This article will discuss the importance of conscientious and purposeful establishment of positive culture and climate within online courses, particularly those offered within higher education and graduate programs. School culture and climate have been linked to student and faculty performance, satisfaction, efficacy, and overall learning and teaching experiences (Cicco, 2015; Gruenert and Whitaker, 2015). The online course instructor plays a key role in laying a strong foundation for the formation of positive relationships, effective instructional strategies, fair assessment practices, and consistent communication patterns within the virtual classroom, ultimately impacting the development of both culture and climate. Students' feelings of safety and trust in their ability to seek and receive help in difficult situations have also been tied to culture and climate (Cicco, 2015; Negis-Isik and Gursel, 2013). While organizational culture and climate are valuable indicators of academic success, these constructs are also evident and measurable within an individual classroom, whether offered in face-to-face, hybrid, or fully online format. This article will discuss culture and climate within the context of the online classroom. Pathways for creating optimal faculty-student relationships, healthy, and consistent student engagement and interaction, and developing best practices for online courses will be addressed with the aim of assisting instructors in the effort to establish positive culture and climate.