INSTRUCTIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING GUIDELINES

Updated October 19, 2009

Purpose:

These guidelines replace the previous UVU policy #633 governing Instructional Development Grants which was deleted in 2009.

The Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence oversees a fund of $10,000 which may be used for a variety of purposes including: promoting the development of new courses and curricula that will benefit students, supporting efforts to encourage engaged teaching, supporting faculty efforts in scholarly work focuses on teaching, engaged teaching, supporting faculty efforts in scholarly work focused on teaching, engagement, student learning, and to support other worthy efforts as evaluated by the Faculty Center together with the University Senate's Faculty Development Committee (FDC). 

Administration of Grants:

1. Parties eligible to receive funding from the Program include all full-time faculty, part-time faculty, Department Chairs (on behalf of curricular development in their departments), and the FCTE [for carrying out specific projects approved by the FDC.)
2. All parties seeking a grant from the Program shall submit a proposal to the FCTE.  This proposal must include all of the following elements:
   1. A purpose statement that describes the goals and anticipated outcomes of the project and explains how the grant will be used.
   2. A statement that describes how the intended project will enhance engaged teaching or student engaged learning at UVU.
   3. A detailed budget itemizing the elements of the proposal, not to exceed a maximum possible amount of $750.00.
   4. Contact information for the party submitting the proposal.
   5. An acknowledgement that if the proposal is funded, the applicant is expected to distribute the results of the project with the UVU community so that knowledge or benefits gained may be shared.  The applicant should specifically describe how he/she intends to share the results of the project.  This requirement can be met in several ways including but not limited to: presentations in meetings of the department or college, presentation of a campus-wide colloquium or training workshop, publication online or in peer-reviewed journals with notification of the campus community and a copy for the UVU Library's Scholar's Open Archive, presentation at the UVU Annual Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Engagement.
   6. Signature of the applicant and the applicant's immediate supervisor with a statement from the supervisor reviewing the proposal and acknowledging the "give back" requirement.
3. Upon receipt by the FCTE, all proposals will be date stamped. Retroactive proposals, those that seek reimbursement for projects already carried out, will not be considered. Proposals will be reviewed by the FDC in the order received, but since the committee does not usually meet during the summer, proposals will not typically begin review until September of each year.  In rare situations where an earlier decision is urgently required, the Director of the FCTE may act to grant or not to grant a proposal based on the majority of input received from all available members of the FDC.
4. The Director of the FCTE will approve or disapprove grant proposals after discussion and review with the FDC.  Proposals will be reviewed in sequential order until funds are expended.  Decision criteria for approving grant proposals should be consistent with the purpose statement above.  Should funds be expended, the Director of the FCTE will immediately notify Deans and department chairs so that they are aware no funds remain.
5. Should the situation arise where there are funds remaining past January of the subsequent calendar year, the FCTE may request use of funds to support specific projects (such as the annual UVU conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Engagement).  The granting of such funding is contingent upon the availability of funds and the approval of the FDC by majority vote.
6. After deciding on a proposal, the FCTE will contact the applicant to inform him/her of the decision.  If the proposal is granted, the applicant will proceed to expend funds in line with the proposal budget, typically drawn from the individual's department.  Upon completion of the expenses, the applicant will provide to the FCTE the receipts for all expenses with itemized explanations if necessary and the department will be reimbursed.  If receipts are not received within 60 days of the end of the project, the grant may be considered void unless prior arrangements have been made and agreed to by the applicant and the FCTE.