QM) process on campus 

Goal 2: Deepen QM expertise on campus

Goal 3: Support expansion of QM course certification

Goal 4: Expand research on the impact of faculty quality assurance expertise on student learning outcomes and experiences and share findings with CSUF and the CSU community


Supporting Campus Partners


2025-2026 Goals & Progress

Goal 1: Four to Five Faculty Completing the CSUF Journey to QM Certification Course

Deliverables: Course alignment map and QM Prep online course review


Progress: This goal has proven more difficult to meet than anticipated, reflecting broader patterns in faculty capacity across higher education. Recruitment has been significantly constrained by faculty burnout and the limitations of available stipend support, which has not been sufficient to incentivize sustained participation given competing demands on faculty time. As a result, completion numbers will fall short of the original target of four to five participants.


At this stage, one faculty member completed the certification course but will not advance to the QM Prep Review stage. A second participant has progressed beyond the course and is currently undergoing full QM Certification Review, with completion anticipated this summer. A third participant has completed the certification course and is planning to pursue a QM Prep Review in late summer or fall of 2026. A fourth prospective participant is currently enrolled in the prerequisite IYOC course and is expected to join the certification course upon completion of the prerequisite.

While the original enrollment target will not be reached, the program is producing meaningful forward momentum. We anticipate one full QM Certification this summer and one QM Prep Review in late summer or early fall, representing real progress within a challenging recruitment environment.

This experience has reinforced the need to revisit recruitment strategies and incentive structures in future planning cycles, and those lessons are being incorporated into our 2026-27 OCS RFP planning.

Goal 2: Two to Three Faculty Completing a QM Certification Course Review

Progress: This goal is on track to be met. One faculty member successfully completed QM Course Certification in Fall 2025. A second faculty member completed a QM Prep Review, addressed required accessibility improvements with team support, and has now advanced to full QM Certification Review. Based on current trajectories, we anticipate meeting the lower end of this goal's target range.

Goal 3: Launch of the Online Course Design and Engagement Fundamentals Professional Development Course

Progress: This goal has been fully met. The course launched successfully in Summer 2025 with a pilot cohort and has since been established as a recurring offering, available each fall and spring semester. A dedicated page on the Faculty Development Center website provides consistent visibility and access for faculty each term.

To date, 27 faculty have completed the course. Looking ahead, we are exploring introducing a faculty stipend for participation, which we believe would meaningfully improve completion rates. This will be a priority consideration in the 2026-27 OCS RFP.

This course now serves as CSUF's institutional option for CourseMatch, alongside the Chancellor's Office QM and QLT offerings, expanding the menu of accessible, campus-grounded professional development for online instructors.

Goal 4: Research Report Analyzing Faculty Survey Results on Online Teaching

Progress: This goal is on track. A redesigned faculty survey was developed this cycle, with more targeted questions to yield actionable data to improve programming and better meet faculty needs. The survey has been deployed via Qualtrics, and data collection has been completed. Current findings are posted on this website under Research.