Online Faculty Certification Program
SDCCD Online Learning Pathways Online Faculty Certification Program (Canvas-based)
The Online Faculty Certification Program covers distance education guidelines, andragogy for distance education, and the California Virtual Campus (CVC) Rubric. This program may take up to 20 hours to complete depending on your experience, dedicated time, and effort.
The Online Faculty Certification Program ensures that faculty are aware of and follow State and Federal regulations, WASC accreditation, distance education guidelines, and are proficient in the tools and techniques for effective teaching in a distance education modality.
- Distance Education Guidelines for CA Community Colleges
- ACCJC/WASC Guide to Evaluating Distance Education
- Title 5 Distance Education Regulations
- Regular and Substantive Interaction (Student to Student and Faculty to Student)
- Federal Financial Aid in Distance Education
- Student Success and Retention Strategies
- Humanizing & Equity Considerations
- Student Authentication and Authentic Assessment
- Copyright
- Accessibility
- Open Educational Resources (OER)
How to Complete OFCP
In order to receive your SDCCD Online Teaching Certificate you must complete a two-part online training.
- Part 1: Teaching with Canvas & Online Accessibility (Approx. 5 hours – open entry)
- Part 2: Introduction to Online Instruction (Approx. 15 hours – 4 weeks – offered each month)
OFCP or equivalent is required for an distance education teaching assignment at SDCCD.
Download OFCP Course Information Flyer
Learn More About OFCP Part 1 & Part 2
OFCP Part 1
Teaching with Canvas & Online Accessibility
Overview
- Estimated 5 hours
- 100% online
- Self-Paced
Who is this for?
Faculty who wish to teach online. The course will cover:
- Leverage Canvas features
- Video Creation
- Accessibility
Offerings
Part 1 required before attempting Part 2: Introduction to Online Instruction.
Topics
- Customize profile & notification settings
- Adjust course settings & navigation
- Add content to the Syllabus
- Create accessible front page, assignment, announcement, module, new page, quiz
- Gradebook & SpeedGrader
- Test Student view
- Creating & embedding accessible video
- Preparing a course to be Published
- Accessibility
OFCP Part 2
Introduction to Online Instruction
Overview
- Estimated 15 hours
- 100% Online
- Facilitated
Who is this for?
Faculty who wish to teach a distance education course and have completed Part 1: Teaching with Canvas & Online Accessibility.
Topics
- Distance Education Guidelines for CA Community Colleges
- ACCJC/WASC Guide to Evaluating Distance Education
- Title 5 Distance Education Regulations
- Regular & Substantive Interaction
- Federal Financial Aid in Distance Education
- Student Success and Retention Strategies
- Humanizing & Equity Considerations
- Student Authentication and Authentic Assessment
- Copyright
- Accessibility
- Open Educational Resources (OER)
OFCP Part 2 Offerings
Upon successful completion of Part 1: Teaching with Canvas & Online Accessibility, you may choose any cycle start date below to start Part 2: Introduction to Online Instruction.
To navigate the accordions below, select ▼ to expand the section.
July 2024 - June 2025
Length: 1 Hour
The following are required live session dates.
- Thursday, June 12 (Either 8AM or 12PM)
- Thursday, June 26 (Either 8AM or 12PM)
July 2025 - June 2026
Length: 1 Hour
The following are required live session dates.
- Thursday, July 10 (Either 8AM or 12PM)
- Thursday, July 24 (Either 8AM or 12PM)
Length: 1 Hour
There are two required live sessions; to be announced
Length: 1 Hour
There are two required live sessions; to be announced
Length: 1 Hour
There are two required live sessions; to be announced
Length: 1 Hour
There are two required live sessions; to be announced
Due to scheduled holidays, we are scheduling our yearly course maintenance during this time. Please check back later to see further offerings on this page in November.
Common Questions
To navigate the accordions below, select ▼ to expand the section.
OFCP is designed to guide you through the process of building the online course you will soon teach for SDCCD.
You'll learn Canvas fundamentals and develop a fully designed course ready for instruction by the end of the program.
If you're bringing in a course you've taught elsewhere or inheriting one, you'll have the chance to apply effective teaching practices, while exploring advanced Canvas features.
Our goal is to guide you step-by-step as you prepare the course you'll be teaching for SDCCD.
There are two parts to OFCP that must be taken in order.
Part 1 enrollment
OFCP Part 1: Teaching with Canvas & Online Accessibility has open enrollment throughout the year.
To enroll, please submit the following form: SDCCD Online Faculty Certification Program Part 1.
Preview of Part 1 Canvas course card.
Upon submission of this form, you will be enrolled into:
SDCCD Online Faculty Certification Program by Online Learning Pathways
Part 1: Teaching with Canvas & Online Accessibility
After successful completion of Part 1: Teaching with Canvas & Online Accessibility, you will be provided a form to register to Part 2: Introduction to Online Instruction.
Part 2 enrollment
OFCP Part 2: Introduction to Online Instruction is a synchronous course with assigned due dates and live meetings (see OFCP Part 2 Offerings for more information.)
2025
- Jan 2 – Jan 29
- Feb 3 – Feb 28
- Mar 3 – Mar 28
- Apr 1 – Apr 28
- May 1 – May 28
- June 2 – June 27
2026
- July 1 – July 27
- Aug 4 – Aug 31
- Sep 1 – Sep 28
- Oct 1 – Oct 28
- Nov 3 – Nov 30
Two. You must complete the courses in this order:
First, you will need to complete Part 1: Teaching with Canvas & Online Accessibility.
Then, you will need to complete Part 2: Introduction to Online Instruction.
Each successfully completion of each course you will receive a badge. In addition, you may be eligible for either Flex Credit or salary advancement for contract faculty.
OFCP is split into two parts to provide additional time for participants who need support in famliarizing themselves to the technical aspects of Canvas in OFCP Part 1.
If you have never used Canvas, you will be learning how to effectively organize your course, build modules, pages, create assignments, and other basic Canvas features.