Express Course Initiative
Information for Faculty and Staff
Increasing Express Course Offerings at PBSC
Palm Beach State College is proving that shorter, more focused express terms improve student outcomes — helping more Panthers stay on track, complete their programs and achieve their goals. Increasing the College's express course offerings builds on this success, positioning PBSC as a flexible, innovative institution that puts students first. The collective effort of our faculty, staff and administrators is integral to this transformation. Together, we are strengthening the student learning experience, removing barriers and empowering every student to succeed.
Enhancing Student Success
The College has provided express courses for decades and has collected data demonstrating that PBSC students complete express courses at higher rates than other courses. To learn more about how express terms benefit students, review the Research & Resources section or visit PBSC's Express Terms webpage for students.
From 2025 to 2028, PBSC is increasing its offerings of express courses from 14.5% of total courses to 75% of total courses. Most of the increase will come from converting full session 15-week courses to express 7.5-week courses.
Express Facts
- One-third of PBSC faculty currently teach express courses
- 456 express course sections are available in Express A and B terms in Fall 2025
- The completion rate for students taking PBSC’s Express A and B courses is 9% higher than other courses
Project Leadership Team
- Peter Barbatis, Vice President of Student Services and Enrollment Management
- Roger Yohe, Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs and Innovation
- Sheila-Scott-Lubin, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs
Timeframe
The College will follow a phased approach for increasing express courses. By the end of each academic year, the percentage of express courses offered at PBSC is expected to increase by 25% or higher.
Academic Year 2025-26:
25% express courses
Academic Year 2026-27:
50% express courses
Academic Year 2027-28:
75% express courses
Key Activities
Planning for the increase in express courses began in Summer 2024 at an Academic Affairs retreat. Throughout the 2024-25 academic year, the project leadership team held monthly meetings with internal stakeholders to identify departmental tasks. In Fall 2025, the College began a soft launch of general education courses in the express format. The project leadership team is continuing to lead key activities in the following areas.
Curriculum and Scheduling Adjustments
- Convert a group of general education courses from 15-week to 7.5-week formats for debut in Fall 2025, including SLS 1501, ENC 1101/1102, MAC 1105 and MAT1033C.
- Coordinate a College-wide schedule that ensures 80 contact hours per course.
- Define a process for academic clusters to request exemptions for courses not suited to express formats (due to regulatory, accreditation or instructional needs).
- Deploy a new scheduling software system to optimize course offerings, modalities and room assignments and improve overall enrollment efficiency.
Faculty Support and Development
- Offer workshops on best practices for teaching in accelerated formats, hosted by PBSC's Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence staff.
- Give faculty editable course design templates designed specifically for converting 15-week courses to 7.5-week courses.
- Improve support for faculty converting 15-week PBSC Online courses to 7.5-week courses.
- Revise procedures for using Navigate360 to manage faculty office hours.
- Support the use of predictive analytics and early alerts in Navigate360.
Student Support and Success
- Accommodate higher enrollment in express courses by revising staffing needs and policies in areas including academic advising, library services, Student Learning Center tutoring, financial aid and the Center for Student Accessibility.
- Collaborate across departments to support all student populations.
- Align resources to support high-need courses or student groups, adjusting training, space and instructional support accordingly.
Assessment & Quality Improvement
- Establish baseline and benchmark data on course completion, retention and withdrawal rates.
- Evaluate student experiences through mid- and end-term surveys, course feedback and analysis of performance gaps.
- Facilitate faculty surveys and end-of-term focus groups for curricular feedback and improvement.
- Review and revise Academic Affairs polices and procedures.
Research & Resources
- This community college shifted to eight-week courses. Here's what they learned. | EdNC
- Report on how to build eight-week college terms | Inside Higher Ed
- Eight-week courses: Research studies and findings | Scottsdale Community College
- Playbook for scaling 8-week terms for pathways transformation | Trellis Foundation
- Accelerated (7-week) Courses | Tennessee Board of Regents
- New Evidence and Next Generation Questions on Shortened Course Formats | Ascendium
- Unlocking the power of shortened academic terms for student success | Achieving the Dream
- Preparing for Shortened Academic Terms: Guide, Workbook and Spotlights | Achieving the Dream
- Success rates for students taking compressed and regular length developmental courses in the community college | Community College Journal of Research and Practice
Need More Information?
View the detailed plan [Requires PBSC credentials to view]