Blended Courses in English

MTSU has recently designated three general types of courses: On-ground, Blended, and Online.

Departments create their own standards and practices for Classroom and the Blended course type called "Blended-On-ground" (informally known as "Web-Assisted" in the English Department). MTSU Online oversees and approves most other types.

This page explains the approval process for Blended On-ground (a.k.a. Web-Assisted) courses in the English Department.

[For those seeking information on teaching online courses, visit Teaching Online in the English Department.] 

Blended-On-ground Courses

Blended-On-ground (also called "Web-Assisted" in English) courses meet in the classroom at least 50% of the scheduled class meeting time, at approved meeting times, and with the remainder online and asynchronous (e.g. no Zoom class meetings). 

For these courses, faculty choose an adjusted standard meeting time. For example, a MWF 10:20-11:15am might meet in the classroom on Mondays and Wednesdays, with Fridays reserved for D2L work, such as a Discussion Board assignment (such as an essay workshop or answering questions) or a quiz or exam. Similarly, a T 6:00-9:00pm course could meet for half the time, e.g. T 6-7:45pm, with online work assigned for the other half of the standard meeting time each week. Non-standard meeting times or complex schedules (such as alternating days or weeks of on-ground/online) are not allowed at this time.

The English Department has specific recommendations and requirements at three levels for all faculty teaching Blended-On-ground courses for the first time. A Blended-On-ground application must be approved before the schedule is posted on Pipeline. Once a type of course is listed in the schedule, faculty may not change them (from on-ground to blended, from online to on-ground, etc.).

General Education English Courses

If you're interested in teaching a Blended-On-ground version of a General Education English course (ENGL 1009, ENGL 1010K, ENGL 1010, ENGL 1020, ENGL 2020, ENGL 2030) for the first time, please complete this form. After you complete the form, a member of the General Education English administrative team will review your application; they may also solicit input and recommendations from the General Education English Curriculum Committee. You will receive detailed feedback, and, if needed, recommendations for any required changes. Approval for teaching a Blended-On-ground course should be sought once every 3 years to ensure delivery modes and course content continue to meet MTSU standards as defined by the Provost, Dean of Liberal Arts, and English Department expectations.

Undergraduate Studies English Courses

For all undergraduate English courses that are not part of the MTSU General Education Program (including ENGL 2500, all 3000-level courses, and all 4000-level courses), a Blended-On-ground course must offer similar amount and rigor of content as its conventional counterpart, merely in modified form. Conversions require a proposal submitted by November 1 for subsequent Summer and Fall semesters and by March 1 for the next Spring semester. Proposal requirements can be found in these guidelines.

Graduate English Courses

Graduate faculty who wish to convert an existing course to Blended-On-ground delivery should submit a brief course proposal to the Graduate Director. To ensure timely consideration for scheduling, this proposal should be submitted at least one academic year before the course may be offered. The Graduate Director will send the proposal to the Graduate Committee for discussion and a vote. Additional details can be found in these guidelines.