Summer Course Development Grants
Examples of Course Development Grant Applications
Berry College funds summer grants for course development to encourage faculty members to engage in professional activities during the summer that will: (1) greatly enhance courses they teach; (2) contribute to the goals and objectives of their department, school, and college; and (3) employ teaching initiatives that can serve as a model for other faculty. It is expected that grants will be used for initiatives that go well beyond normal levels of preparation for new course assignments.
The deadline for applying for a Course Development Grant is February 15. Those who receive grants will have the opportunity to present the results of their work in the following academic year as part of the Berry Innovators Series.
Five grants of $1,000 each shall be awarded.
All full-time, non-temporary faculty holding the rank of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor are eligible to participate in the program. Should a faculty member resign before the start of the next contract year, he/she will automatically relinquish the grant.
Applications for summer grants for course development are due on the nearest working day to February 15 of each year and are awarded within one month.
Faculty should submit applications through the appropriate chair of the department and dean of the school which are then forwarded to the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence (Victor Bissonnette, Box 5019).
Faculty members may not receive a summer grant for course development in the same year that she or he has received a summer stipend, nor may they receive faculty development grants for this identical project.
Unlike summer stipends, faculty members may apply for summer grants for course development every summer. However, priority will be given to faculty who have not previously been funded with this grant in the past three years.
Only one summer grant for course development is available per project. Teaching initiatives involving more than one faculty member may only receive one grant, though group/team projects are certainly encouraged to apply.
The following criteria will be used by the Center for Teaching Excellence and the CTE Advisory Committee to make a competitive evaluation of the potential value of the various applications:
- Will significant effort be required, either to develop a new course or to revamp an existing one?
- Will the course be strengthened as a result of the grant award, and will the applicant be a better teacher?
- Will the project strengthen the academic goals and objectives of the department, school, and college?
- Will the project serve as a model for other faculty initiatives?
Members of the CTE Advisory Committee are eligible to apply for summer grants for course development, but must recuse themselves when their proposals are considered. The director of the Center for Teaching Excellence is not eligible for a summer grant.
Grants are awarded for the effort required for course development over the summer, not to purchase resources for a course.
Proposals should contain clear and specific information about the project, alternate sources of funding, and the expected results of the grant on one's teaching.
The committee evaluates applications and makes recommendations to the provost regarding funding.
Application forms are available in the office of the provost and the Center for Teaching Excellence.
Faculty who receive a grant must file a report detailing project activity and outcomes to the office of the provost during the following fall semester. Also, recipients will be expected to share their efforts with other faculty at a brownbag discussion or workshop the following academic year.