CSU Receives Newest Quality Matters Certification for Courses

In its effort to continue to deliver high-caliber course instruction, Columbia Southern University (CSU) is utilizing the Quality Matters (QM) program to enhance its online education classes. 
Currently, CSU has seven courses that are QM certified, including English Composition II, Health Care Management, Construction Safety, and most recently, Advanced Marketing.

“Quality Matters certification of Columbia Southern University courses verifies to our students, accreditors, and the general public that our institution is committed to excellence in online learning,” said Jeff Barksdale, provost and chief academic officer. “To achieve excellence, CSU has chosen to employ a set of universally accepted Quality Matters standards to guide the design of our online courses.”

Quality Matters is a recognized leader in quality assurance for online education that utilizes a faculty-centered process for review of courses considered for certification. While a Quality Matters course review focuses on design only, the institutional benefits of the process include enhanced learning, improved instruction, assessment and feedback and professional development.

Utilizing this concept allows CSU to offer high-quality online courses designed to engage students and promote success. In addition, Quality Matters guidelines include the consistent design between courses, resulting in ease of navigation for students who have taken more than one course.

“The Quality Matters process is focused on the student’s perspective, which means it’s about the course design and the student’s experience with the course. With so many online options available to students, they can feel confident in their choice to attend CSU knowing that we make quality a priority,” added Barksdale.