Assessment Initiative Mini-Grants
Assessment Initiative Mini-Grants are available for academic, college and administrative programs to provide resources needed to make enhancements based on data that are clearly documented in your Continuous Improvement Report (CIR). Mini-grants will only be funded if you have clearly demonstrated in your 2009-2010 Continuous Improvement Report (CIR) a link between data presented and a need for enhancement. Mini-grants can then be requested for resources needed to make these enhancements. You must include in your proposal the portion of your CIR that includes the data supporting the need for the proposed enhancement.
Proposals will be reviewed by the Council on Institutional Effectiveness. If this mini grant is funded, you will be required to document the impact of the project in your Continuous Improvement Report, due Oct. 1, 2011. You may also be called on to participate in an informal campus forum or a meeting with the Committee on Institutional Effectiveness to share the impact of this grant.
Link to: Mini-Grant Proposal Form
The 09-10 round of proposals is due by November 1, 2010 . All applicants will be notified by December 17, 2010.Funding for the Assessment Initiative Mini-Grant program is limited and subject to availability; proposals should not exceed $500. Grant money may be carried over into the next fiscal year.
08-09 Recipients and Projects (note: proposal guidelines have been changed for 09-10)
Mini-grants were awarded during the 08-09 year to:
- Department of Exercise and Sports Science to fund annual costs associated with use of Taskstream, which they are using for electronic portfolios as well as managing other assessment data.
- Department of Chemistry, Physics and Geosciences for the travel and visit of Dr. Hovland, the Department Head of Chemistry and Biochemistry at St. Mary's College in Maryland, to provide consultation on two departmental goals: American Chemical Society (ACS) certification and a new Biochemistry major. This consultation would help them prepare for their program review the following year.
- Department of Foreign Languages and Literature to help offset costs of bringing in a trainer from the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) to conduct an on-campus workshop for the department to help refine the correction process for the speaking section of the Foreign Language Competency Exam.
- Department of Biology for an assessment and planning retreat. The Biology Department implemented a new curriculum beginning in the 2008-2009 school year and needs to review its outcomes and measures to improve alignment with the new curriculum.
- Institutional Advancement for a survey, peer visit and workshop to assess and improve the prospect management process.