Keys to Success for the CU Next Award 2022

By supporting faculty pedagogical innovation, especially with technology, the NEW aims to increase the efficacy and efficiency of student learning in courses.

Grant Guidelines and Submission

Available on .听 Submission deadline is April 4, 2022, at 11:59 pm.

From the submission portal:聽

Please submit proposal as a pdf upload. Format requirements and content guidelines are listed below. Applicants must adhere to format requirements. Proposals that violate requirements will be rejected.

This is also required as a form entry: Academic Innovation Summary (350 words)*

Provide a high level summary of the objectives, stakeholders and their roles, metrics for success, timeline, and budget for the proposed academic innovation.

Boulder Campus Support

Daryl Maeda, Dean of Undergraduate Education and Vice Provost, serves as the Boulder campus liaison to system for this award.

There is a campus-wide support team available to assist you in developing your proposal. These include experts from the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL)/Arts & Sciences Support of Education through Technology (ASSETT); Libraries; Office of Data Analytics (ODA); Office of Information Technology (OIT); and Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE). As you develop your proposal, feel free at any time to contact the CTL (ctl@colorado.edu) with any queries. We will be happy to connect you with the appropriate support.听

A webpage accessible from the CTL homepage is in development and will be available soon with campus-specific information.听

Proposal Priorities

Technology and innovation are central components of this award, which intended for a single course. Technology can take many forms, from software to hardware, but an explanation of how the introduction of a new technology into your teaching can advance student learning will be key for proposal success. What specific problems does the introduction of technology solve? What student learning needs does the technology address? What impact will the technology have? As you describe the impact of the teaching innovation on your students, as well as your colleagues, write for a broad audience, for proposals will be reviewed by faculty and administrators from a range of disciplines.听

Key to a successful proposal will be the development of a compelling . What does success look like? How will you know if your innovation is meeting those goals? How might your plan be responsive to student needs over multiple iterations of the course? The proposal must have iterative features, for the same course must be repeated three times. Lastly, how might this project be grown and/or sustained beyond the grant period?

As you develop your plan it鈥檚 important to consider how it can address issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This is a campus priority.听

Collaboration between at least two CU campuses is essential for a proposal to be considered. The grant recognizes that collaboration can be challenging and thus flexibility is warranted. A compelling proposal will clearly identify the role of all partners (i.e., not simply collaborating to meet the terms of the grant), articulating what each partner contributes to and gains from the project. For example, are there potential advantages (e.g., inclusivity) in introducing a teaching innovation to the different student populations that each campus serves? Contact information of all collaborators should be included.听

Communication strategy. How will others learn from your experiences and expertise? Will you plan to share this with others in your department and/or college? Post findings on a department website? Publish your findings? Will you present this at a conference? As a hub for sharing effective teaching practices, the CTL would be happy to discuss promoting your findings through workshops and/or through reports, video, or other media on our website.听聽听听

Budget justification. As you provide an explanation of your budget, make sure that requests align with specifics articulated in campus commitment letters: potential teaching buyouts or assignments condoned by chair; potential classroom alterations approved, etc. Please remember that travel expenses are not covered by this award.听

Proposals must have a statement of campus commitment from all partners. This can take many forms, such as an agreement from a department chair for a course buyout from award funds, an agreement from a department chair to allow an instructor to teach the same course (at least) three different times, and/or an agreement to introduce technological equipment into a classroom, storage arrangements for technology, etc. It is important to speak with your chair or director early in the process to ensure the institutional commitment you envision can be supported.听

Review Process聽

  1. In early April, a faculty committee coordinated through the CTL will review proposals and make recommendations to:聽
  2. A system-level committee that will make final decisions and inform applicants by the end of spring semester, 2022.听聽

Each month the CTL聽publishes a newsletter that includes timely teaching strategies and resources, CTL updates, and upcoming events of interest to the campus teaching community.