The Provost’s Curricular Innovation Grants program is designed to promote innovation and excellence in undergraduate teaching at Mount Allison University. After a hiatus, it will now run again on an annual basis, for the next three years (2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14). The criteria and application process are described below.

Awards will be made to a faculty member or a team involving one or more faculty members and librarians and/or staff. The individual or team would have an interest in enhancing the Mount Allison student experience through the extensive redesign of existing courses or the innovative design of a new course. The goals of this project are to enhance student learning; to promote innovation in curriculum design and delivery, particularly at the first-year level; and to promote interdisciplinary initiatives.

Members of the adjudicating committee will asses applications on the following equally-weighted criteria.

1. Potential to enhance student learning, with specific reference to intended learning outcomes.
2. Connection to one of the five areas of emphasis outlined on page 6 of the University's Strategic Statement (2007-16) and /or to the University's Academic Renewal Plan.
3. Level of interdisciplinarity and integration of ideas across the curriculum.
4. Innovation and creativity (not necessarily involving technology, but using novel approaches to address teaching and learning issues).
5. Explanation of how this project can be sustained in the future (including reference, for example, to ongoing software costs that might be involved in the project).

The value of a grant will not exceed $5,000.

A total of $50,000 is available for allocation in the first round (2011), for courses to be taught from Winter 2012 through Winter 2013. Up to $50,000 will be available in each of the following two years as well.

Funding may be used for the cost of materials, supplies, software, field trips, visiting speakers, and other support deemed necessary, including student salaries. The funds may not be used for the purchase of computers, catering, provision of teaching replacement, or conference travel.

The adjudication committee has the discretion to adjust budgets as it deems necessary. In some cases, funding could be contingent on Research Ethics Board approval.

The grants awarded during the first year of funding are to be used for courses offered during the 2011-2012 or 2012-2013 academic years. In the case of new courses, it is understood that it might not be possible to obtain Senate approval in time, in which case they may not be offered until 2012-2013.

All first-round funds unused by June 30, 2013 will revert to the University unless an extension is approved by the Provost and Vice-President, Academic and Research.

A similar timeline will be followed for awards made in 2012 and 2013.

• Nature and purpose of the initiative
• Names of participants and their academic units
• An indication that consultation has been held with the departments head(s), and any other (e.g., librarians, Computing Services staff, personnel in the Registrar's office) for which this project has implications, and that their concerns have been taken into account
• Expected impact and outcomes
• Explicit reference to each of the five criteria specified earlier
• Estimated costs ( to a maximum of $5,000)
• Any other sources of funding
• An indication of the mode of dissemination of results
• Timeline

Applications are solicited from full-time faculty members or librarians holding tenured, tenure-track, or term positions (longer than two years).

Part-time faculty members or librarians holding continuous appointments are also eligible to apply.