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Faculty Resources

Professional Assistance

Center for Teaching Excellence

The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) at Texas A&M University supports the University's commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. The CTE offers a wide range of consultation and support services to faculty, programs, departments, and colleges at not only the College Station campus, but also at satellite campuses in Galveston and Qatar. The Center has cultivated many collaborative relationships across campus to help provide interdisciplinary professional development opportunities for faculty, staff, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students. Services we provide include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Consultations (individual, program, department, college)
  • Curriculum design/redesign
  • Graduate teaching assistant support/training
  • Professional development workshops on a wide range of relevant topics (effective lecturing,  assessment, classroom management, diversity, course design, instructional technology, high-impact practices)​

Resources Offered through CTE

  • Basic Tips and Guidelines for Creating Effective Online Courses
  • Promoting Student Learning
  • Strengths and Weaknesses of Online Courses
  • Frequently Asked Questions about Online Course Design
  • Rubric for Evaluating Online Course Design
  • Facilitating Effective Online Discussions
  • 10 Simple Steps towards Universal Design of Online Courses
  • Ensuring Digital Content is Accessible to Students with Disabilities

Technology Services

Technology Services provides a robust, secure, and innovative IT environment that supports Texas A&M University's goals in teaching, research and service. Contact them for assistance with software; email; help and support; academics including Canvas, classroom equipment, open access labs, and audio/video production; and security including code maroon and virtual private network. They are available 24/7 via Help Desk Central by phone 979-845-8300 and email helpdesk@tamu.edu.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Texas A&M University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Texas A&M University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website.

SACSCOC WEBSITE >>

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

"The mission of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is to provide leadership and coordination for the Texas higher education system and to promote access, affordability, quality, success, and cost efficiency through 60x30TX, resulting in a globally competitive workforce that positions Texas as an international leader."  -THECB Mission Statement

University Libraries

The University Libraries supports the teaching and research needs of Texas A&M Univeristy faculty. They can assist you with research tools, consults, teaching support, research data management, authorship and publishing, and more.

Additionally, housed in the Evans Annex, is The Studio which provides specialized services and tools for creating and editing graphics, video, audio, and multimedia projects. Their goal is to provide the Texas A&M University community with multimedia tools, expert assistance, and educational programming to support the creation of media-enriched instructional projects.

Teaching in Distance Education

The Center for Teaching Excellence offers guidance and resources in Course Design, Program Redesign, Online Course Designs and Flipped Learning, while also offering workshops for both Teachers and Graduate Students.

Guidelines for DE Courses and Programs

To meet the requirements of the US Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the following guidelines are to be followed for DE courses and programs. 

Guidelines for Distance Education Courses and Programs

Creating and Scheduling DE Courses

Gaining Non-Traditional Format Approval for a course is a one-time approval process for courses with 50% or more of the class taught online. The NTF approval is required, per University Rule 11.03.99.M1, in order to be able to schedule the class. More on scheduling polices can be viewed on the Office of the Registrar website.

Courses for 2018 Spring approval were received through memo format. Summer 2018, Fall 2018, and beyond must be approved through the Curricular Approval Request System (CARS), per Curricular Processes 11.99.99.M0.01. These courses must gain approval before they are able to be scheduled as an NTFA section.

Courses

Distance Education courses are taught 100% online.

Hybrid courses must have the NTFA attribute and are determined at the section level. Online and hybrid courses must meet the same credit hour requirement as face-to-face courses and must account for 45-48 hours of instructional time for each three credit hour course.