Faculty Innovative Pedagogy Grants
*For regular, full unit departmental classes (excluding Jan Term and Collegiate Seminar)*
Purpose
The Faculty Innovative Pedagogy Grant (FIPG) aims to support the development and sharing of innovative pedagogical practices that enhance student learning and help promote the quality of liberal arts and Lasallian education at SMC in the 21st century. Innovative pedagogy is defined as the experimentation with or use of novel and/or creative teaching and learning activities in the classroom that will advance student intellectual growth, cultivate critical thinking, and build a student-centered learning community. We especially seek to support innovative pedagogy that centers social justice and concern for historically marginalized communities related to yet not limited to aspects of gender, race, sexuality, and class. This grant is supported by existing endowment funds identified for promoting academic excellence.
To be eligible for an award,
Upon the recommendation of the Committee on Faculty Development and Scholarship, the Office of the Provost will award one FIPG.
Eligibility
Faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to apply.
Faculty members must be tenure-track
Visiting faculty and adjunct faculty are not eligible to apply
Faculty members must be in compliance with college-wide diversity training requirements. Grant recipients who are not up to date will need to complete Guide training in spring 2024.
Faculty members who have not received an FIPG in the last three review cycles. Use the following information to determine when you can apply.
| Year X | Year Y | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 |
| Apply for Grant | Use grant | Not eligible to apply | Not eligible to apply | Eligible to apply | Use grant |
The Award:
Each FIPG winner will receive $10,000 for:
- the planning, implementation, and execution of the proposed pedagogy
- travel for planning purposes,
- hiring specialists,
- course speaker fees,
- miscellaneous supplies
- costs associated with experiential learning activities and/or specialized equipment (note that equipment purchased with FIPGs remains the property of the College at the conclusion of the grant period),
- If the grant is used to cover workload units, it will be applied at a rate of 3WU of scholarship.
Funds will be available for use during the following fiscal year only. Starting July 1 and through the following June 30. Unspent balances from this grant will be used as additional funding for future Faculty Innovative Pedagogy Grants.
Applications are due December
To be considered, proposals MUST include the following attachments.
1. A project description, budget, and copies of current/proposed syllabi illustrating the modification planned. Everything must be merged into one document for attachment.
2. IRB (if applicable) Acknowledgement of Need and Intent to Submit Proposal for IRB Review. This is only applicable if your teaching will be used in a research study.
3.CV indicating experience salient to this project.
Innovative pedagogies include but are not limited to:
- the use of new or existing pedagogical theories, teaching methods, and/or classroom technologies for the modification of a currently existing course;
- partnership with outside organization/individuals;
- experiential activities; and
- use of atypical material for the course.
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following review criteria:
- Clarity of description of the innovative pedagogical practice to be applied in the classroom in the specific discipline
- Clarity of description and explanation of how the innovation/practice will address the following three learning outcomes:
- advance student intellectual growth,
- cultivate critical thinking,
- help build a student-centered learning community
- will center equity, social justice, and/or concern for marginalized communities
- How well the plan to assess student learning is related to the proposed innovative teaching method(s).
Upon the recommendation of the Committee on Faculty Development and Scholarship, the Office of the Provost will award one FIPG.
The grant recipient must provide a short report (2-3 pages) of grant activity within sixty days of the conclusion of the course. In addition to the expenditures, this report should address the impact or effect the innovative practice had on student learning and a reflection on how this practice benefitted the faculty member and College. This report will be then forwarded to the Office of Provost. This report must include and be informed by the data analysis and key findings from the applicant’s assessment plan.
The grant recipient is also required to present the results of the innovative pedagogy to the College community within one year in the form of an interactive workshop with demonstrations or a presentation of the description of innovative practices, emphasizing the impact on student learning.