The Quality Matters "Standards for Course Design" (2018) rubric is a course development rubric for online courses in higher education. General Standard 1 provides a list of specific review standards that are integral in the development of courses, including course expectations, course structure, learning guidance, communication expectations, technology skill requirements, criteria for student assessment, and overall course organization. Student feedback is necessary in order to determine whether students view elements of the course overview and introduction as present in their courses, and whether those elements are useful for the successful completion of their online course. This research utilized a mixed-methods approach, with a survey being sent to all students enrolled in an online degree program at a midsized regional university during the Spring 2021 term. The results of this study indicated students found all elements of Quality Matters Standard 1 to be somewhat to mostly always present in their courses. Study findings indicate students perceive all elements to be somewhat to mostly useful in their successful completion of an online course. These findings indicate students find General Standard 1 rubric elements as useful in the successful completion of an online course. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]