THE FINISHED-COURSE HANDOFF
Your Course Is Built. How Do You Submit It for College Review?
Give the review team a clear place to start, the files it needs and a way to ask questions.
For experts preparing a finished continuing-education course for partner review.
The lessons are built. The practice tasks are ready. Now the course needs to reach the people who will review it. A good submission makes that work easy to follow.
Start with the partner’s instructions. Then send one clear package through the agreed route. SkillShiftEd coordinates course packaging and submission through college partners. The college makes its own review and approval decisions.
01 · THE ROUTE
Confirm where the package goes.
A folder link may be part of the handoff. It may not be the whole process. Ask your named contact which form, portal or review space to use. Confirm who will submit it and who will answer questions.
College instructions differ. For example, City College of New York’s proposal form asks people who emailed a proposal to complete its form too. That is an intake example, not a checklist for every finished course.
- Confirm the scope.Does this round need the full course, a sample or a specific set of files? Use the list for this stage.
- Confirm the format.Ask about file types, size limits, naming rules and access to the learning platform.
- Confirm the timing.Ask for the due date, the next review window and when to check back.
- Confirm the point person.Keep one contact for questions about the package. Agree who will pass on any changes.
Agree on the handoff with your project contact. SkillShiftEd handles packaging and submission work. Avoid sending a second copy to a college on your own unless that is part of the agreed plan.
02 · THE CONTENTS
Make the package easy to review.
A complete package contains what the review team asked for, in a form it can use. Use the list below as a starting point. Match it to the partner’s requirements before you send it.
- A short course guide.State the title, intended learner, entry skills, learning goals, course length and delivery format. Add a lesson outline and the current version date.
- The finished lessons.Include the requested videos, readings, slides and downloads. Show the lesson order. Make clear which files are for learners and which are for staff.
- Practice and checks.Include the tasks learners will complete. Add answer keys or review guides where needed, with any rules for passing or finishing the course.
- Access and media notes.Include captions and transcripts as needed, plus any other access support the course uses. Flag known gaps. Explain where each item can be found.
- Teaching and support details.Include the requested instructor bio or resume. Say who answers lesson questions, fixes broken links and keeps the content current.
- Rights and required tools.Identify outside material and record the permission or license that allows its use. List tools, accounts or materials learners need.
Put a short read-me file at the top. Point to each part of the package. Keep old drafts outside the review folder so no one has to guess which file is current.
For a made-up course on running team meetings, the read-me could point to a course guide, lesson videos, an agenda worksheet and a review guide for the final task. The same course title and version date appear across the set. This is an example, not a partner’s required format.
03 · THE HANDOFF
Test access before you send.
A link that works for you may fail for a reviewer. Test the package with the access level the review team will have. Use a separate review account if the platform requires one. Share it through the agreed method.
- Open every link.Check each lesson, download and source. Confirm that a reviewer can reach the whole course, including later lessons.
- Try a complete learner task.Play the media, open the worksheet and follow the instructions. Check the answer or feedback path too.
- Check access support.Try the captions and transcripts. Check that key visual details are also explained in a usable form. W3C’s media guidance can help plan this check.
- Save the submitted version.Record what you sent, when you sent it and where it went. Keep the receipt or reference number if the system provides one.
Keep the cover note short. Name the course and version. Point to the starting file. Say who can answer questions and ask how receipt will be confirmed. List any agreed exceptions so they are visible from the start.
Give named reviewers the access they need. Do not share your own login or make the whole folder public just to fix a broken link. Agree how long review access should stay open.
04 · WHAT COMES NEXT
Leave room for review and changes.
A receipt means the package arrived. It does not mean the course is approved. Review may involve more than one team. Cal Poly Humboldt’s published process, for example, includes review by Extended Education and an academic department. Each partner sets its own route.
Ask your contact what this review covers and when to expect an update. If that date passes, send a brief check-in through the agreed contact. Avoid planning a public launch around a date that has not been confirmed.
- A request for more detail
- Answer the exact question. Point to the relevant lesson or add the missing file.
- A request for changes
- Keep one list of requests, owners and due dates. Send the revised version with a short note showing what changed.
- A hold or a no
- Ask whether there is a next step, a later review window or a change that would make a new review useful.
- An approval
- Confirm its scope in writing. Ask what still needs to happen before catalog listing, enrollment and launch.
Keep one current package through the review. If you find an error after sending, tell your contact and agree how to replace it. A dated change log helps everyone review the same work.
SkillShiftEd helps build and package your program, then handles the work to seek college placement. Start by telling us about your expertise and what you have so far.
Explore a SkillShiftEd partnership
05 · QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
A few practical questions.
Do I need a finished course to speak with SkillShiftEd?
No. You can start with a course, book, workshop, notes or a strong idea. A first conversation helps establish fit and the work needed. The finished-package handoff comes later.
How long does college review take?
Ask the partner contact for the review window and next update date. The route, schedule and requested changes affect timing. Do not treat a receipt as a decision date.
Should I send all my working files?
Send the files and source formats the review team requests. Keep old drafts separate. If a source file is needed for editing or platform setup, agree how it should be shared.
Can I call my course college-approved once I submit it?
No. Submission starts or advances a review. Use only the status the college has confirmed, and confirm the wording before you make a public claim.