Online Program Intent to Plan Outline

Follow the outline below when developing an Intent to Plan for an online program.

1. Course development: Explain what amount of course development has been completed and what amount of course development is still needed. This should include identifying what existing courses have been developed for online delivery, what existing courses remain to be developed, what new courses have been developed, and what new courses remain to be developed.
   • What is the expected timeline for completing all remaining course development?
   • Is the unit using faculty or instructional designers or a mix of both to develop its courses?
   • NOTE: The unit will need to provide access to WVU Online for a quality assurance review before this Intent to Plan is approved.
2. Format: Will the courses in this program be delivered in a condensed (six or eight-week) format? If not, please indicate the reasoning behind this exception.
3. Entry terms: How many program entry terms do you anticipate offering for this program during a typical academic year? If there will be multiple entry terms, indicate when those will occur (Spring, Summer, Fall).
4. Asynchronous requirements: Are all courses and program requirements in this program fully asynchronous? If there are any synchronous requirements, explain what those are and why the program intends to have them.
5. On-site requirements: Can all program requirements be completed online or are there hybrid or on-site requirements? If there are hybrid or on-site requirements, provide the rationale for those.
6. Unique selling proposition: What is the program’s primary unique selling proposition in the national and/or regional online education market? A unique selling proposition is a key aspect of the program that the unit believes should be emphasized in marketing based on the program’s strengths. These are clear, student-centered reasons why a prospective student would choose this online program over competitors (e.g. rapid career advancement, designed for working practitioners, real-world experience, high-engagement learning and support, specialized expertise/unique program in the market).
7. Key differentiators: What 2-3 key differentiators will enable this program to distinguish itself from existing peer or aspirational institutions (e.g., unique curriculum, high engagement instruction, flexible scheduling, competitive pricing, accelerated time to completion, employer partnerships, etc.).
8. Internal market assessment: Upload the internal market assessment provided by WVU Online.
9. Financial analysis: Has a full financial analysis been conducted for this program? If so, what is the projected break-even enrollment number? When does the program become self-sustaining or profitable based on projected development costs, current and future infrastructure expenses and instructional costs (based on utilization of FT vs. adjunct faculty)?
10. Financial resources: For any new financial resources needed to start the program, on what timetable and in what amount will they be needed (e.g., prior to start, year 1, year 2…)? From where will those new financial resources come? From where will reallocated financial resources come and on what timetable?
11. Staffing needs: Amend the provided staffing chart to show staffing for the course offerings for the first cohort in the major; specify parts of term for compressed format courses. Indicate if the courses will typically require course overloads for staffing and the cost associated with paying overload.
12. Software needs: If there is specialized software needed for students to complete these online classes? If so, have you consulted with ITS about making this software available via a virtual lab or some other method?
13. Support services: Does the college/school have the necessary support services such as advising and tutoring in place to support online students? How will academic advising and student support services be delivered to online students across time zones and outside of standard business hours?
14. Prospective student engagement: How will the unit engage with interested students from point-of-inquiry through admission?
15. Admitted student engagement: Once students are admitted, does the college/school have advising personnel in place to provide registration and related student support services to online students? What strategies will be used to support persistence and retention of online learners (e.g., proactive advising, early alerts, engagement initiatives)?
16. Program contacts: Specifically address who will serve as the following roles for the program: college lead or online director, program director, marketing lead, and program point of contact for interested students.