Course Development/Faculty Development

Guidelines and Procedures

Purpose:

The Course Development/Faculty Development Committee considers applications for projects related to a faculty member’s educational function at Loyola University.
The committee does not fund scholarly or research activity in general, which is the mission of the University Committee on Grants and Leaves.
The committee encourages creative proposals to enhance instructional effectiveness and intellectual vitality, both in class and out of class, and to stimulate advanced professional activity and faculty development.
The committee shall assist and advise Loyola faculty who wish to obtain such funding to carry out their educational mission.

Expenses Funded:

The committee funds the following expenses directly related to an approved project: purchase of books, and other related materials such as films or videos; supplies; equipment rental; computer time; modest travel costs (transportation and a reasonable per diem); wages for an assistant with specialized skills; and duplication. The committee will also fund a part-time replacement instructor in one course per semester for projects involving course or program development, revision, or the preparation of external grant proposals for the same.
The committee will not fund the following expenses: salary support, publication costs, typing, extensive travel, major capital equipment, and events which have been previously funded in full by any unit of the university.
The maximum grant is $2,500 (up to $3,500 for a course release - see explanation below) and the minimum request is $200. The portion of the grant money allocated for purchase of books, films, videos, and related materials will be transferred to the library. These materials will become part of the library permanent collection. (An exception must be justified.)

Grant Policies and Conditions:

Grants are awarded with the following stipulations:

If project costs exceed the grant award, the excess costs are the responsibility of the grant recipient.
If a funded project produces income for the recipient (e.g. from an invention, a book, software, musical composition, or work of art), it is university policy that the recipient shall reimburse the university from income generated by the sale or use of the property made possible by the grant.
A final report is due at the conclusion of the grant period. The final report should reflect the final outcome of the project. All final reports are kept on file in the Grants and Research Office and consulted by the committee at the time of future grant applications to the committee. (A poor record of compliance will reduce an applicant’s prospect for future funding.)

Time of Grant Application and Period of Funding:

Grant applications made the third Friday of the fall semester will support projects conducted during that semester, the following spring semester, and the following summer.
Grant applications made the third Friday of the spring semester will support projects conducted during that semester, the following summer, and the following fall semester.
For grants involving release time, apply one semester in advance in order to allow your department to select a replacement instructor. Applicants should take care to apply at the proper time and complete the project on schedule.

Application Procedures:

An application consists of three (3) primary parts:

Application Form
Signatures Form
Applicant’s Curriculum Vitae

For a proposal to revise an existing course, also submit the current course syllabus and clearly indicate in the narrative which portion of the syllabus will be revised. For a new course that has not been approved by all the relevant curriculum committees, include a letter of support from a chair or dean.

The application and signature forms are in Microsoft Word format. The application and the curriculum vitae should be submitted via email attachment to Kieone Cochran, Assistant to the Vice Provost, at kcochran@loyno.edu. The signature form must be printed, signed by all parties, and submitted to the Office of the Provost by 4:45 p.m. on Friday, September 12th. Your dean will have a prior deadline for proposal review. Please allow enough time to obtain signatures and approval from your dean and department chair; contact your college dean’s office for further information. All completed proposals must be submitted by 4:45 p.m. on September 12th. LATE OR INCOMPLETE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

If a faculty member would like to receive a course release to develop a new course or substantially revise an existing course, the faculty member must negotiate the course release in advance with his/her dean and department chair. These negotiations can result in a variable grant amount request of up to $3,500, which may include course development materials.

Proposal Evaluation and Award Selection:

The committee carefully considers each application and makes awards based upon the following priorities, ranked from the highest to the lowest priorities.

Development of a new course(s), curricula or programs, or the preparation of external grant proposals for the same.
Substantial revisions to existing courses, curricula or programs, or external grant proposals for the same. (Substantial revisions as defined here do not include normal or periodic updating of course materials, which is viewed as a continuing responsibility of an instructor.)
One-time conference, symposium, workshop, performance, or a similar event that will enhance the intellectual climate or reputation of Loyola University and/or encourage student participation in a special intellectual opportunity.
Attendance by a faculty member at a conference, symposium, workshop, internship or a related activity that will enhance instruction, develop a faculty skill, or enhance professional reputation.
One-time cost of providing new print or non-print classroom materials.
A project to install equipment such as computer hardware, or otherwise create a learning environment benefiting students. (A grant will not fund the laboratory equipment, but may provide released-time, if the time required for installation and course revision is equivalent to teaching one course.)
Other related projects.

In addition to the above priorities the committee considers the following when ranking grant applications for potential funding:

The completeness and specificity of the grant proposal, including budget. It is incumbent upon the applicant to make a compelling case based upon the state of knowledge in the faculty member's discipline or specialty area.
The creativity or uniqueness inherent in the project or the outcomes of the project. This judgment will be based upon the applicant's explicit justification.
Enhancement of an individual’s development and/or Loyola University’s academic reputation and intellectual climate. This judgment will be based upon the applicant's explicit justification.
The applicant’s ability to complete the project as evidenced by his/her curriculum vitae and the record of final reports previously funded by university committees.
Please be specific in describing the outcomes of your projects in your proposal narrative.

All grant applications and grant budgets are evaluated by the committee. Each budget line must be sufficiently itemized and justified. Similarly, the request for released-time must be justified as the approximate equivalent of teaching one course. The committee may reduce a grant budget in order to fund as many meritorious proposals as possible. Each committee member assigns a priority score to each eligible proposal based on the considerations listed above. The proposals are then ranked and funded accordingly. Due to limited funding it may not be possible for all proposals to be funded or funded at the full amount requested.

Downloadable Forms

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