GTPE provides a way for working professionals to enroll in Georgia Tech courses that can be applied toward a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Building Construction & Integrated Facility Management, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Physics, and Operations Research, or can be used for professional development. The Georgia Tech distance learning program allows individuals to advance professionally and to stay on the cutting edge of their area of specialty. GTPE provides credit and non-credit courses at a distance via the Internet (video-on-demand), satellite delivery, teleconferencing, statewide networks, CD-ROM, and DVD, and microwave transmission.

GTPE services must be utilized for registering and tracking participation in all Georgia Tech master’s-level credit courses offered at a distance to working professionals either for academic credit or for professional development. GTPE services may also be utilized for other Georgia Tech courses offered at a distance. GTPE provides various levels of production support depending on the needs of the academic unit.

Distribution of Revenue
Tuition charged for Georgia Tech master’s-level courses offered at a distance is approved by the Georgia Board of Regents and is the same for all participants, regardless of residency status. A percentage, as determined by the Provost, of the tuition received for a distance learning course is transferred to the academic department of the faculty member offering the course. The unit may utilize these funds as desired, but is encouraged to allow the faculty member teaching the course to utilize the funds in recognition of the extra work required to serve the distance learning students. The remainder of the tuition remains with GTPE to cover the costs for delivering and supporting the course.

Revenue distribution for other multimedia courses offered at a distance that are not commercially licensed shall be determined in advance of the course offering and should be commensurate with the amount of work provided and the risk taken by each entity involved. Courses that are commercially licensed are subject to GIT Intellectual Property policies.

GTPE also assists faculty/administrators with planning, marketing, accounting, facilitating of professional education programs, and in meeting state requirements for tracking participation in professional education programs. Assistance is provided with both open enrollment and contract programs, offered on campus and at remote sites. Advance approval must be obtained for all continuing education programs using the GTPE Program Proposal Routing Sheet.

In light of the faculty’s priority commitment to high quality educational programs at GIT, faculty participation in the creation and delivery of short courses sponsored by organizations outside of GIT will only be permitted with the prior written consent of the faculty member's School Chair or Laboratory Director and the Dean of Professional Education.

Examples of non-Georgia Tech short course involvements for which approval might be given include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• Teaching one-half day or less in a short course offered by another university.
• Teaching in a short course run by a professional society that is a part of a series with a long history.

GTPE’s services must be involved in all GIT non-credit courses, conferences, seminars, workshops, and institutes, both on and off campus, in which participants are charged a registration fee, to ensure that participation is properly recorded. The level of services provided is worked out with the units offering the course according to an established schedule of fees.

Georgia Institute of Technology is required by the University System of Georgia, and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, to report all activities which qualify for Continuing Education Units (CEUs), e.g., short courses, contract courses, and conferences. All candidate activities are to be reported to GTPE.

Faculty members who are approved to organize a course or conference through an outside organization are required to submit copies of the participant roster, agenda, and brochure to GTPE to enable Georgia Tech to report CEUs to the Board of Regents whenever possible and appropriate.

Extra Compensation
When faculty, administrators, or graduate students participate in conducting Professional Education programs, they are eligible to receive extra compensation for time spent in instruction, laboratory supervision, design, marketing, coordination, evaluation, and other administrative effort at rates determined by the offering unit(s). Extra compensation may be paid to a Georgia Tech faculty member/administrator only if the official form is submitted through the GTPE and approved by the appropriate administrators. All requests for payment of extra compensation are to be submitted within one week after the end of the program to facilitate final accounting.

Credit for Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure
Instructional faculty members are encouraged to cite and document participation in GTPE programs to support their representations of teaching, creativity, or service activities when being reviewed for reappointment, promotion, and tenure. If included under the category of teaching, instructor evaluations from program attendees are to be included in the documentation.