Request For Proposals: Large Course Redesign – Due April 9, 2012

“Improving student learning while reducing instructional costs”

Purpose:

Academic Affairs and the Center for Teaching and Learning request proposals from UNC Charlotte faculty for funding support to assist them in the redesign of large courses. The goal of this grants program is to increase the success of your students by providing faculty funding support for planning and development activities.

Amount Available:

There will be three to five faculty teams granted an award of $25,000 per team. The award will be structured in two phases:

Pre-proposals: Selected teams will receive up to $5,000 to cover costs for summer planning, to be disbursed and spent before June 30, 2012. The planning process will include the completion of a full project proposal that details the redesign activities for the coming year.

Full proposals: The full project proposal will explain how the redesign teams will spend the remaining balance of the award, up to $20,000, after July 1, 2012, to fund course development work throughout the 2012-13 academic year. (Details of the full project proposals will be given directly to awardees after selection.)

Eligibility:

  • Any team of faculty interested in redesigning an entire course (i.e., all the sections of a single course) are encouraged to apply.
  • The initial pre-proposals must be submitted by a department or other academic unit and be approved by the College dean.
  • Winning teams will conduct regular planning meetings and participate in CTL workshops/consultations during May/June to complete the full proposals due August 15, 2012.

Timetable:

  • Pre-proposals are due no later than 12:00 PM on April 9, 2012.
  • Notification of awards will be made by April 20, 2012.
  • Completion of project planning and submission of the full redesign proposal will be due by August 15, 2012. Criteria for the full proposals (including cost analysis, DWF rates, redesign model) will be given to directly grant recipients.

Preference will be given to:

  • Projects redesigning whole courses rather than individual sections
  • General education and introductory courses, particularly gateway courses seeking to increase access
  • Courses with documented high DFW (drop-fail-withdrawal) rates
  • Demonstrated buy-in and support from departmental faculty, department chair, and dean
  • Plan for sustainability, including reduction of costs
  • Description of strategies to reduce cost by leveraging technology
  • Late proposals will not be considered

Large Course Redesign Grant Application (Pre-proposal)

Proposal Submission Process:

Please complete application below and include the attachments specified, and send the proposal electronically as a single PDF as an email attachment to the Center for Teaching and Learning () no later than 12:00 PM on Monday, April 9, 2012.

A. Title and Personnel
Title of Project
Primary Goals of the Course Redesign
Faculty Team Members
Email Addresses
Allocate Operating Budget to Department of
Name of Department Chair
Has funding for the project been requested from, and/or provided by other sources; if so, please list sources, amounts granted, etc.
B. Current Course – Facts and Figures
Course number
Name of course
Number of sections currently offered per academic year (Fall, Spring, and Summer terms combined)
Average enrollment of each section (approx.)
TOTAL course enrollment per academic year
C. Redesigned Course – Facts and Figures
When will the redesigned course first be offered to students?
Number of sections offered as the redesigned course vs. sections offered in the current course configuration / Redesigned format:
Current Format:
Number of students affected by the redesign
Will the redesigned course be a hybrid course, blended course, fully online, or other model (please describe)?
D. “The Big Questions”: Challenges and Opportunities
Name two (or more) problems that the redesign will solve
What will the redesign look like (e.g., structural configuration)
What are the next steps & what problems or barriers need to be addressed
What resources are needed to proceed and try to gauge a sense of where the gaps are
What is the stage of your thinking on software/ technology integration for the redesigned course
Map out an overall timeline and tentative deadlines (e.g., major milestones and/or deliverables)
How will you manage your project, electronically (e.g., use a Moodle or Google project site for document sharing, team discussions, etc.)
E. Attachments
1. Project Abstract / Please include a brief narrative (500 words or less) that explains the challenges, opportunities, and goals of the redesign. This should give a concise vision of what will be changed and why.
2. Memo of Support From Department Chair / Your chair and dean must be made aware of your project and be in support of it, in order for your project to succeed.
3. Memo of Support From College Dean (or Associate Dean, as appropriate)