Hybrid @ FIU

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.
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.
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

Hybrid Program Application

*All fields are required

Course Information

I agree to the requirements and responsibilities outlined above.

Hybrid FAQ

What is the definition of “hybrid” at FIU?
In keeping with the State of Florida Board of Governors’ definition of hybrid, hybrid at FIU is defined as a course that has 50% of instruction conducted out-of-class/online/otherwise and the other 50% of instruction conducted in-class, on campus. To maximize classroom space and utilization, hybrid courses must be scheduled once per week with a 50% reduction of in-class time (e.g. 3 credit courses meet once per week for 75 minutes).
What is the Hybrid @ FIU certification program?
In an effort to promote student learning and better utilization of resources, FIU’s BeyondPossible2020 Strategic Plan aimed to offer 30% of all credit hours at the university in a hybrid format. The Hybrid @ FIU certification program was developed to assist faculty with hybrid design and pedagogy. Faculty participate in an extensive professional development program focused on hybrid course design, lead by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching, are assigned an Instructional Designer from FIU Online, earn a one-time stipend of $1,500, and receive the designation “Certified Hybrid Instructor.”
What is the difference between a Certified Hybrid Course and other Hybrid Courses?
The “certification” is meant to recognize and identify faculty's completion of the Hybrid @ FIU certification program. Courses scheduled in the Certified Hybrid modality are in compliance with FIU's definition of hybrid, are assigned an instructional designer, and taught by hybrid certified instructors. Other hybrid scheduling modalities are reserved for market rate and self-supporting programs.
How should Chairs, Departments, and Colleges determine which faculty should participate in the Hybrid @ FIU certification program?
Because the design of hybrid curricular materials and instructional design is particularly important to the success of the course, CAT works with department Chairs to identify courses that lend themselves to the hybrid structure. We ask that Chairs/Departments/Colleges consider faculty who may be well-suited to teaching in this format. Since the strategic plan goal is based on student credit hours, it is also important to consider which courses may have more impact, such as those with high enrollment and those that run every semester (vs. low-enrollment electives, for instance). Please also take into account the current unit schedule, noting that many faculty who apply will already be scheduled to teach a full load. Finally, we hope Chairs/Departments/Colleges consider which individual courses lend themselves to hybrid and encourage the faculty who teach those courses to complete the program.
Who schedules Certified Hybrid Courses?
The department/unit schedulers are responsible for scheduling Certified Hybrid Courses. Schedulers enter the "Instruction Mode" "H" in PantherSoft for courses taught by Certified Hybrid Instructors.
Once faculty have been approved by the Chair to participate in the Hybrid @ FIU program, have been accepted, and have confirmed their acceptance, all chairs will receive a final notice of faculty from their unit who will be participating in the pilot so that the department scheduler may make adjustments to the course schedule and, if necessary, the schedule of the faculty.
How do I know what the scheduling criteria and meeting pattern is for Certified Hybrid Courses?
CAT works with unit schedulers to clarify which courses can be scheduled as Certified Hybrid. The scheduling parameters can be found by reviewing the Guidelines for Certified Hybrid Contact Hours by Semester and Number of Credits. Only Certified Hybrid Instructors can teach courses in the Certified Hybrid modality at FIU. Additional scheduling questions can be answered by your Instructional Design Manager at FIU Online.
How do I know who is a Certified Hybrid Instructor?
Please contact the hybrid team for a list of hybrid certified instructors in your department.
Does scheduling a faculty for a certified hybrid course count as overload?
No, hybrid courses scheduled as part of the Hybrid @ FIU program are considered to be in-load and not added as a faculty overload. This is important to keep in mind when applying for or approving faculty for the Hybrid @ FIU program since teaching a hybrid course may require adjustments to the teaching schedule.
How do I access and submit my work during the training?
About two to three weeks before the hybrid training begins, participants will receive an email from hybrid@fiu.edu with a unique OneDrive link to their hybrid worksheet packet. Participants will work within the hybrid worksheet packet on the redesign of their courses and submit the hybrid worksheet packet to the Hybrid FIU Develop course via the same unique OneDrive link.
How can I confirm that my Certified Hybrid Course is scheduled correctly?
If you are scheduled for a Certified Hybrid course, you can confirm that the course is scheduled correctly following these steps:
- Sign into MyFIU;
- Navigate to your course schedule;
- Click on each course to see the Class Details - the Instruction Mode should be set to "Hybrid/Certified" as highlighted in the image below.
What if I have more questions?
If you have any additional questions regarding the Hybrid @ FIU certification program, please contact the hybrid team.

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