Faculty Achievements with Course Design and Quality Assurance

Quality Matters Program

UA - Pulaski Technical College is committed to faculty excellence and student success in our Distance Education courses. Our internal Online Course Design Quality Assurance process is informed by the nationally recognized Quality Matters (QM) rubric and standards (See Distance Education Handbook). As part of our commitment to supporting faculty in teaching and learning through Blackboard Ultra, UA-PTC has implemented the Quality Matters program.

The QM program supports continuous course improvement, strengthens online course design, and provides faculty with resources and professional development to enhance the student learning experience.

What is Quality Matters?

• Quality Matters is a nonprofit organization that provides tools, training, and resources to support quality assurance in online courses.
• Designed by faculty for faculty, the program includes three key components: a quality assurance rubric, a peer-review process, and professional development opportunities.
• The QM rubric is reviewed and updated periodically and is based on research, best practices, and sound instructional design principles. Quality Matters serves an increasing number of institutions across the United States and internationally.

What are the benefits?

• Faculty can use the QM rubric to guide the development and continuous improvement of their online courses.
• Participating in a QM course review—either through an official QM review or an internal review—provides faculty with an opportunity to strengthen their courses and develop skills in designing and managing courses in Blackboard Ultra.
• The peer-review process encourages faculty collaboration and the sharing of best practices in online and hybrid course design. QM also offers workshops and professional development opportunities to further support faculty in online instruction and course design.

How can I get involved?

UA-PTC offers resources and workshops to help faculty apply the QM rubric and meet QM standards. Contact Dr. Helen Hu at CETL or Dr. Robert Hall, our QM Coordinator, for more information about participating in an internal QM course review or becoming a course reviewer.

You can also learn more by visiting the Quality Matters website.

Congratulations to all our faculty members for their commitment to quality online teaching and continuous course improvement!

Internal Course Review Badges

A Bronze-Level badge indicates a course has met the 22 QM Essential Standards. A Silver-Level badge indicates a course has successfully met the 35 essential and very important standards. A Gold-Level badge indicates a course has successfully met all 44 QM Standards. If a course successfully meets one of the levels, an internal badge will be placed on the course and documented on the UA-PTC website.

Quality Matters Certification for Their Online Courses Recipients

Spring 2026 Internally Reviewed Courses

The following courses were internally reviewed and earned the QM Bronze Badge (Fulfilling all 22 Essential QM Standards) in Spring 2026. Congratulations to our faculty members on this achievement!

• Jessica Wise, ENGL 10103 English Comp I, Language and Communication Department
• Shannon S. Wilcox, HEAL 20003 Nutrition, Physical and Natural Sciences Department
• Dr. Aiwei Borengasser, BIOL 24003 Anatomy & Physiology I, Physical and Natural Sciences Department
• Shelly Hanson, MATH 11003 College Algebra, Mathematics Department
• Julia Ramey, PSYC 11003 Psychology & the Human Experience, Social and Behavioral Sciences Department

Blackboard Exemplary Course Award

Faculty member Kiki Heintz of the UA-PTC Language and Communication Department was selected to receive a 2026 Blackboard Exemplary Course Award for her course, Speech Communication.

The award letter reads, “The Exemplary Course Program honors faculty and instructional designers for exceptional course design. This prestigious award is based on the Anthology Exemplary Course Rubric, which highlights key characteristics of high-quality courses within the framework of Course Design, Interaction and Collaboration, Assessment, and Learner Support. Ms. Heintz’s remarkable contributions have enriched UA-PTC’s academic environment, providing an exemplary learning experience through the innovative use of Blackboard.

This award celebrates UA-PTC’s dedication to delivering high-quality educational experiences, setting a standard for institutions worldwide. Their work is instrumental in shaping the future of education and stands as a testament to excellence in course design.”

Congratulations Kiki!

Information about the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program and the 2026 award can be found at community.blackboard.com/public/blogs/ecp-may-2026.