Grants of up to $2500 will be provided for projects that target either existing or new undergraduate courses or programs. Smaller grants of as little as $500 are encouraged for “starter projects” such as piloting the integration of a beyond the classroom experience in a course.

• Participate in a kick-off meeting and four grantee cohort meetings Spring 2021 through Spring 2022. Meetings will assist recipients in course development and design, including the development of an assignment that will align with the learning outcomes of the new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) focused on Engagement and Reflection.
• Teach the course developed or implement program enhancements in Fall 2021, Spring 2022, or May 2022.
• Complete a survey on the effectiveness of this grant program and about the strengths and weaknesses of integrative and experiential learning strategies that were explored.
• Share grant-related activities and results by providing materials for the CIEL website, presenting at the CTE, or otherwise supporting colleagues interested in learning from the grantee’s experience by no later than Fall 2022.
• Submit a final report by June 15, 2022, to include developed materials (e.g., a course syllabus, assignment description or other instructional materials supporting student engagement in and reflection on beyond-the-classroom experiences; or program documents reflecting implementation of program-wide initiatives), faculty assessment of student learning from the experience or response to program changes, and data documenting grant implementation (e.g., number of students participating, artifacts or examples of student work, summarized assessment results). A template describing the specific indicators to be documented as part of the grant will be provided to participants.
• Provide access to student artifacts (e.g., submitted student work) based upon the assignment aligned with the QEP learning outcomes to help support institutional assessment efforts.

Support for Faculty Grantees will include:

• Assistance with course/program design and assessment strategies through CTE instructional design staff and/or CIEL staff.
• Assistance identifying relevant experiences and subsequent activities (such as student reflection) that foster connections.
• Provision of four grantee cohort meetings from Spring 2021 – Spring 2022 to provide faculty with time to share ideas, plan the project, and receive feedback.
• Networking opportunities with the potential for scholarship and publications.

Proposals should include a complete Grant Proposal Cover Sheet [pdf], a 2-4 page Project Description, a Budget with Justification [docx], and a brief resume or biographical sketch. 

Project Description
The Project Description should include the following sections:

• The Course or Program. Describe the learning outcomes for the targeted course or program. If an existing course/program, describe the instructional approach currently used. If a new course, provide the status of the new course approval process.
• Goals and Grant Impact. Describe the goals of this project. What aspects of integrative or experiential learning will be explored (for example, developing a specific beyond the classroom experience related to a course, creating assignments that ask students to reflect on within and beyond the classroom experiences, developing program recommendations for beyond the classroom experiences culminating in a capstone course)? How will integrative learning affect the overall course experience for your students and help to prepare them for future courses/careers? If the course/program already supports integrative learning, how will the grant enhance existing experiences? What types of within and/or beyond the classroom experiences are you interested in exploring to enhance course content and how will students be encouraged to reflect on their experiences? How will your project involve targeted populations of underrepresented minority, Pell-eligible, transfer and male students who are normally less involved than other students?
• Proposed Activities. Describe the instructional development activities to be supported by the grant. What will be done and how? If you plan to hire people with grant funds, what will they do? Will you collaborate with groups, programs, or offices beyond the classroom, and if so, how? As you explore methods for helping students to reflect on their learning beyond the classroom, what options will you consider (for example, blogs, e-portfolios, reflective assignments)? Describe how the added or enhanced experiences will be integrated into the course or program.
• Sustainability and Broader Impacts. How do you intend to continue the course or program changes past the initial offering? How might you share your experience with other colleagues?

Allowable budget items include personnel (including buyout and summer salary), materials, supplies, transportation, and other items that support the development, implementation and assessment of instructional and program materials and methods.

Request for Proposals Deadline: December 4, 2020

Proposals should be emailed to Zack James, zjames@mailbox.sc.edu, Administrative Coordinator, CIEL by December 4, 2020.  

Grants are competitive. Proposals will be judged using the following criteria:

• Completeness of the application and conformance to these guidelines.
• Reasonableness of the budget. Note: Support $500-$2500 may be requested.
• Potential for the project to increase the opportunity for beyond the classroom experiences for all students, but also particularly for targeted populations of Underrepresented Minority, Pell-eligible, Transfer and Male students; produce results that increase student learning and help make connections across experiences.
• Feasibility of completing the project in the time proposed and with the funds available.
• Potential to sustain the integrative learning experiences beyond the grant period.