Sonoma State University
Exterior view of Stevenson Hall

Propose a Course/Program

Benefits of Teaching for Extended Education

With almost 7,000 students enrolled each year and a dedication to providing quality attention to students, Extended Education is always looking for new instructors who have a passion for sharing their knowledge with others. Extended Education instructors are working professionals, noted specialists, and experts in the fields they are teaching.

  1. Our courses are offered in a variety of formats, so instructors can select the format that best suits their lives. Classes are offered during the day, at night, and on the weekends.
  2. Many of our instructors are experienced teachers who find they benefit and learn from their classes almost as much as they contribute to the students' learning.

There are several different opportunities for faculty to teach through Extended Education at Sonoma State University. The following are forms for opportunities currently available:

How to Propose a Course/Program

Academic Credit Courses

Academic credit courses may be offered through Special Sessions during the fall and spring semesters, and during the summer. All Special Sessions courses are subject to the limitations set forth in CSU Executive Order 1099, and must be approved by the appropriate SSU department chair and academic dean.

Please complete the Special Sessions academic credit course proposal form, including department chair and academic dean approval, and submit the form to Julie Shell at [email protected].

For more information about submitting a Special Session academic credit course proposal, please contact Julie Shell at 707 664-2396 or [email protected].

This form is best filled out in a PDF program such as Adobe Acrobat or Preview.

Academic Credit Programs

For more information about proposing an academic credit program, please contact Extended Education at [email protected].

Winter Intersession

For more information about proposing a Winter Intersession course, please visit the Intersession website.

Professional Development Certificate Programs

To propose a new course for a Professional Development Certificate Program, please complete the Certificate Consideration Form under STEP 1 and submit by email.

Once your form has gone through STEPS 1-4, and been approved by both the Intake Committee and Extended Education Curriculum Committee, you may submit the Course Proposal Form under Step 5.

For more information, view the Certificate Approval Process Diagram.

Please contact Megan Metz at metzme@sonoma.edu with any questions.

Lifelong Learning Programs

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

To be added to our faculty mailing list for future course proposals, please email the OLLI program assistant, Grace Burroughs at  [email protected], or call: 707-664-2691.

EXCEL for Youth

Teach for EXCEL for youth summer program. The EXCEL Program offers students entering the 4-9th grades a unique opportunity for academic enrichment in accelerated classes. This program runs several one-week session classes and during the summer (generally at end of June and most of July). 

Questions? Email us at [email protected].

Academic Credit Courses

New Course Proposals

New course proposals will first be reviewed by the Extended Education Curriculum Committee for completeness of information supplied and compliance with the general criteria. Upon approval, a suitable course number will be determined and the proposal will be forwarded to the appropriate Department(s) for signature.

Extended Education requires at least six to eight weeks for a course to be reviewed and approved. Only after approval is communicated should publicity mentioning CEU or academic credit from SSU be disseminated to your prospective students.

During the process, you may be asked to submit additional information or to make changes to bring your proposal into compliance with guidelines. New course proposals should include:

  • A completed Course Proposal Form with:
    • Instructor contact information, including brief biography
    • Offering agency, if any
    • Course information, including brief description
    • Schedule, time, and location
    • Type of credit requested
  • A narrative describing class objectives
  • Instructor resume or curriculum vita (include appropriate qualifications and degrees)
  • A draft of the syllabus and class schedule
  • List of Course handouts (provide up to 3 examples)

In addition, academic credit proposals must include the following in a draft syllabus:

  • Course learning objectives/student outcomes
  • An example of at least one reading assignment
  • An example of at least one assessed assignment (what students will be doing to earn credit, such as writing a paper, taking a test, keeping a journal, or developing lesson plans). This activity must be related to stated objectives.
  • Sufficient information to justify the approval of academic credit units (i.e., the nature of student work with academic rigor).
Repeat Course Proposals

Courses which have been approved within the last three years and are being offered again with no substantial change to the syllabus or instructor, may be proposed again as a repeat course. Repeats courses may have an abbreviated re-approval process.

If a course has substantial changes in content, delivery, instructor, or if it has been more than one year since the course was previously approved by SSU as a contract course, please follow the New Course proposal process above.

To schedule a class again (within three years of previous approval), we will need:

  • The Course Proposal Form
  • Course description
  • Schedule of activities
  • Dates and information on previous approval
  • Extended Education may request a new copy of the course syllabus and assignment examples, if necessary, for review.

Course Fees

See Fee Schedule for more information.