The administrative policies and procedures for online learners are the same as those that govern the on-campus students. For specific information regarding university policies and procedures, including course cancellations and SAU’s internal student complaint resolution procedures, please check:
All policies outlined in the Faculty and Staff Handbooks are applicable. Of particular importance to faculty and staff in relation to hybrid and online learning are the following policies.
Hybrid and Online Teaching Requirements
Faculty who have not taught online courses for SAU prior to Fall 2018 (including part-time faculty) assigned to teach a hybrid or online course(s) must complete the Hybrid and Online Teaching Orientation located on Blackboard. Throughout the orientation, participants will complete short assignments to help ensure courses meet SAU’s Quality Assurance policy and use various instructional technologies at SAU, including Blackboard, YuJa Lumina, Qwickly, Harmonize, Respondus, and Turnitin.
New faculty and instructors are automatically added to the orientation, but returning faculty and instructors may request access by contacting Online Learning. The following content will be covered:
- Module 1: Online Teaching Best Practices and SAU Requirements – This learning module will review online teaching best practices and SAU requirements, including Quality Assurance, Blackboard Minimum Expectations Policy, Regular & Substantive Interaction Requirements, and Quality Matters at SAU.
- Module 2: Providing Content to Learners – This learning module will review how to add various types of content to a Blackboard course, including modules and folders, documents, files, links, multimedia content, content from cloud storage, and publisher resources. Additionally, this module will review how to copy a course or specific course content to a future semester and how to utilize the Batch Edit tool.
- Module 3: Communication, Collaboration & Engagement Tools – This learning module will introduce you to the communication, collaboration, and engagement tools that support teaching and learning. This includes Microsoft Teams or Zoom, course messages, discussions, and journals, Blackboard forms, the AI Conversation tool on Blackboard, and best practices for group work.
- Module 4: Assessing Student Learning – This learning module will introduce the various types of assessments on Blackboard, including assignments, tests & quizzes, and rubrics. This module introduces academic integrity tools at SAU, including Turnitin, SafeAssign, and Respondus Lockdown Browser & Monitor.
- Module 5: Grading – This learning module will introduce the Blackboard gradebook interface, settings, columns, grading on Blackboard, and how to set up an overall grade that is visible to students.
- Module 6: Championing Student Success –This learning module will show you how to use Blackboard tools to support student success by monitoring student activity, directing students to the University Resources & Student Support module in each course template, providing student accommodations on Blackboard, and using Blackboard Ally to improve course accessibility.
Effective Fall 2018, faculty with previous online experience at SAU assigned to teach an online course(s) must complete the Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) online course or the Quality Matters Self Review within one year of being assigned an online course in order to continue teaching online courses.
Faculty who have not taught online courses for SAU prior to Fall 2018 (including part-time faculty) assigned to teach an online course(s) must complete the APPQMR Certification either before teaching online or within the first year of teaching an online course.
The SAU QM Coordinator will provide the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) with an annual listing of all APPQMR certified and review assisted faculty. APPQMR certified faculty are also listed on the Online Learning website.
The extension of the Title II deadlines provides us with additional time to meet accessibility requirements, but at SAU, we are committed to staying ahead rather than waiting until the last minute. To ensure we deliver an accessible learning experience for all students, all classes should achieve at least a 90% Blackboard Ally score for the Fall 2026 semester. Our goal is for every course to reach a 100% Ally score by the beginning of the Spring 2027 semester.
Hybrid and Online Learning Policies
Southern Arkansas University of Magnolia’s office of Disability Support Services coordinates services and accommodations for students with disabilities to ensure accessibility and usability of all programs, services, and activities. Contact the office located in room 216 of the Donald W. Reynolds building at 870-235-4145. You can also visit the Disability Support Services webpage for information on disability services, eligibility, policies, and procedures.
The university’s learning management system is Blackboard. Blackboard is fully committed to ensuring that the platform contains no barriers for users with disabilities and is both usable and accessible by everyone, regardless of age, ability, or situation. Blackboard measures and evaluates accessibility levels using two sets of standards: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act issued by the United States Federal Government and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) issued by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Students who require additional accommodations must first register with Disability Support Services. See more information here.
Blackboard is the learning management system (LMS) used to support all courses at Southern Arkansas University (SAU). Course shells are created in Blackboard for all in-person, online, and hybrid courses. Blackboard allows faculty to make course content and materials available to students online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This policy lists the minimum expectations for all courses delivered at SAU.
At a minimum, all SAU faculty are required to provide the following learning materials in Blackboard:
- faculty contact information,
- faculty-student communication policy (see Online Faculty-Student Communication Policy,
- current course syllabus, and
- active use of the Bb Grade Center, so students are aware of progress in the course
- This requirement would require, at a minimum, that assignment/test/exam grades be posted for student reference.
- This policy does not require grade calculations to be performed in the grade center.
- Learn how to setup Overall Grades in Blackboard or watch a video on creating 4-Week or Midterm Grades in Blackboard.
All content uploaded and generated in Blackboard should be designed with accessibility standards in mind.
Reason for Implementation
The purpose of the Quality Assurance (QA) review is to ensure the quality and accessibility of all online and hybrid courses at Southern Arkansas University (as directed by the vision and mission of the University). In addition, all online/hybrid courses at SAU must be reviewed for quality per the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation standards and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).
Process of Review
Faculty should have courses ready for review by the first class day. Courses will be reviewed by the Office of Online Learning (OOL) at SAU during the first four weeks of the semester, on a four-year rotation (see schedule below) using the SAU Quality Assurance Checklist. Online Learning will also review a random 10% of all hybrid and online courses, as suggested during our Higher Learning Commission (HLC) visit. The Quality Assurance checklist must be completed during the academic year specified in the schedule below.
- College of Education and Human Performance 2024-2025
- College of Business 2025-2026
- College of Science and Engineering 2026-2027
- College of Liberal and Performing Arts
Course review results will be sent to the course Instructors, Department chairs, and Deans via email. If a course does not meet QA Standards, the instructor will make needed revisions by mid-term of the designated academic semester.
The Director of Online Learning will provide the following support to the course instructor and department as needed.
- Suggested “improvements” (list of shortcomings) to the instructor and department chair.
- Recommend a faculty member who has completed the Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) course to work with the instructor.
- Provide a sample approved course that meets all the standards.
Approved courses will be designated as such for planning purposes before the next semester’s schedules are due.
Note on SAU’s Quality Assurance Rubric
Southern Arkansas University’s Quality Assurance Rubric includes annotations and guidance informed by the nationally recognized Quality Matters (QM) Rubric. These annotations help faculty align their online course design with best practices in instructional quality, accessibility, and learner engagement.
Faculty who supervise students in credit-bearing field experiences—such as internships, clinicals, assistantships, or student teaching—must report any placements that occur outside of Arkansas. These placements are considered Out-of-State Learning Placements (OOSLP) and must be documented and submitted annually to NC SARA.
Faculty are recommended to use the SAU Out-of-State Placements Reporting Form to report their learning placements every semester. After completing the form, please email a copy to onlinelearning@saumag.edu with the subject “Out-of-State Placements Reporting+Semester and Year (e.g., Fall 2025).
Note: This applies to both online and face-to-face programs. Accurate reporting helps institutions comply with NC-SARA and supports national student mobility and program reach data.
Student attendance in online courses is defined as active participation in the course as described in the individual course syllabus. Online courses will, at a minimum, have weekly mechanisms for student participation no more frequently than daily, which can be documented by any or all of the following methods:
- Completion of tests or quizzes
- Discussion forums
- Submission/completion of assignments
- Communication with the instructor
- Or other course participation
Students are required to log in to each online course by the second day during the week in which the course officially begins, or the day enrolled during late registration to complete the initial introductory postings required in the course. As a component of attendance student email, course announcements and discussion forums should be checked frequently (daily is recommended). The student is solely responsible for checking updates related to the course. Note: nonattendance may affect financial aid. If a student fails to meet the attendance requirements, he or she may be recommended for withdrawal from the course. In the case of an anticipated absence, such as military deployment, the student should contact the instructor in advance and make arrangements to complete the required assignments. In case of an emergency (illness/accident or death in family), a student should contact the instructor as soon as possible providing documentation supporting the need for any late submission of a graded event.
Qwickly Attendance Tool
All face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses in Blackboard have access to Qwickly, a digital attendance tracking and grading tool.
Examination procedures and proctoring policies for online courses vary according to the different colleges and the individual courses. Make sure to check the course syllabus for each individual course on Blackboard after the first day of class for more details. SAU currently uses Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor.
Respondus Lockdown Browser (RLDB) – Respondus LockDown Browser™ is a customized browser that increases the security of test delivery in Blackboard. When students use Respondus LockDown Browser to access an exam, they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, or access other applications. Once an assessment is started, students are locked into it until it’s submitted for grading. For a complete list of features, visit the Respondus web site. You may be required to use LockDown Browser with a webcam, which will record you during an online, non-proctored exam.
Communication between online students and faculty is critical for student success and retention.
Faculty who teach online or hybrid courses are required to develop a communication policy at the beginning of the semester and post the policy in their online course. Communication policies set expectations for students in the course and may include the following:
- Schedule of availability or “virtual office hours” (Times instructor will be available to answer questions.)
- Email/Blackboard Message response times.
- Instructor responses to discussion posts.
- Grading and Feedback on assignments.
- Statement that learners will receive regular announcements that include reminders and information pertinent to the course.
- “Netiquette” or online etiquette expectations for how students are to communicate online.
Note: The Instructor Resources area of your Blackboard courses includes a editable “(Faculty) Communication and Interaction Policy” template. After editing, you can make the policy and move it into the Start Here area of your courses.
