Communities Initiative

The Center for the Advancement of Teaching's Communities Initiative is funded by a grant from The Bush and William and Flora Hewlett foundations, supporting two types of communities.

Teaching communities. Discipline-based or interdisciplinary groups of faculty and students will investigate specific teaching and learning problems and opportunities. Projects could address, for example, curriculum changes, improving student skills in critical thinking, or writing in the discipline, or could target specific learning objectives and assessment strategies.

Research communities. Again, discipline-based or interdisciplinary groups of faculty and students will pursue traditional scholarship or the scholarship of teaching.

Ideally, a community comprises at least two faculty members and at least two students. If your community does not match the "ideal community" described above, please contact Gayna Credle (see below).

Level of funding

For faculty: Two semesters of $600 stipends, or a summer stipend of $2,000 and a semester stipend of $600. In a few cases, 25% release time for the spring 2003 semester may be granted.

For students: Two semesters of $250 stipends, or a summer stipend of $1,000 and a semester stipend of $250.

This year-long (or summer and one semester) period will allow the communities to develop, implement, assess, and, if necessary, redesign their projects.

Note that funding for successive phases is contingent upon successful completion of the previous phase and subject to review by members of the University Faculty Development Committee.

We hope to fund 12 faculty and 8 students in summer 2002, and 27 faculty and 18 students in fall 2002. We anticipate funding approximately 126 faculty and 83 students over the three-year course of this grant.

Proposal Guidelines

Each proposal should include the following components. Because of the possible differences between a teaching and research communities, specific information requested below may indeed have more relevance to one or the other community.

Abstract

• This should not exceed one page. The abstract (or a portion of it) will be used to announce awardees and to describe their projects.
• Who are the members of the community? What type of community is it (e.g., teaching community, research community)?
• Give an overview of the project, indicating, in brief, what you intend to do, and why.

Design and Development

• Describe, in detail, the project. Include a timeline or schedule of specific activities for both development and student use of the project. Describe the role of each member of the community.
• What are your goals, as they relate to teaching and learning, or research? What learning or research outcomes are anticipated?
• If a course is involved, how is the course presently taught and what changes does the community wish to make? How will these changes contribute to the overall learning objectives of the course?

Project Evaluation

• Include an assessment scheme to indicate the anticipated impact of the project on student learning. What criteria will you use to measure progress toward the goal(s) of the project? What data will you collect? What classroom research strategies will be used? How will student learning outcomes be assessed? If you have any previous assessment data which could be used as a baseline, please include details.
• A detailed plan for evaluating the project and its outcomes according to the standards articulated in the project description and goals.

Dissemination Plan

• A detailed plan for making the work of the community public. Include a narrative, schedule, and budget, if appropriate.

Support Requested

• Indicate the type of support (i.e., stipend, release time) that you wish to have in order to accomplish the goals of the project.
• Does your project require the purchase of software, hardware, or other supplies or resources? Limited funds are available. Please include a budget detailing the necessary expenses for the success of your project.
• If release time is requested, you must include a written statement of support from your department chairperson.

Please submit seven copies of the project proposal to the Center (P.O. Box 73A). Please send a copy of the proposal to your department chairperson.

Members of the University Faculty Development Committee will review applications on a competitive basis. The review is not a blind review.

Funded faculty will submit progress and final reports that will be posted on the Center's website.

If you have any questions, contact Gayna Credle at ext. 7512 or gcredle@xula.edu.

Deadline: May 15, 2002
Applicants will receive notification of the results by May 31, 2002.
A part of the April 2002 Multipack.