Gustavus Adolphus College

Search

As life-long learners themselves, faculty members seek to learn, develop, implement and evaluate new classroom techniques. New pedagogies, content, and ideas acquired from workshops, conferences, discussions, or other venues are largely lost unless individual faculty members have means for developing and implementing these new techniques. Mini-grants to faculty offer a means to build upon initial learning that occurs in summer workshops (or other formats), allowing faculty members to develop and tailor newly acquired ideas to meet their own course needs. Teaching and Student Learning mini-grants will facilitate incorporating teaching strategies and best practices in the classroom. Specific examples include Web-based instruction, team teaching, and service learning. Inspired by Teacher/s Talk(ing) sessions (discussed below) or a summer workshop, a faculty member might propose to redesign a course that has been traditionally lecture based. The redesigned course could incorporate collaborative student group work with student presentations or the faculty might develop a discussion format intermingled with lecture. Another example might be a science faculty member who, following attendance at a national conference on science equity, wishes to reflect ethnic and gender diversity in examples of scientific discovery. Yet another example might be to develop contacts and facilitate opportunities for students to become involved in service learning.

Mini-grants provide a direct means of enabling faculty to bring workshop innovations into the classroom. Preference will be given to faculty members who demonstrate a capacity to draw upon workshop themes, Teacher/s Talk(ing), or national pedagogy conferences in this fashion. Faculty will be encouraged to identify the ways in which these opportunities are interrelated, ultimately resulting in enhanced student learning.

The Kendall Center for Engaged Learning respects the fact that faculty development needs of individual faculty members vary greatly. Some needs are based on discipline (science, humanities, etc.), others on stage of career (untenured, mid-career, etc.), and still others on the teaching techniques involved. The mini-grant program encourages individual faculty to select from many opportunities to formulate a development plan related to teaching and student learning that is appropriate to their situation. Several examples of mini-grants were noted above. Others include the following: A new faculty member may seek support to learn how to design a course involving collaborative student work, whereas more experienced faculty might choose to concentrate on developing a Web-based course. They both might participate in Teacher/s Talk(ing) sessions or in a summer workshop on student writing. Another possibility is that several faculty members from different departments will seek funding as joint applicants to allow them to go to a retreat center to focus on teaching and learning issue of concern to the group. . The flexibility of the mini-grant program encourages faculty members to tailor their continued learning so that it will translate into enhanced student learning in the classroom.

Procedures

Mini-grants to faculty and/or departments/programs assist in enhancing teaching. A limited number of mini-grants will be awarded according to the following procedures and criteria:

1. Applications by eligible individual faculty members ordepartments/programs for projects about teaching and learning can be submitted anytime.

Funds for these grants are limited:

• Mini-grants will be awarded for up to $1,000

Note: As of June 1, 2009, all reimbursements for mileage are capped at a maximum of $350. Food costs, if applicable, will be reimbursed provided itemized and resonable receipts are submitted.

2. We welcome applications from all faculty and/or departments/programs. Priority for mini-grants will be given to faculty and departments/programs who have not been awarded mini-grant funding since the inception of the grant program in fall 2000. Faculty who have been awarded a mini-grant and who have not completed their final report are ineligible to receive further funding.

Application

Grants will be directed to departments or individuals to improve teaching and student learning. The application must specifically address how you anticipate student learning will be affected. Specifically, each application must address the following questions:

1. What are the basic pedagogical ideas, problems, or questions you will examine during the grant period?
2. Please describe what course/s you will focus on during the mini-grant period.
3. What work will be accomplished during the grant period? Supply a brief plan of work
4. How will you measure the outcomes and impact on teaching and learning of your work during this grant period? Please be specific about methodology, assessment techniques, and evaluation of student learning.

Budget

1. Funds may be used to acquire materials and supplies, reimburse expenses of visiting speakers and colleagues, pay printing costs, and offset room and food expenses.
2. The funds cannot be used for stipends for Gustavus Adolphus College faculty or students.
3. Please complete the budget form (Excel).

Applications should be submitted as electronic attachments to Barbara Fister.

Read about one faculty member's use of a mini-grant to enhance her teaching. "The Bullying Project" (Spring 2007)