FTC Online Education Sub-Committee

The FTC Online Education Sub-Committee is the primary faculty-oversight and operational advisory body within SMU's online education governance structure. The Sub-Committee has operated continuously within the Faculty Technology Council since 2022; some legacy materials refer to it by its earlier name, the Online Education Steering Team (OESTE). The Sub-Committee draws its membership from each of SMU's schools and colleges, relevant academic offices, and OIT's Online Production Services team. COE members also serve on the Sub-Committee, ensuring alignment between strategic and operational tiers.

Sub-Committee Charge — Operating Within FTC Since 2022

The FTC Online Education Sub-Committee is charged with supporting online education efforts across all SMU undergraduate, graduate, and noncredit offerings. The Sub-Committee provides faculty oversight and advisory input to the COE on university-wide policies and procedures for online education, and its members advocate for and disseminate information about online education within their respective units. As a sub-committee of the FTC, it operates under the Faculty Technology Council's established faculty governance authority.

The Sub-Committee is specifically charged to:

  • Advise the COE on production standards, policies, and institutional definitions for online course development and delivery
  • Facilitate cross-institutional communication, transparency, and problem-solving for online education
  • Surface issues, bottlenecks, and compliance concerns to the COE for executive resolution
  • Provide school-level feedback on QM review processes, faculty certification, and course production workflows
  • Support dissemination of COE policies, quality expectations, and modality definitions within each school or unit
  • Coordinate with the Faculty Technology Council (FTC) on matters of academic technology that intersect with online education

The Sub-Committee does not set institutional priorities, manage production work, or make policy independently. Policy authority resides with the COE; the Sub-Committee's authority is one of faculty oversight and advice exercised through the Faculty Technology Council.

Leadership

The Sub-Committee is co-led by Jennifer Jordan (Manager, Online Production Services, OIT) and Kimberly Rutigliano (Online Program Development, Moody School / SMU GO). Both co-leads also serve as members of the COE, ensuring direct strategic-to-operational alignment.

Meeting Cadence

The Sub-Committee meets monthly with school and area representatives.