National Formosa University – Higher Education Sprout Project

Call for Proposals: Micro-Credit Courses for the 1st Semester of Academic Year 2025 (Online Application)

Announcement Date: August 12, 2025

Applications for this semester’s micro-credit courses must be submitted via the “Electronic Form Online Approval System.”

The primary categories for this call include Cross-Disciplinary Learning and AI Technology Courses.

Please read the announcement carefully since some regulations and required documents have been updated. Failure to comply may affect your application eligibility.

◎ Application Method:

1. Applicants must be full-time faculty members or undergraduate/junior college students of NFU.

2. Each instructor may propose up to one course per semester.

3. To uphold the spirit of “micro-credit” courses and streamline the review process, this semester will actively promote the institutionalization of course application procedures and related promotion measures to increase student participation and enrollment. The schedule for proposal submission and implementation is as follows:

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Submission Period	Announcement of Review Results	Course Enrollment Period
From now until 9/12 (Fri) ``` (Submission deadline: 12:00 noon)	Expected announcement in Week 4 of the semester (Course period: Oct. 07, 2025 – Dec. 26, 2025)	From the announcement of approved courses until one week prior to the start of class. A minimum enrollment of 10 students is required; otherwise, the course will not be offered.

4. Course Submission Instructions: Please submit applications via the university’s “Electronic Form Online Approval System” (https://eisms.nfu.edu.tw/login) and upload the “Micro-Credit Course Application Form.” Instructions for system operation can be found in the attachment or on the Office of Academic Affairs website.

5. Courses will be reviewed by the Adaptive Learning and Flexible Credit Curriculum Committee. Courses approved through the review process will be officially announced. A minimum enrollment of 10 students one week prior to the course start date is required for the course to proceed. Courses are approved based on substantive review and merit.

◎ Course Description and Notes:

1. Micro-credit courses refer to diverse learning activities or courses planned by academic units (departments, colleges, centers, offices) or administrative units with course-offering needs (Office of Academic Affairs, R&D Office, Computer Center, Arts Center, Teaching and Learning Development Center, Office of Student Affairs, Office of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, and other units), based on desired professional competencies, offered outside the formal undergraduate/junior college curriculum.

2. Course content should focus on professional practice, industry-related applications, or social engagement. Types of activities may include short-term workshops, practical training sessions, professional lectures, etc., and must be distinct from formal academic courses.

3. Each micro-credit course is measured in units of 0.1 credits, with a maximum of 0.3 credits per course. Credit calculation: 0.1 credits per 2 instructional hours.

4. If inviting industry experts to teach, please complete the Industry Expert Information Form for review by the Adaptive Curriculum Committee.

5. Proposal Categories for This Semester:

(1) Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Courses expanding students’ learning scope, connecting different academic fields, or integrating various professional skills to cultivate secondary expertise. (Courses involving learning outside one’s major field or integrating professional knowledge across disciplines.)

(2) AI Technology Courses: Courses incorporating AI technologies to help students understand and apply AI-related knowledge for future development.

6. Key Review Criteria:

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Course Item	Review Focus
Course Motivation and Objectives	(1) Whether the course presents clear motivation and objectives. ``` (2) Whether it aligns with the goals of Cross-Disciplinary Learning or AI Technology.
Course Format and Content Design	(1) Whether the design reflects the micro-credit teaching framework. (2) Whether the course content is clearly connected to the course theme. (3) Whether the proposal is well-planned, detailed, and feasible. (4) Whether the implementation method is clearly explained. (5) Whether the content embodies cross-disciplinary learning or AI technology. (6) Whether industry experts proposed for the course meet the required qualifications.
Expected Outcomes	(1) Whether learning outcomes or tangible results are clearly defined. (2) Whether the outcomes align with cross-disciplinary learning or AI technology goals.

7. This proposal may not be submitted simultaneously to other NFU offices or units for funding under different Higher Education Sprout Project schemes.

8. Pursuant to Ministry of Education regulations, these courses must be conducted through in-person instruction; distance learning is not permitted.

9. Courses offered under this program must participate in later showcase activities or contribute to achievement booklets.

◎ Funding Support:

1. Micro-credit course funding primarily comes from institutional project funds. If applicants do not have other project funding sources, they may apply for support under the Higher Education Sprout Project. Funding is subject to approval by the Adaptive Curriculum Committee. Each course may receive up to NT$15,000. Supported items include:

(1) Compensation for NFU full-time or part-time instructors: based on the MOE pay scale for adjunct faculty.

(2) Supplemental insurance fees for NFU instructors: calculated as total instructional pay × 2.11%.

(3) Industry expert teaching fees: up to NT$2,000 per hour; must comply with NFU’s industry expert co-teaching regulations.

(4) Supplemental insurance fees for industry experts: calculated as total instructional pay × 2.11%.

(5) Transportation for industry experts: reimbursement for bus, TRA, or HSR tickets; taxi or personal vehicle fuel expenses are not reimbursable.

(6) Material fees: teaching materials (books and printed textbooks are not eligible).

(7) Printing costs: including photocopying, printing, posters, etc., with sample copies required for reimbursement. (Do not exceed NT$3,000 of the total subsidy.)

2. Reimbursement for micro-credit courses in the 1st semester of AY 2025 must be submitted by November 28, 2025 (Fri) to the Cross-disciplinary Academy Office. Late submissions will not be accepted. Please notify the office in advance regarding issues related to instructional compensation.

3. Courses funded by the Higher Education Sprout Project may not overlap with other Sprout-funded courses during the same time period to avoid duplicate subsidies.

◎ Submission of Course Achievement Report:

1. Please submit the following documents by January 02, 2026 (Fri):

(1) Micro-credit Course Achievement Report: including course description, evidence of learning outcomes, student reflections, student list, attendance records, and teaching materials.

(2) Student Learning Outcome Survey: includes pre- and post-course assessments (surveys will be sent to instructors after course approval).

(3) Student Learning Assessment Form (Grade Report): instructors must submit grades via the NFU eCare System (“Grade Upload” → Adaptive Courses).

(4) Original Course Photos: at least two teaching photos included in the report must also be submitted in original format.

2. All achievement reports will be compiled and reviewed by the Adaptive Learning and Flexible Credit Curriculum Committee. If the execution performance does not meet required standards, the committee may suspend the applicant’s eligibility for the next semester’s proposal submission.

3. All submitted course reports, photos, and videos must be authorized for free public use by the Office of Academic Affairs.

4. Courses selected for showcase activities must comply with related requirements. Additional funding will be provided for participation in showcase events.

◎ Credit Recognition for Micro-Credit Courses:

1. Students must apply for recognition of micro-credit course credits via the “Student Academic Affairs Online Application System.” When accumulated to 1 credit, the credits may be recognized. Application procedures are available on the Cross-disciplinary Academy Office website: (https://reurl.cc/v7REKo).

2. Graduating students may apply at any time during the semester.
3. Non-graduating students must apply between the start of the semester and the add/drop period.
4. Credit recognition is limited to undergraduate, two-year junior college, and five-year junior college students.

◎ Due to revisions in the planning form, please use the updated template when preparing course plans.

◎ For questions regarding this announcement, please feel free to contact us.

National Formosa University – Office of Academic Affairs – Higher Education Sprout Project

Contact Person: Project Assistant Tsai-Ning Su

Phone: 05-6313124

Email: erinsu@nfu.edu.tw

Office Location: Administration Building, 4F – Cross-disciplinary Academy Office (formerly the Sprout Project Office)