Credit Workshops: About the Process

What You Need to Know Before Proposing a Workshop

The workshop director should be a full-time, permanent Miami faculty or staff member. Deadlines for submitting a proposal varies depending on the workshop type. An education abroad/away program may be a year or more, while non-travel workshops can be submitted in as little as 6-8 weeks before the course start date. See Propose a Workshop for more details.

Depending on workshop type and set up, other university offices may be involved in the review process, such as the Graduate School, Grants & Contracts, and Academic Personnel.

Workshop Director Responsibilities

A workshop director’s duties are many and varied, they include but are not limited to:
  • Complete and submit the proposal
  • Manage the recruitment and/or application process
  • Teach the courses and/or manage the instruction
  • Manage the financial aspects of the workshop including adhering to Purchasing Policies, Rules for Contracting, and timely workshop index closing processes.
  • Ensure faculty/staff salary payments are processed
  • Follow the Domestic and International Travel Guidelines

Global Initiatives Responsibilities

Global Initiatives reviews the proposal, and works with faculty directors to get the proposal to an approvable stage for routing. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Connection to Miami University mission, vision, values and internationalization strategy
  • Curricular innovation and quality, as well as global, intercultural, and lifelong learning competencies building
  • Needs assessment
  • Contractual obligations
  • Personnel and salary appropriateness (in collaboration with Academic Personnel)
  • Appropriateness of budget and compliance with policies, guidelines, and standards
  • Financial sustainability in consideration of enrollment, student credit hours, location of program, and other areas
  • Publicity assistance
  • Risk management
  • Program fees collection process
  • Course building and student registration
  • Adherence to international, federal, state, university, and accreditation standards
  • Route proposals for approval

The assistant provost provides final review and approval for all credit workshops on behalf of the provost. If any issues remain unresolved, the provost will be consulted and provide final decisions.

Academic Chair Responsibilities

The Chair is responsible for the most important review. The review includes, but is not limited to:

  • Academic appropriateness and quality
  • Verification of faculty graduate standing for graduate credit workshops
  • Determination if the workshop courses will be held for full curricular review under the Academic Curriculum Policy
  • Meets the priorities of the department
  • Appropriateness of budget expenditures, including salaries

Academic Dean Responsibilities

The Dean, or designee, review includes, but is not limited to:

  • Academic appropriateness, quality, and rigor
  • Relationship to the curricular priorities of the academic division
  • Appropriateness of budget expenditures, including salaries

Credit Workshop Policies

  • The workshop director must be a full-time, permanent Miami faculty or staff member.
  • Faculty directing or co-directing workshops that offer graduate credit are required to have Miami University Graduate Faculty standing.
  • Temporary workshop courses can be offered no more than five times. Once a temporary course has been offered three times it needs to begin the full curricular review process. No temporary workshop course will be approved after the third year unless they are in the permanent approval process.
  • All courses must meet the Contact Hour, requirement of 2,250 instructional minutes, or 37.5 instructional hours, for each academic credit hour. See additional guidance on Compressed or Accelerated Delivery Courses and Faculty-led Study Abroad Guidelines.
  • Workshop spending must adhere to Miami’s Purchasing Policies.
  • Contractual obligations are subject to Miami’s Rules for Contracting.
  • Workshop Cancellation and Refund Policy.
  • Salary will be paid following the Compensation Guidelines in conjunction with Academic Personnel.
  • Adhere to all Miami University’s policies as set out in the University Policy Library.

Guidance & Support

Key partners in proposal development and workshop management include department chairs and support staff, divisional deans, faculty colleagues with extensive workshop experience, and most importantly Global Initiatives.

In addition, Purchasing, Accounts Payable, Academic Personnel and Human Resources, Graduate School, and others provide specialized guidance as needed.

For help with the credit workshop proposal forms and conducting a credit workshop, contact the appropriate Global Initiatives staff member.

Natasha Burgess, Budget Specialist | 513-529-8606

Laura Desmond, Credit Workshop Registration Specialist | 513-529-3949

Ryan Dye, Director of Education Abroad | 513-529-3483

Donna Gouvan, Manager of Administrative Services | 513-529-8601

Annalee Jones, Global Programs Coordinator | 513-529-8610

Peter Maribei, Associate Director of Education Abroad | 513-529-8604

Cheryl Young, Assistant Provost | 513-529-8607

Global Initiatives Office | 529-8600