UPDATE: The deadline to apply has been extended to February 26, 2018.
The Office of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) invites proposals for projects that address the QEP’s theme, What’s Next: Integrative Learning for Professional and Civic Preparation, and that seek to improve undergraduate student learning at UCF.
The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and Carnegie Foundation define integrative learning as intentionally developing skills across multiple connected experiences and adapting these skills to new problem-solving contexts. It is both a process and a capacity. Integrative learning encourages students to develop self-awareness about how they learn (metacognition) and to acquire supple and adaptive habits of mind that will enable them to successfully meet challenges, not just within the confines of the university, but in the workplace, and in their public and personal lives.
Proposals will be evaluated according to their ability to present a compelling project description, with feasible and clearly articulated goals and scope and to demonstrate: (1) a clear need for the proposed enhancement or innovation; (2) a comprehensive plan for assessing outcomes of the project; (3) a clear connection to one or more of the three interventions addressed by What’s Next:
Guidance & Information:
Augmenting existing resources and developing new resources to encourage students early in (and throughout) their academic careers to identify professional and civic goals and to provide them with information that can help them develop integrated “3C’s” (curricular, co-curricular, and career-preparatory) pathways to reach those goals (e.g., orientation workshops, integrative learning modules, advising materials, peer-mentoring programs, Web resources).
High-Impact Integrative Learning Experiences:
High-impact learning experiences are those that typically demand considerable time and effort, facilitate learning outside the classroom, require meaningful interaction with faculty and other students, encourage collaboration with diverse others, and provide frequent and substantive feedback (e.g., undergraduate research projects, cornerstone or capstone courses, integrative learning assignment sequences, study abroad, service learning, internships).
Metacognition & Self-Advocacy:
Creating or improving opportunities for students to reflect upon, assess, and describe the knowledge and skills that they have acquired through their integrative learning experiences so that they can leverage these skills as they face “what’s next” after UCF (e.g., e-portfolios, capstone or other summative experiences, mock interviews, launching materials).
For the 2018 awards cycle, special consideration will be given to projects that seek to develop new high-impact learning experiences for majors, such as: capstone, undergraduate research, integrative learning courses, internships or other experiential learning, study abroad, or service learning. For more information on the review criteria, consult the rubric for funded project proposals.
Proposals will be accepted for two levels of award: Enhancement and Program Innovation:
Enhancement: up to $3,500 for individuals or teams who wish to enhance existing or create new resources for undergraduate students, such as but not limited to: developing courses, designing high-impact learning activities, or enhancing career preparation. Interdisciplinary projects and projects that include student members are encouraged. Although long-term and sustainable changes are the ultimate goal of What’s Next, award recipients must be able to complete initial assessment of their project within one academic year. A final report on the project will be due to the QEP office one year after the award is granted.
Program Innovation: up to $10,000 for individuals or teams who wish to make changes to existing or create new programs to enhance undergraduate student learning outcomes, such as but not limited to: mapping and revising curriculum, implementing new technologies (e.g., e-portfolios), or faculty and staff training. Interdisciplinary projects and projects that include student members are encouraged to apply. Award recipients must be able to complete initial assessment of their project within two academic years. A final report on the project will be due to the QEP office two years after the award is granted.
Award Information
Proposals are due by email to QEP@ucf.edu by Monday, February 26, 2018, and the process for transferring awarded funds will begin in July 2018.
The QEP awards program is overseen by the Office of the Quality Enhancement Plan and an awards committee comprising members from the QEP Advisory Board. The advisory board includes representatives from the various colleges, schools, departments, and units across the UCF campus.
Projects must be clearly related to one or more of the three interventions addressed by What’s Next: Guidance and Information, High-Impact Integrative Learning Experiences, and/or Metacognition & Self-Advocacy. On the award application you will be required to explain which intervention your project relates to and to detail student learning outcomes and assessment methods related to your project.
Eligibility
Faculty and staff at the University of Central Florida are eligible to apply. Undergraduate and graduate students whose project is supervised by an eligible faculty or staff member are also eligible to apply. Applicants may apply individually or as teams to work on one project; however, the award will be granted to the project and not to individual team members. If you are in the final year of your funded project and wish to apply for additional support you may; however, those applying for such support will be required to include a discussion of preliminary results that demonstrates measurable progress towards the project goals.
Duration of Project
Enhancement: Award recipients must be able to complete assessment of their project within two semesters. Reports will be due to the Office of the QEP in July 2019.
Program Innovation: Award recipients must be able to complete assessment of their project within four semesters. A mid-term report will be due to the Office of the QEP in July 2019 and a final report will be due to the Office of the QEP in July 2020.
Evaluation Criteria
Awards for both the Enhancement and the Program Innovation proposals will be based on the proposal’s content with emphasis on the proposal’s alignment with the mission of the Quality Enhancement Plan, What’s Next: Integrative Learning for Civic and Professional Lives. Proposals must be directly related to one or more of the three areas of intervention cited above; however, special consideration will be given to projects that seek to develop new high-impact learning experiences for majors, such as: capstone, undergraduate research, integrative learning courses, internships or other experiential learning, study abroad, or service learning. For more information on evaluation criteria, please see the rubric for funded project proposals.
Important Dates
- January 9, 2018 Call for Proposals released by QEP office
- February 26, 2017 All proposals are due via online form to the QEP office
- April 27, 2018 Notice of acceptance or rejection of proposal
- July–August, 2018 Budget transfers will be made to support accepted proposals
- July 2019 Final report due to Office of the QEP for Enhancement Awards; mid-term report due to the Office of the QEP for Program Innovation Awards
- July 2020
Final report due to Office of the QEP for Program Innovation Awards8
Detailed Budget
Budget money will be transferred from the QEP account to the appropriate account of the home department for the project. If it is an interdisciplinary project, the submitting team must decide (prior to submission) which department will be the home for the project. These types of costs would be allowable for inclusion in the budget:
- Most activities that would be allowable for faculty and staff development and support (e.g., training, travel, conferences, collaborations).
- Salary for a student or OPS worker to assist with the project.
- Purchase of equipment, software, materials, or supplies that are essential (and used only for) the project.
- Release time for the employee to devote effort to this project (but not for dual compensation to the employee).
The money may not be used to supplement an employee’s salary. Specifics about the budget requirements may be found on the QEP website. The amount listed is the maximum for each award; however, it is not necessary to request the maximum. The selection committee will review the budget and may make suggested changes. The primary investigator for the project will be contacted before a budget is changed and an award is granted. When completing the final project report you will be asked to provide a complete reconciliation between the approved budget and the actual expenditures from the funds.
QEP Contact
Questions about proposal preparation, the QEP process, and proposal format may be directed to Anna Maria Jones, QEP director (Anna.Jones@ucf.edu) or to Brooks Pingston, QEP coordinator (Brooks.Pingston@ucf.edu ). Anna and Brooks will be happy to meet with you prior to turning in your proposal to assist you in project planning, developing appropriate and measurable student learning outcomes, and in determining how to best assess student learning.