Osher at CMU Spring 2027 Course Proposal

Osher at CMU Spring 2027 Course Proposal

Proposals are due Monday, August 31st, 2026 at 11:59PM EST. Late proposals will not be accepted.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Dear Study Leader:

As we get ready for our upcoming spring term, we’d like to kindly ask each study leader to submit just one proposal for this term. This will help us keep the number of course offerings better aligned to the anticipated spring student registrations.

Also, with the possibility of unpredictable weather, we encourage you to consider offering your course on Zoom if you’re planning to teach in the first session.

Thank you so much for your understanding and cooperation! We really appreciate it.

Lyn

Lyn Decker | Executive Director & Registrar

Spring 2027 Term Dates

First Session
January 11th to March 5th, 2027
(No Class on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 18th, 2027)

Second Session
March 8th to April 30th, 2027
(No Class during CMU Carnival Thursday-Friday, April 15th-17th, 2027)

Greetings and thank you for your interest in teaching for Osher at CMU!

We look forward to receiving your proposal. The proposal should take about 20 minutes to complete. If you are new, you will need to supply a course description, biography, and week-by-week objectives for your course. If you have previously taught, fill in your title and you may select “same as before” for your previous description and bio. Proceeding in filling out this proposal means you will adhere to our established rules and regulations for teaching at Osher at CMU. For this information, please visit our website, cmu.edu/osher/teach-for-us.

Important Information:

Please fill out each question in the order it appears! If you miss a required question, it will turn red and you will need to provide an answer before submitting.
If you plan to teach more than one course in the term, you must submit multiple proposals. For scheduling purposes, each course must have its own, seperate proposal.
Do not use Caps Lock to fill in the proposal. Please use Sentance Case.

Once your course is scheduled, you will receive a notice to approve the scheduled date, time, and location. At this time, you will be given the opportunity to review your bio and course description. Once the course is scheduled and published, it will not be changed except for an emergency and can be changed only by the Osher at CMU Registrar.

Please list any necessary skip dates when filling out the form. Osher at CMU follows the University Calendar, which are University closures and Federal Holidays.

Contact Information
Primary Study Leader Name

First NameLast Name
Primary Study Leader Email
example@example.com
Primary Study Leader Cell Phone Number
Primary Study Leader Secondary Phone Number
Primary Study Leader Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Zip Code
Have you taught for Osher at CMU before?
Have you moved recently, or is this the same address you've had in the past?
How did you hear about Osher at CMU? (If you were recruited by a specific curriculum committee member, please list them here so that we can assign you to them.)
If you were recruited by a specific curriculum committee member, please list them here so that we can assign you to them.
Are you a self-referral?
Emergency Contact Name

First NameLast Name
Emergency Contact Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: 000-000-0000.
Relationship to Emergency Contact
Have you taught this course at Osher at CMU?
Are you submitting this course as a tour led by a docent or representative of an organization/institution?
Organization/Institution Name
Organization/Institution Contact Person's Name

First NameLast Name
Organization/Institution Contact Person's Email Address
example@example.com
Organization/Institution Contact Person's Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Course Information

Every course must have it's own proposal, even if it is the same course being taught more than once.
Course Title (Please Use 6 or Fewer Words)
Title of 60 or fewer characters (including blanks) is required even if returning SL with the same course as before. Please capitalize first letter of each word. Do not use parenthesis or hyphens. Colons and quotation marks are accepted.
Are you using the same Description as before, or a new Description?
Course Description

Please provide one paragraph, maximum 150 words, that conveys the content and will pique the interest of potential students. Bear in mind that students choose their courses based on your catalog description. Do not use lists, bullets, or indents. (Copy will be edited for style and length. If a textbook is required, add information to course description.0/150
Are you using the same Biography as before, or a new Biography?
Biography

Please start bios with your first and last name, and write it in the 3rd person. Maximum is 125 words total. If you have more than one Study Leader, all bios collectively must be within word limit.0/125
Scheduling Information

Scheduling is established on a first come, first assigned basis. We are limited by classrooms and/or Zoom licenses. We will try our best to meet your schedule preference. Please indicate at least 3 day/time slots that includes a minimum of two different days of the week. Please note that midday Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays are the most popular time slots.
How would you like to present this course?
PLEASE NOTE: You will be contacted by the office 2-3 months before the start of the term to begin the process of setting your course up within Zoom. You must respond to these emails in a timely manner or risk the cancellation of your course.
Will you be using the Osher at CMU Zoom license, or are you teaching on behalf of an organization?
Have you ever taught a course on Zoom before? (Please note: attending a Zoom course and teaching a Zoom course are two different experiences.)
Would you allow us to record your Zoom course? (Please see below.)
If your answer is YES:
- your students would be able to watch the recording for one week after the missed class
- after a week, the recording will automatically be deleted
- to protect our study leader's intellectual property, there is no way for students to download or save the recording
If your answer is NO, that is totally okay! Just let us know.
If teaching in-person, where would you like to present your course?
Location Name and/or Address
Address of location provided by you.
The following questions are used to schedule one (1) course. If you plan to teach more than one time in the term, please submit another proposal.

For scheduling purposes, each course must have its own proposal

IMPORTANT: If you would like to teach the same course in BOTH sessions, you need to submit two proposals - one for each term.
Session(s) you would like to teach in?
Number of times your course will meet:
Number of times your course will meet:
If you would like to teach 3 or more times, please choose a session in the question above.
Duration of each class:
Unless your course is an activity course, we recommend 1.5 hours
Osher Holidays:

Spring 2027 Osher skip dates are Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday, January 18th, 2027, and CMU Carnival (Thursday-Friday, April 15th-17th, 2027).

Osher at CMU follows the University Calendar, which are University closures and Federal Holidays.

List any additional date(s) you cannot hold class for personal reasons (e.g., holidays, religious obligations, vacations, business travel) below.
Requested Course Skip Date(s):
Other important schedule info:

Please rank your preference of day of the week for your course (1: Top Choice-5: Last Choice)

Rows	Please input a rating (1: Top Choice-5: Last Choice)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

Please rank your preference of time for your course (1: Top Choice-4: Last Choice)

Rows	Please input a rating (1: Top Choice-4: Last Choice)
Early Morning
Late Morning
Early Afternoon
Late Afternoon

If holding class in PERSON, minimum number of students:
To have a viable class, Osher at CMU requires a minimum number of 10 students.
If holding class in PERSON, maximum number of students:
Number could be limited by room size
If holding class on ZOOM, minimum number of students:
To have a viable class, Osher at CMU requires a minimum number of 10 students.
If holding class on ZOOM, maximum number of students:
Room Format:
If computer lab requested, list software needed:
Do you have any financial interests in a product or service that will be mentioned in the course?
Please explain your financial interest:
Material Fees

Material Fees will be collected by the office prior to your course. Contact the office for these fees to be paid out.
Material fee ($) per person? If no fee, please leave this field blank.
Note: This fee will be collected by the office.
What will the material fee be used for?
Who should the fee be paid out to?
Which organization should we send the fee to? Please include organization name and any possible contact information (contact person, email, phone number, address).
Materials required for students to obtain on their own, if applicable, and their estimated cost:
Most courses do not use books. Books should not exceed $25 and must be in print.
Course Objectives for New Courses

Enter course objective & weekly outlines for your course. Please do not submit your proposals without a complete course objective and course outline. We cannot accept a new course without this information.
Course objective(s):

0/100
Course Outline: Week 1

0/100
Course Outline: Week 2

0/100
Course Outline: Week 3

0/100
Course Outline: Week 4

0/100
Course Outline: Week 5

0/100
Course Outline: Week 6

0/100
By submitting this proposal, I acknowledge, that if accepted, I will be teaching a course for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is independent of Carnegie Mellon University. I agree that I will not, either before, during or after teaching courses for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, Inc., verbally or in writing via any media, represent, state or imply that I have taught for or have been associated with Carnegie Mellon University.
I am or have been a faculty or staff member of Carnegie Mellon University.
Should be Empty:

Osher at CMU Spring 2027 Course Proposal

Spring 2027 Term Dates

Greetings and thank you for your interest in teaching for Osher at CMU!

Contact Information

Course Information

Scheduling Information

The following questions are used to schedule one (1) course. If you plan to teach more than one time in the term, please submit another proposal.

Osher Holidays:

Material Fees

Course Objectives for New Courses