Miami Plan 2023 Course Proposals

It All Begins with Course Design

Departments and programs can propose either new or existing/revised courses for MP inclusion. Ideally, departments will strategically identify a small number of key courses to include in the Miami Plan that meet both the Four Pillars of the plan as well as the specific Student Learning Outcomes. New, temporary courses may be accepted to meet MP requirements, but only courses that are fully approved by the department, division, Council of Academic Deans, and University Senate will be listed on the Liberal Education web page and in the Bulletin.

As of Fall 2021, Miami Plan 2023 course submissions in CIM are the first step (baseline) in Miami's new liberal education curriculum assessment process.  Therefore, all CIM submissions for MP courses must be detailed in their descriptions; be precise in linking SLOs to assignments; and include an updated syllabus that reflects the new MP narrative.

Key Tips for Course Proposals

The CIM system has been updated to reflect the new Miami Plan 2023. All submissions and revisions should go through CIM directly. Here are things to consider as you craft your submission and before submitting anything in CIM:

  1. Faculty should not submit MP course proposals without consulting with their MP Faculty Fellow, and/or their Chair/CDA/Curriculum Committee for the "curricular ecology" view of any individual program or department’s broader course offerings. It is not about shoehorning existing courses into the new MP. Rather, it's about meaningful curricular revision and targeting a small number of regularly offered courses for inclusion in the MP.
  2. We strongly recommend courses only carry a total of 2 Miami Plan designations such as Signature Inquiry and Humanities, or Global Inquiry and Social Science. Multiple designations can be confusing for students, prospers, and reviewers alike.
  3. Consult the Office of Liberal Education website FAQs, the general course proposals page, and the specific MP area proposal pages. Note especially the sections labeled “Proposal Criteria.” Consult with OLE staff on appropriateness and clarity of submission and/or unique steps.
  4. Design or revise the syllabus and assignments to align with the Pillars and MP SLOs.  Courses submitted to the MP should be “fully formed” and must include a syllabus where course topics and amount of time spent on them are clear. Specific assignments and activities are used in CIM to explain how the Pillars and SLOs are met.  When asked for “syllabus language” in CIM, it is most efficient to copy/paste directly from the syllabus into the CIM text box.

CIM vs. Syllabus: Writing for the Audience

In your submissions, it is always best to think of two distinct audiences for the required materials: The CIM text-box responses are for faculty (LEC) and record-keeping (Office of LIberal Education), while the syllabus is for students. Thus the syllabus is different from the CIM text box responses in both audience and genre. The syllabus is an outward-facing, student-oriented document that should show students what they will actually learn in your class, and it plays an important role in telling the MP "story" by reiterating and linking specific parts of the MP narrative for students. The CIM responses are for Liberal Education Council review, Office of Liberal Education records, and documentation that courses are meeting MP outcomes. 

  • While the CIM text box responses require addressing each Pillar and each relevant SLO clearly and in detail, do NOT simply cut and paste the Pillars and Miami Plan 2023 SLOs into your syllabus. In the Syllabus, your course content should be privileged but should in some way reflect the Pillars and Student Learning Outcomes of the new MP. They should be integrated into your narrative, unique and contextualized. The syllabus narrative should make links among the course content, student assessments, pedagogy, and the overall MP.  
  • Thus the CIM replies are “clinical,” and the syllabus is personalized. The syllabus narrative does not have to be in one specific place or section, but the elements and links should be clear.  When asked for “syllabus language” in a CIM text box, it is most efficient to copy/paste that language from your syllabus rather than re-creating it. 
  • For Signature Inquiry courses, you should briefly illustrate for students how the course fits into the interdisciplinary topic areas or makes connections with other disciplines/courses in the topic area.  This is an important part of the overall MP narrative.
  • The OLE/LEC is not concerned with syllabus items such as grading rubrics, attendance policies, or administrative details.  We only review syllabus items specifically related to content/topics, assignment/assessment descriptions, and pedagogy/class activities.

Process and Timeline for Approval

Departments that would like to submit a course for approval are encouraged to consult with the Office of Liberal Education staff in advance to receive support and feedback. Faculty proposers or departments are encouraged to schedule an appointment. 

When a course is submitted in CIM, it goes through a “workflow” that includes your Chair, AS Deans, Compliance, Registrar, the Office of Liberal Education.  Once the OLE receives a submission the proposer will be notified, and it is passed to the LEC for review.  The LEC conducts regular reviews of proposals on a rotating basis, approximately every two weeks; proposers will be notified of the review timeline. All courses are evaluated by at least two members of the LEC, and written feedback will be provided for all proposals. The full LEC will then make a recommendation for approval, rejection, or revision.

  • If it is recommended for approval, the committee will share this recommendation with the proposer and pass its recommendation to University Senate.

  • If a revision is requested, the committee will share its questions with the proposer via email and/or request revisions based on the committee's feedback. Faculty also are welcomed to attend one of LEC’s regular meetings. If revisions are necessary, the proposal will be returned through CIM, and the Liberal Education Office will email the proposer with suggestions for revision. Once the proposal is resubmitted, LEC members will make every effort to review it as soon as possible.

  • If the proposal is rejected, proposers may work with the LEC to find an appropriate path for the course. Not all courses can be, or should be, in the MP.

Top 3 Reasons for Course Proposal Rollbacks

The Miami Plan course review process conducted by the LEC is now the first step in institutional curricular assessment required by HLC.  Thus standards have gone up, and proposals do require thought and attention to detail: Proposals require a holistic course design rather than “bits and pieces.”

  1. The Syllabus is outdated (e.g. refers to old Global Miami Plans, LEAP competencies, old Pillars)

  2. The Syllabus or assignment descriptions are incomplete.  NOTE: LEC does not look at classroom policies or administrative details; rather, they look at course content, breakdown of units/topics, and assignments. Especially important is a description/narrative of how the Four Pillars are present in the narrative and how learning objectives are described to students and incorporated into course content.

  3. SLOs are not adequately contextualized and described with specific pedagogy and assignments. For each MP SLO, the proposer must show how a specific assignment helps students attain the outcome. It must be clear to faculty who may be outside of your discipline.  While reviewers will be in a cognate area, clarity is still key.

We hope this helps. We encourage everyone to consult with their Miami Plan Faculty Fellows during this process.  If we can be of further assistance, or if you would like to meet, please let us know.

Contact Information

For questions regarding the Curriculum Management System (CIM), contact the Registrar (courseapproval@MiamiOH.edu).

For questions regarding MP and Thematic Sequences, contact Leighton C. Peterson, (lpeterson@MiamiOH.edu).

For questions regarding Advanced Writing requirements, contact Elizabeth Wardle (wardleea@MiamiOH.edu).

Spring Semester 2024 Course Proposal Schedule
Proposals Received By: Will Be Reviewed By:
1/26/24 2/6/24
2/2/24 2/13/24
2/9/24 2/20/24
2/16/24 2/27/24
2/23/24 3/5/24
3/1/24 3/12/24
3/8/24 3/19/24
3/22/24 4/2/24
3/29/24 4/9/24
4/5/24 4/16/24
4/12/24 4/23/24
4/19/24 4/30/24
4/26/24 5/7/24

The last University Senate meeting for spring is May 6, 2024. Thus, final Spring 2024 course proposals must be submitted to LEC by April 2, 2024.