Overview
There are specific expectations for all courses taught at Vanguard University, in addition to any further requirements established within individual programs. Below are the Vanguard University Essential Course Quality Standards, which are divided into the following categories: Canvas fundamentals, communication, assessment and attendance, and accessibility.
Canvas
Canvas is used to facilitate course communication, learner assessment and feedback, and date specific information and deadlines. Vanguard University requires every course in Canvas to include:
- Complete assignment descriptions and instructions
- Online submission options for assignments within Canvas (with exceptions such as lab assignments)
- Due dates and a class schedule (Note that when you add an assignment, it automatically gets added to the calendar)
- Online syllabus, the program and course learning outcomes, and course policies
- Online quizzes and exams (when called for in the specific course’s assessment methods)
- Online asynchronous learning materials, such as slide decks, lecture videos, and other resources (when used)
- Online copies of all course handouts and materials in a format that can be completed digitally (no printer required)
- An organized course structure, such as Modules, that students can easily navigate
- Use of Canvas Gradebook; grades/assessment feedback provided in Canvas
Browse the Explore Canvas page of this site for related resources. Additionally, the Instructure Canvas Guides provide continually-updated written and video guides, all easily searchable from the Instructure Community.
Communication
These essential course standards also require a communication plan, articulated in the syllabus, that describes:
- Expected time for response to student inquiries
- Anticipated duration for grades and feedback to be provided after students submit an assignment
Review the Communicating with Your Students and Communicating Your Plan and Intentions articles for more information.
Assessment and attendance
Vanguard’s standards require that each course articulates an assessment plan and monitors attendance. These requirements include:
- Regular assessments that gauge student learning and to provide opportunities to identify when students are struggling
- Completion of the Report of Non-Attendance and Academic Progress Reports on a timeline specified by the Office of the Registrar
Explore the Assess Learning and Design a Class sections of this knowledge base for related resources.
Accessibility
Each Vanguard University course must attend to accessibility. All learners benefit from having a course that meets certain fundamental accessibility standards. Those practices specifically required include:
- All videos must be captioned (either from the video provider, or via ones that are created in Canvas Studio) or have a machine-readable transcript
- All course elements employ an accessibility checker and repair recommendations are followed. Manual checks may also be done using accessibility checklists, such as this Digital Accessibility Checklist from Oakland University
Please review the Teach a Class section of the T+L knowledge base for related resources.
For additional information about any of the Essential Course Quality Standards, consult your Chair, Director, or Dean.
Revisions
- Essential Quality Standards 1.0 established | 2020
- Essential Quality Standards 2.0 released | 2021
- Essential Quality Standards 3.0 released | 2022
- Created Course Quality Essentials resource on IFD knowledge base | 2023-04-15
- Resources added under each main category of the Essential Quality Standards | 2023-04-15
- Slight revisions to verbiage to establish greater consistency | 2023-04-15
- Verbiage simplified and mention of a specific attendance tool removed | 2025-04-14