FORTE

Faculty Online Readiness and Teaching Excellence

FORTE supports and guides faculty in converting traditional face-to-face courses to online formats. 91ÖÆƬ³§ departments will select eligible courses and instructors for this program; ATS instructional designers will collaborate with participants in the design and development of their courses throughout the program. ​

No registration required; see the eligibility criteria, below.

Spring 2026 Program

Schedule

  • Nominations due: 
    Tuesday, February 10
  • Participants notified: 
    Friday, February 13
  • Orientation program: 
    Monday, March 2
  • Course development phase: 
    March 2-July 10 (19 weeks)
  • Program ends; deliverables due: 
    July 10, 2026

Stipend Requirements

  1. Develop Online Course = $5000
    Convert a face-to-face course to an accessible online course (including media).
  2. Complete the self-paced Canvas course = $1000
    This includes completing activities provided in the course content.
  3. Schedule and teach first course = $1000
    Teach the first online offering and provide formative and summative feedback.

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A self-paced Canvas Course that covers teaching methodologies, online course design, and instructional technology tools​.

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Pairing with an ATS instructional designer provides continuous support and hands-on, collaborative learning experiences.

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Quality assurance course reviews thatensure alignment with established online course standards and accessibility compliance rules.

Instructor Eligibility

The instructor and selected courses will be approved by the college dean, associate dean, and department chair. To be eligible, instructors must currently teach face-to-face courses in Fall 2025 that will also be offered in Spring 2026, or teach face-to-face courses in Spring 2026 that will also be offered in Fall 2026.

Course Eligibility

  • is currently offered face-to-face in the Fall or Spring semester
  • has never been converted to an online course
  • is highly impacted and poses a scheduling conflict
  • has a large enrollment
  • includes multiple sections â¶Ä‹
  • typically taught Monday-Thursday, 9am-3pm

Note: Faculty must review and sign the FORTE Participation Contract via DocuSign before participating in the program. 

  1. Follow the course conversion process and meet milestone dates. â¶Ä‹
  2. Complete the self-paced course modules. â¶Ä‹
  3. Meet with your assigned ATS Instructional Designer throughout the development of your course.
  4. Incorporate Canvas AI Assistant as a teaching and scaffolding tool in the course.  
  5. Complete the online readiness checklist with your Instructional Designer.
  6. Complete the following forms (available in the course):
    1. Program Commitment Agreement
    2. Feedback Surveys:
      1. Pre-Survey: Faculty Course Conversion Readiness
      2. Post-Survey: Faculty Experience & Program Evaluation
      3. Implementation Survey: From Training to Implementation
    3. Release Forms:
      1. Commitment to contribute to ATS showcase examples. â¶Ä‹
      2. Permission to share course as a template for others.

Who recommends and selects faculty participants and courses for the FORTE program? â¶Ä‹
The instructor and selected courses will be approved by the college dean, associate dean, and department chair. 

When will my course launch?
The following semester after completion of the program

Will I receive a badge once I complete the program?
Yes.

How is this program different than the other course conversion programs that ATS offers?
Faculty need to be appointed by their departments in order to participate in this program. This program is also a complete course conversion from traditional face-to-face modality to an online modality.

Is there a stipend for this program?
The stipend for developing a full course is $5000 and if faculty complete the self-paced course, they will receive an additional $1000. If faculty teach the course that was developed following the semester it was developed, faculty can receive an additional $1000.

If there are two instructors working together to develop a course, does each instructor receive the same amount of stipend?
No, the stipend is divided by the number of faculty participating in the course development.  

Who determines if the online course should be synchronous or asynchronous?
The department and/or college will determine the modality of the course. Faculty are encouraged to consult with their department chairs to start the discussion.

Where will my developed multimedia content be stored and managed?
Your videos will be stored in the campus Kaltura MediaSpace/Canvas MyMedia platform. Access and permissions to use these videos will be managed by your department and the faculty teaching the course.

It’s important to note that while the ownership of the content resides with the department, authorship will always be attributed to the Subject Matter Expert (SME) who created the materials. Content developed through the FORTE program may also be used by other faculty members teaching the same course in the future. 

If you have any questions or need assistance, our ATS team is available to support you, especially when teaching your course for the first time.