FIU’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT), in collaboration with FIU Online and Educational Technology Services, are supporting the Hybrid @ FIU certification program. Aligning with FIU’s Next Horizon 2025 Strategic Plan student success and retention goals, this professional development program explores the potential of hybrid course design to enhance teaching and learning experiences.
In recognition of the time and effort it takes to prepare an effective hybrid course, the Office of the Provost funds a one-time incentive to instructors completing the hybrid certification requirements. Upon completing all of the program’s requirements, which consist of completing the professional development and teaching the newly-designed hybrid course, faculty will be designated a Certified Hybrid Instructor and thus be able to teach any course in the Certified Hybrid modality as well as continue to teach courses in other modalities. Only faculty who have earned this certification can teach courses in the Certified Hybrid modality at FIU.
Program Overview
FIU's team of teaching, learning, and instructional design experts have designed comprehensive professional development programming to support faculty on the hybrid journey. In this program, typically completed the semester before the hybrid course is scheduled, faculty will work on revising or designing one course to be offered in the hybrid modality. Faculty will have the opportunity to submit elements of their course design for feedback from the hybrid team at CAT and faculty fellows. They will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other faculty across disciplines. In addition, faculty will be asked to evaluate their hybrid course using FIU’s Learning-Centered Hybrid Rubric and to submit this completed rubric to the professional development team. Please contact the hybrid team if you would like to review the rubric. Applications will be prioritized based on strategic planning and professional development capacity; applications for undergraduate courses will, therefore, be given priority. Upon completing all of the requirements of this program, faculty will be designated a Certified Hybrid Instructor and thus be able to teach any course in the hybrid modality (as well as continue to teach courses in other modalities).
Faculty Responsibilities
- The instructor is the primary instructor on record for the Certified Hybrid course. Ideally, the Certified Hybrid course should be scheduled for the semester immediately following participation in the program.
- The course assignment as Certified Hybrid is approved by the Academic Unit/Department Chair. Faculty will be asked to confirm participation in all professional development sessions after approval by the the Academic Unit/Department Chair.
- Faculty participate in all of the hybrid professional development sessions, in their entirety, for their chosen cohort (as outlined in Timelines, below) and complete all in-session and out-of-session activities (within three semesters after participating in the program).
- The instructor’s hybrid course reflects a format in which 50% of the course content and activities are conducted in-class and 50% of the course content and activities are conducted out-of-class, including online components administered through the university’s official learning management system (Canvas).
- Faculty agree to allow the hybrid team to access the online portion of their course throughout the pilot semester of the course, and whenever possible, to schedule a visit to their in-class session.
- Faculty will self-evaluate their hybrid course using a learning-centered rubric once they have begun teaching the course.
Academic Unit Responsibilities
- The department chair approves the instructor’s application for the Hybrid Program. Factors to consider for approval should include:
- Consideration of the course selected to be taught in the hybrid modality and whether it supports the department's needs and goals;
- Ensuring that the instructor's teaching schedule does not conflict with the scheduled professional development sessions.
- Consideration of the course selected to be taught in the hybrid modality and whether it supports the department's needs and goals;
- The academic unit schedules the hybrid course’s face-to-face session at a 50% reduction in in-person time, once per week. For example, a three-credit certified hybrid course taught in a regular (16-week) session would meet once per week for 75 minutes. Review the Guidelines for Certified Hybrid Contact Hours by Semester and Number of Credits. Any deviation from this standard schedule must be approved by the Hybrid Team and meet any requirements from the Office of Class Management.
- The Certified Hybrid course should be scheduled for the semester immediately following participation in the program or within the three semesters immediately following faculty's participation in the program.
- The Certified Hybrid course should be scheduled for the semester immediately following participation in the program or within the three semesters immediately following faculty's participation in the program.
- Academic units schedule the Certified Hybrid course in MyFIU/PantherSoft using “H” as the Instruction Mode.
- The course must not be cross-listed or otherwise combined with a course offered in a non-hybrid modality (i.e. traditional face-to-face or online), a different meeting pattern, or FEEDS.
Compensation
Completion of this program within one calendar year/three semesters after participating in the professional development sessions (e.g. if the hybrid program is completed in Fall 3000, faculty will need to complete all requirements before or in Fall 3001) is accompanied by a one-time $1,500 incentive (please note: graduate students are not eligible for the stipend). Upon completion of the program, the incentive will be issued by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching during the first semester in which the hybrid course is taught.
Timelines
When the hybrid class will be taught: | Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 | Summer or Fall 2026 |
---|---|---|
Final Day to Apply | March 18, 2025 | TBA |
Professional Development Session Location | Virtual (Zoom) | MMC |
Professional Development Session Dates |
|
|