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Online Education - AA152

Last Reviewed: April 2026

Intent

UCLA Extension offered its first online instruction in the early 1990s through the then Distance Learning Unit. Currently, in an academic year, UCLA Extension offers approximately 2,500 online courses through numerous certificates, specialization, and other academic programs. UCLA Extension continues to develop, manage, and offer online continuing and professional education, and academic programs with UCLA partners, as well as other educational institutions. 

This policy ensures conformity with the University’s academic standards and policies, and establishes requirements for the development, design, review, approval, management, and administration of UCLA Extension’s online courses and programs.

 

Definitions

  • Assistant Teacher: The Instructor of Record (IR) may receive and designate an Assistant Teacher (AT) to provide varying tasks and work to support the course. IRs shall determine the scope of work for the AT, who may be hired and contracted to assist with administrative tasks in the learning management system (LMS), grading, facilitation support, and general course logistics. ATs shall be duly trained in the institutional LMS, or other learning tools, when it is designated as part of their work.
  • Commissioned Work: Commissioned work is a work produced for UCLA Extension by individuals who are hired to provide specific services and deliverables in the production of online learning materials for online instruction including: design, development, creation, recording, and specific elements for the development and creation of an Online Course. According to institutional need, an existing course may be converted into an Online Course as commissioned work. The terms of commissioned work shall be defined in a work agreement and contract that adheres to UC policies on Copyright and Ownership of Course Materials.
  • Copyright: Copyright is the intangible property right granted by Federal statute for an original work fixed in a tangible form of expression. Copyright provides the owner with the following exclusive rights in a work: to reproduce, to prepare derivative works, to distribute by sale or otherwise, to perform publicly, and to display publicly.
  • Copyright Assurances: In performing the commissioned work, and as stipulated in an executed agreement/contract, the course instructor, subject matter expert, author, contributor, or developer will work with appropriate UCLA Extension staff to provide assurances that the online instruction, course, and curricula will not infringe upon any copyright or other proprietary right of any other person or entity; that the substantive content of the commissioned work is either their own work or the joint-effort work between them and UCLA Extension; that no right in the commissioned work has in any way been transferred or otherwise disposed of; that if the submission is based upon work that has been sponsored or supported by an agency or organization other than the University of California (UC) or UCLA Extension, they have fulfilled any right of review or other obligations required by such contract or agreement.

  • Course Author / Course Contributor / Course Developer: A course author, contributor and/or developer may be a non-UC employee, UC employee or faculty, or other subject matter expert who agrees to and works to design, develop, create, record, and define the content, metrics and rubrics for an online course or curriculum, within the terms of an executed agreement/contract, in conjunction and collaboration with designated staff and digital asset production teams for UCLA Extension. 

    The course author, contributor and/or developer will work with appropriate UCLA Extension staff to obtain the approval of the course by the department, school, and UC Academic Senate as appropriate; obtain copyright assurances with respect to any of the course materials; and participate in the production/editing, submission/resolution of course materials for uploading or access through a designated delivery platform and the institutional LMS.

  • Development Fee: Compensation to be paid to a course author, contributor and/or developer, instructor, or subject matter expert for work and contributions to an online course and online curriculum, and if applicable in addition to and outside any compensation received for regular UC employment activities.
  • Exceptional University Resources: Exceptional University Resources are University resources, including but not limited to University Facilities and University Funds as described in the UC policy on Ownership of Course Materials (http://copyright.universityofcalifornia.edu/resources/ownershipcourse-materials.html), significantly in excess of the usual support generally available to similarly situated staff and faculty members. Customary secretarial support, library facilities, office space, personal computers, access to computers and networks, and academic year salary are not considered exceptional university resources.
  • Hybrid Course. A hybrid course combines online, live-online, and inperson delivery methods for instruction. Hybrid courses are conducted online in conjunction with in-person instruction and onsite group activities. Hybrid courses allow for pedagogical flexibility in which the components and content provided in a physical classroom or digital environment may be determined by the instructor, who may collaborate with Program Directors (PD). The details and requirements shall be specified by the instructor and communicated in the course syllabus and other course materials.

  • Instructor / Subject Matter Expert (SME): A non-UC employee, UC employee or faculty, or other subject matter expert may be hired and contracted to teach the course as the Instructor of Record, a Co-Instructor, and/or as a SME whose expertise may be utilized to ensure a UCLA Extension curricula, course or program is cohesive, comprehensive and supports tenets of quality and academic excellence. An instructor and/or subject matter expert may work to teach/instruct, design, develop, create, record, deliver, and define the content, metrics and rubrics for an online course or curriculum, within the terms of an executed agreement/contract, in conjunction and collaboration with designated staff and digital asset production teams for UCLA Extension. 

    The instructor and/or subject matter will work with appropriate UCLA Extension staff to obtain the approval of the course by the department, school, and Academic Senate as appropriate; obtain copyright assurances with respect to any of the course materials; and participate in the production/editing, submission/resolution of course materials for uploading or access through a designated delivery platform and the institutional LMS.

  • Live-Online Course. A course in which instruction is conducted, synchronously, fully online in a digital learning environment, comprising a learning management system (LMS), and institutionally provided learning tools and services. A LMS is the software application for the documentation, administration and tracking/reporting of an educational course or program.
  • Online Course. A course in which instruction is conducted, asynchronously, with at least 1 hour of weekly synchronous interaction with the instructor, and utilizes a digital learning environment, typically comprising a learning management system (LMS), and institutionally provided learning tools and services. A LMS is the software application for the documentation, administration and tracking/reporting of an educational course or program.
  • In-person/On-Site Course. The traditional in-person, on-site course that is conducted in a physical learning space, with in-person instruction at set scheduled days and times.
  • Course Instructor: The Instructor of Record for an online course who is responsible for the management, teaching, and delivery of the course, grading, managing the LMS course shell, completing LMS training, assisting in the course and instructor evaluation process, the supervision of assistant teachers or instructor aides, and any other administrative duties applicable to the delivery of the course. In as much as UC, UCLA faculty and staff may teach UCLA Extension courses, individuals serving as a contributor, course author, instructor or subject matter expert may also be the Instructor of Record.
  • Online/Digital/Electronic Credentials. An academic testimonial that exists or is transmitted in a digital format, earned upon the completion of a course or program. UCLA Extension may offer certificates, digital badges (as an optional credential that testifies to knowledge and skill attainment), or other academic testimonial electronically. Digital badges denote the attainment of a specified skill, knowledge, and/or credential as part of a certificate program (in addition to earning the Certificate), specialization (in addition to earning the Award of Completion), course, seminar, intensive and/or conference.
  • Online Presentation. Online presentations include a range of content recorded for online access/direct instruction and may encompass audio or video-enhanced presentations such as narrated slideshows, classroom lecture capture, and professionally produced studio recordings. As such online presentations provide important elements of online learning.
  • Production Cost: The cost born by UCLA Extension to support the design, development, content creation, recording, coding, interfacing resources, hosting, delivering, content management, and administrative and institutional overhead for an online course and online instruction. If elected, production costs may include the archiving of course content provided an institutional digital preservation strategy is in place which outlines the appropriate technical and descriptive metadata for instructional assets to be captured and maintained for search and retrieval.
  • Production Facility/Studio: A production studio space, facility or facilities, designated by UCLA Extension, specially equipped for the recording of audio and visual (still and video) content for use in the pre-production, production, and post-production of instructional, marketing, and institutional multimedia assets.
  • Online Program Manager (OPM): A third-party contractor that provides services to enable the University of California to offer online educational content.
  • Student: Any individual enrolled in a course, including enrollment feebased, non-matriculated individuals, and matriculated UCLA or UC students.
  • Teaching Fee: Compensation provided to a Course Instructor when teaching an online, hybrid or web-enhanced course.
  • University Facilities: Buildings, equipment, and other facilities under the control of the University, that are designated by the appropriate Chancellor, Laboratory Director, or Vice President as requiring an advance agreement, from non-University personnel and University personnel acting outside the scope of their employment, concerning the disposition of any copyrighted works that are originated with the use of these facilities. Such facilities normally include campus computer centers and normally do not include University libraries.

Policy Statement

UCLA Extension strives to be a leader in the development of online education and creating an infrastructure that ensures the responsible and innovative creation of online courses and programs. Online curriculum supports the larger missions of UCLA Extension to enable professional growth among students and create transformative experiences for them through the reflection and application of knowledge. This divisional policy outlines protocols to support approaches to curriculum development that uphold the University’s mission and goals and ensure the highest standards and quality for learning outcomes and student experience.

A. Online Course Creation and Approvals

UCLA Extension views online, live-online, and in-person instruction as a spectrum of course delivery formats and has worked to develop courses in each of these modalities.

1. Quality and Production Standards for Online Course and Program Creation

Standards for online course creation shall uphold UCLA Extension’s principles of academic excellence, namely: rigor, currency, practice, and engagement. Course content should be rigorous and challenging with clearly outlined learning objectives and measurable student outcomes. Course content should have relevant currency to a given field or industry and with application, engender a practice that is transformative. From these principles, the institutional objective is to foster a mutually reinforcing, dynamic and interactive process that engages students and instructors with content and each other.

  • Online courses may be created within UCLA Extension with in-house staff and resources, and/or with service providers, groups, or individuals who may be hired to provide services as needed in the production of online courses, that meet UCLA Extension’s curriculum needs.
  • UCLA Extension online courses shall maintain a standard of production quality, which may include curated content, strive for a consistent 'look and feel,' assessment and evaluation methodologies, and the use of technical standards (including Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG) accessibility compliance standards) for the presentation of digital course content. All online courses must have clearly articulated course descriptions, statements of learning objectives and outcomes, clear expectations, and activities and assignments to be completed, graded, and evaluated in accordance with UCLA Extension’s definition of academic excellence and Academic Senate requirements for course unit valuation and grading.
  • Recognizing that instructional and pedagogical practices that determine quality can change with the emergence of new instructional and learning tools and their impacts on instructional approaches and experiences, UCLA Extension has developed institutional standards for assessing and assuring the quality of online courses. This Rubric and Standards for Quality Online Courses shall be implemented in the production process for newly created online courses and utilized in the assessment of existing online courses.
  • As the standard of production quality for UCLA Extension online courses, this Rubric and Standards for Quality Online Courses shall be utilized, along with other assessment tools. UCLA Extension shall uphold these quality standards and foster an attendant style guide to support the design and production of online courses and programs.
  • UCLA Extension will establish mechanisms and processes to evaluate and ensure quality assurance/quality control for online courses and programs wherein best practices are identified, assessed and documented for the continued evolution of online learning. Evaluations by Extension staff and students of online courses and programs shall include assessments of content, engagement, teaching, and learning. In conjunction with UCLA Extension academic program departments, Academic Directors and Managers shall create a plan and timeline for auditing and assessing the quality of existing online courses and programs.
  • Content curation in course materials may include: the syllabus, presentation videos, schedules, assignments, exams, readings, supplemental multimedia assets, etc. With respect to the 'look and feel,' use of media is expected to be of professional quality with audio, lighting, camera movement, illustrative graphics and animation, and editing included as appropriate. The use of media shall serve instructional purposes and align with stated learning outcomes.
  • An institutional standard Learning Management System (LMS) will be the digital environment for UCLA Extension online courses. Additional tools may be integrated with the LMS to augment the learning ecosystem, subject to institutional evaluation and approval prior to use. Partnership agreements may stipulate the use of an additional LMS and/or learning or instructional tools, depending on the instructional need. Additional instructional/learning tools must be compatible/interoperable with existing online content that may exist on other systems.
  • Course content used in online courses must adhere to Federal Copyright Law and UC Copyright Policy to the fullest extent possible. Considerations for copyright exceptions should be made and documented on a case-by-case basis as necessary and calculated into the production schedule. Appropriate UCLA Extension staff shall assist design/production teams as needed.
2. Online Course/Program/Instructor Approval
  • In accordance with existing Academic Senate policy and UCLA Extension policy AA150 Certificate Programs, UCLA Extension online courses, certificates, and programs are subject to the same approval process as set forth in these policies in terms of course, program, and instructor approvals.
3. Use of Online Program Managers (OPM) and External Service Providers
  • In accordance with UCLA and UCOP guidance on the procurement of external service providers, UCLA Extension will ensure that all contracts partnership agreements, Memorandums of Understanding (MOU), and Letters of Agreement (LOA) clearly delineate services and scope of work to be provided for online educational development.
  • The scope of work of an OPM must be clearly articulated in contracts and service agreements to ensure oversight of the provider’s role and clarity on responsibilities for all stakeholders.
  • Services provided by OPMs and external providers may include course content creation and review, QA/QC assessments, administrative technical support, student counseling support, and marketing/outreach.
  • To ensure transparency, UCLA Extension will thoroughly review OPM services, quality control/assessment, OPM-administered student course evaluation, and student experience in online courses involving OPM and external service providers each academic term.

B. Accessibility

UCLA Extension strives to make all courses inclusively accessible to all students and instructors, as well as staff members. All online courses, materials, and instruction should take into consideration a broad range of learners and instructors, learning styles, and abilities from course development and design through production and deployment. All applications, tools, and software licensed by external vendors should be assured as compliant with UC accessibility standards and requirements. UCLA Extension’s Academic & Faculty Affairs team ensures accessibility in online courses and works with Student Services and the Office of Disability Services (ODS) to provide necessary accommodations for students.

1. As a public educational institution, UCLA and UCLA Extension are subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) mandate for “equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, State and local government services, and telecommunications.”

2. The University of California Office of the President has established two primary standards for information technology accessibility:

  • UC requires the implementation of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG), Level AA, for products/services with Web or Internet Access (https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag).
  • UC strongly recommends the compliance of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act for telecommunications products; video and multimedia products; self-contained, closed products; and desktop and portable computers(https://www.section508.gov/content/learn/laws-andpolicies).

3. All online courses and content must be accessible for students with disabilities and compliant with the rules set forth in UC policies on electronic accessibility, including conformance to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG), Level AA, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1998, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508. To ensure this compliance, UCLA Extension has adopted web standards for accessibility as articulated in UC policy.

4. All course-related materials when presented through the LMS, linked learning tools and platforms, and public-facing institutionally owned websites must conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG), Level AA. Relevant UCLA Extension staff and development and production teams shall refer to the UC’s resources on electronic accessibility for more information.

5. UCLA Extension staff shall be made aware of and trained on the topic, key issues and institutional expectations for online curriculum and sites to be compliant with accessibility requirements. This training will be developed and conducted in collaboration among the UCLA Extension Dean’s Office, ITS, Student and Alumni Services, UCLA Extension’s Institutional Training Coordinator and other relevant staff.

6. The UC policy on Information Technology Accessibility requires that electronic and digital products or services purchased/licensed by or on behalf of the University will be accessible to individuals with disabilities. All vendor contracts and agreements should conform to the guidelines set forth in the UC’s Guidelines for Purchasing Accessible IT Products or Services, including the bid process, supplier demos/tests, and verification of the products/services’ accessibility after purchase/license.

C. Intellectual Property and Ownership of Online Courses

UCLA Extension strives to produce online curriculum in mutually beneficial agreements that enable reasonable, shared use and rights that adhere to UC and UCLA policies on copyright and intellectual property, while enabling the continued growth and development of UCLA Extension’s online courses and programs. To this purpose all written contracts, partnership agreements, Memorandums of Understanding (MOU), Letters of Agreement (LOA), or other forms of contract, must clearly stipulate who owns the content and attendant rights for use.

1. The development of online courses and programs approved for inclusion in UCLA Extension’s curriculum may involve activities by an instructor, subject matter expert, course author, contributor and/or developer. These course and program offerings may be expressly commissioned by UCLA Extension for inclusion in UCLA Extension courses/program offerings, and the terms of work, collaboration, and how Intellectual Property will be owned and controlled shall be stipulated and delineated in a written contract, MOU, LOA, or other agreement.

2. Per UC policy on Ownership of Course Materials, ownership of the rights to course materials created by a UC employee without the use of exceptional university resources are owned by them, and with the use of exceptional university resources shall be governed by and indicated in a written contract and agreement. Exceptional university resources are understood as use of university facilities and funds that are in significant excess of the customary support generally available to a UC faculty/employee. UC campuses will create policies to identify when exceptional resources are used and will decide if an agreement is needed before committing resources. UCLA Extension will document and contractually designate the use of exceptional resources for developing online courses.

3. Pursuant to UC policy on Copyright Ownership and the UC Policy on Ownership of Course Materials, commissioned works are ordinarily owned by the Regents of the University of California. As a condition to participate in the development and production of UCLA Extension online courses, to comply with the UC policy on Copyright Ownership, all instructors, subject matter experts, course authors, contributors and/or developers are required to execute a written contract and agreement with UCLA Extension that specifically acknowledges that copyright is owned by The Regents on behalf of UCLA Extension.

4. The UCLA Extension ownership shall include the right to offer online courses and programs taught by instructors other than the instructors, subject matter experts, course authors, contributors and/or developers who were involved in the original creation and production.

5. When the course instructor is a UC employee or faculty, pursuant to UC policy on Copyright Ownership, the instructor, as a designated academic or instructional appointee, shall own the portions of the online course created by them. When the online course content was created collaboratively such that authorship is considered joint authorship, the ownership of the content shall be jointly owned by the appointees.

6. On an exception basis, UC faculty may be selected to produce an online course by their department as part of their assigned teaching load. When this is applicable to UCLA Extension’s programs, the terms of the contract and agreement shall reflect such exception and the faculty member may either elect to retain copyright ownership in the online course subject to an exclusive, perpetual, worldwide license to The Regents on behalf of UCLA Extension to distribute the online course or to assign the copyrights to UCLA Extension while retaining a license to use the online course for their teaching and research activities.

D. Production Costs and Online Instruction Revenue

UCLA Extension supports innovation and entrepreneurial activities in unitbearing, credit/degree and non-degree courses, academic and non-academic programs in electronic and online formats. Institutionally, UCLA Extension will invest, fully or partially, in the development of new online courses.

  • UCLA Extension’s current business model for online courses includes the following factors:
    • An analysis of prior and projected future enrollments;
    • An analysis of staff time costs;
    • The production costs including contributor/course author/instructor/ SME/program coordinator compensation, the creation of the course materials, and the creation of the course using the particular medium/media to be utilized;
    • The projected revenue based on enrollments, fees per unit at the time, and the number of units specified for the course;
    • The number of years selected to amortize the production costs;
    • The periodicity of course renewal and the costs projected with this activity;
    • The costs of offering the course including contributor/course author/instructor/ SME/program coordinator compensation, and the cost of UCLA Extension infrastructure, including administrative & institutional overhead, to provide services and support.
  • UCLA Extension shall determine course and program enrollment fees and revenue in accordance with executed partnership agreements as articulated in a contract, MOU, or LOA.

E. Compensation / Teaching and Development Fees

  1. UCLA Extension, as specified in any written contract and agreement, will compensate the instructor, subject matter expert, course author, contributor and/or developer for their work and activities pertaining to the creation, development and production of an online course. A development fee will be paid by UCLA Extension as well as teaching fees when applicable per the terms of the contract and agreement, which shall include an agreed upon overall fee structure for all applicable costs.
  2. In the case of a UC faculty member who participates as a designated academic or instructional appointee and contributor or online course instructor, unless operating under an exception reflected in the contract and agreement, may be subject to UC policy in the Academic Personnel Manual 025, and such faculty must ensure compliance with this policy.
  3. In accordance with UC policy in the Academic Personnel Manual 662, a teaching fee will not be provided when the course is part of a faculty member's assigned teaching load or constitutes an extra course taken on voluntarily. However, also in accordance with APM - 662, faculty members may receive additional compensation for specified additional University teaching activities, including UCLA Extension courses and programs, other continuing education programs run by the University, and self-supporting UC degree programs. These activities are also reportable and counted within the 39/48-day stipulation of time allowed for outside professional activities.
  4. For schools covered by the UCLA Health School Compensation Plans faculty shall report compensation such as development fees and teaching fees and the school/department will decide if this compensation must be deposited into the HSCP.

F. Administration and Curriculum Rules of Online Courses and Programs

UCLA Extension will establish curriculum rules, processes and procedures for all online courses and programs. They will serve as the foundation for student counseling and be recorded by the Registrar in systems to enable audits of student status and progress. UCLA Extension’s online courses and programs are subject to UCLA Extension policy AA150 Certificate Programs and other applicable UCLA academic policies.

  1. Access to the LMS. Once enrolled in an online, hybrid or web-enhanced course, students may log in to the LMS and establish their account and become familiar with the online environment. The access window to the course will commence at least 2 days prior to the course start date and continue for up to 30 days after the date of the last class. Students have full access to the course for two weeks following the course end date, after which access will become read-only for the remaining portion of the 30-day period.
  2. Admission Standards and Student Eligibility. UCLA Extension’s online courses and programs are typically open enrollment and student eligibility is stipulated in Extension academic policy. By design and default, candidacy in online certificate programs generally requires no evidence of award of a baccalaureate degree and are characterized by open enrollment and selfdirected completion, although admission requirements and certain conditions of matriculation may also be acceptable. Admission to an online degree program shall be determined by the UCLA department offering the program and UCLA Extension’s involvement, if any, in an admission process should be determined by a mutual agreement and MOU.
  3. English Language Proficiency and Language Requirements. Requirements for English language proficiency as stated in UCLA Extension academic policy apply to UCLA Extension online courses and programs, and when applicable may be added to or superseded by language requirements stipulated within partnership contracts and agreements. The language standard for UCLA Extension online course production and instruction is English, and additional language versions may be developed based on need and resources.
  4. Grading. All grading policies as regulated in UC and UCLA Academic Senate and UCLA Extension’s policies, specifically AA121 Credit, Grading and the Continuing Education Unit, apply to online courses and programs in which academic credit is earned, and grades apply. In the case of the interim grade of I (Incomplete) the following rule applies:
    • Instructors assigning the grade of I (Incomplete) will follow the same stipulations as stated above for I grades, and the student will continue to have access to the LMS to complete the course up to the end of the ensuing academic quarter.
  5. Scholarship Standard. The scholarship standard as stated in UCLA Extension policy AA150 Certificate Programs applies to online courses and programs. The scholarship standard for UCLA Extension’s certificate programs is expressed as a required minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) as defined by the Program Director (PD). As a condition of award, each student is expected to complete and pass the curricular requirements of the program, and to do so having met or exceeded the minimum GPA earned in those courses related to the curriculum. Candidates in Certificate programs may not enroll on a pass/not-pass or satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis to make progress toward completion and award.
  6. Student Conduct and Academic Integrity. UCLA Extension policy SA507 Student Rights & Responsibilities on matters of academic integrity, academic dishonesty and student conduct apply to online courses and programs.
  7. Student Services Support. Student services and support for UCLA Extension online courses and programs shall follow UCLA Extension policy and/or as stipulated in partnership contracts and agreements. Student services shall include, but are not limited to: enrollment, admissions, records, payments, program candidacy, transcripts, financial aid, advising, issuance of academic credentials, and career development.

 

References and Listing

Questions and comments are welcomed by the Office of the Dean, Continuing Education and UCLA Extension, (310) 825-2362; DeansOffice@uclaextension.edu.

For additional information, see: