The Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching again has funds for teaching projects as described in the following letter and application.

I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity.
(We have two examples of funded applications. Example 1. Example 2)
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Dear Faculty Member:

Have you ever wished to acquire more information about some element of college instruction? Do you wonder what the latest research or theory is concerning student motivation? Have you ever wondered if there wasn't a better way to evaluate your students' learning?

The Board and the Provost have provided the Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching with approximately $10,000 to fund faculty who want to develop expertise in college instructional methods and then share that expertise with the rest of campus. This money can pay for travel, materials, or equipment as long as it is encumbered by university deadlines for the year.

Following is more information about the program, as decided by the Center's Faculty Advisory Committee and the Teaching Resource Faculty subcommittee, which oversees awards. Past projects included: Learning Styles, Case-Based Learning, Freshman Seminar materials, Technology Notes for Teachers, and Dealing with Sensitive Topics in the Classroom. A list of faculty who have received TRF grants over the years is at: http://www.wku.edu/teaching/trffaculty.html

Sally Kuhlenschmidt
Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching

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Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching

Teaching Resource Faculty Program

Amounts of up to $5,000 will be awarded to faculty who wish to develop or build expertise in an area of college teaching excellence. The area should be of potential interest to a broad sample of Western faculty. We favor partnerships with faculty from another department or especially another college to facilitate a cross-disciplinary focus. Examples of topic areas include: understanding instructor teaching styles, building interactive/distance classroom skills, constructing classroom exams, combating instructor burnout, meeting the needs of part-time instructors or graduate teaching assistants, retaining students, etc.

Funds may be spent on travel, materials, equipment, or other resources that will impact the classroom. Applicants are discouraged from using these funds for pure technology purchases. The emphasis should be on instruction. Applications are due on the second Monday of each month. Teaching Resource Faculty recipients will need to explain how they will share the information with other Western faculty. Typical vehicles for dissemination may include workshops, information booklets, newsletter articles, displays, a Web page, periodic consultations with individual faculty, or a combination of these.

Eligibility:

The intention is to award grants to individuals with regular classroom experience and a commitment to the University. All awardees must be committed to disseminating the information or skills to faculty

Conditions for receipt of the stipend:

1. Proposed project will enable the recipient to serve as a teaching resource to other faculty (e.g., offer a workshop, occasional consultation, supervise discussion groups);

2. Project addresses faculty need existing across at least 2 colleges (In general, the broader the better). If the project has a narrow focus, then letters of interest from affected departments should be included;

3. Requested resources are spent or encumbered by June 30 of the current academic year. Some types of expenses (e.g., printing) may need to be spent much sooner;

4. Applicant must supply: (A) completed application with letter of support from the department head, (B) indication of any other sources of support for the project, and (C) a brief mention of any potential support/funding that has been or is being concurrently sought for the project;

5. Completion of dissemination within a year following the award, to be arranged through the Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching.

The FaCET director is eager to consult in the preparation of the application. We do have survey data from faculty concerning their teaching needs. We also save brochures on teaching conferences. The Chronicle of Higher Education is also a good source for notices.

Purpose/Review Criteria:

The goal of the program is to develop on-campus expertise in various areas of college teaching activities as well as to enhance the individual excellence of the applicant in his or her instructional methods, as opposed to content. Faculty are encourage to think creatively and innovatively but also concretely about the needs of college instructors. They are encouraged to think of ways to make their work and the work of other instructors across the campus  more effective and efficient. We are seeking the greatest immediate and long-term impact on the Western instructional community for a reasonable expenditure. The source of funding for this program is an allocation to the FaCET account by the Board and the Provost.
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Application for Teaching Resource Faculty

Name:______________________
Dept:______________________
Phone:_____________________
Title of Project:_____________________________________________

You may respond with a digital copy attached to an email.

Please keep your comments to no more than 2 pages plus a budget page and a time line of project stages.

A. One paragraph description of area of proposed expertise.

B. Description of the Project

1. Evidence of Campus Need for this Project (involves instructional issues relevant in at least two colleges). Partnerships are encouraged, but broad campus applicability is key. It must be of interest to faculty in at least two colleges. Please name the colleges and say why they will benefit. In addition to demonstrating campus wide need, also include a description of how you will use the project in your own classroom.

2. Strategy. Describe how you plan to develop your instructional expertise. FaCET has some brochures on conferences, etc. This website lists many teaching conferences: http://www.kennesaw.edu/cetl/resources/CETLoffcampuscalendar.htm

3. Background. Describe any prior relevant experience (e.g., prior knowledge of the area, skills in booklet design or in presentations). FaCET can provide assistance with booklet design.

4. If the project involves technology, please have the Director of Academic Technology read and provide feedback to you before the submission. Director of Academic Technology: John Bowers, john.bowers@wku.edu, 745-4278. He will proivde an independent comment to FaCET concerning the feasibility of the project and how it relates to current Information Techology initiatives.

5. Dissemination & Evaluation Plan. Specifically, how will you convey your new instructional skill or knowledge to faculty? How will you evaluate the impact of your project? Your plan should have the potential to reach a substantial number of faculty. It could include one or more of the following: seminar, workshop or roundtable (online or face-to-face), article in the Teaching Spirit newsletter or for the Teaching Issues listserv, booklets or pamphlets, leading a blog discussion, etc. FaCET can help in your planning so your project is integrated with other requests.

6. Budget & Timeline. Please include all anticipated costs of acquiring the information and disseminating it--travel, materials, equipment, printing, etc. If you buy out your time (e.g., the equivalent of one class) you must include the portion allocated to fringe benefits in your budget request. Only the amount you request on this form will be released. No additional moneys will be allocated if you have underestimated. The Office of Sponsored Programs and/or FaCET can help with writing a budget. Your timeline should show expected completion dates for the various elements of your proposal. Also mention resources from other sources (e.g., your department).

C. A confidential letter of support e-mailed from your department head directly to the FaCET Director. The department head is requested to specifically address if there will be any financial support for the project from the department.

I agree to follow my plan for disseminating the information I gain, based on consultation with the Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching.
Signature _________________________________________________
 

Date____________________________________________________

*Add more lines if there are multiple participants.
DUE: the second Monday of each month, until the moneys are exhausted. Advance consultation with a committee member or FaCET director generally results in a better proposal. Contact FaCET for names of current committee.