Instructional Improvement Program

2008-09 Proposals

NOTE: 2008-09 Proposals due April 7, 2008  (Campus Notice)

Instructional Improvement funds are made available to support faculty efforts to improve undergraduate instruction and are awarded on an annual basis via a proposal call that is typically announced in Winter Quarter.  Proposals are reviewed by the Instructional Improvement Committee, chaired by the Associate Vice Chancellor - Undergraduate Education.  The final allocation decisions are made by the Senior Vice Chancellor - Academic Affairs and announced in Spring Quarter.

The committee looks for projects that can improve the quality of undergraduate education, impact many students, and increase interactions between faculty and students, particularly at the lower-division level.  Faculty are encouraged to develop comprehensive strategies to improve undergraduate instruction within their departments or academic units.  Additionally, faculty experiments with new technologies, on-line or web-based learning or new teaching approaches are welcome, including proposals that address the varied needs and learning styles of our diverse student population, and build the academic skills our students need to be successful.

The committee encourages any improvement in existing instructional programs, including courses, curricula, and instructional processes, as well as the development of interdisciplinary courses and programs or projects that incorporate international content into the curriculum. Faculty experiments with new technologies or new teaching approaches are welcome, including proposals involving on-line or web-based learning.

In addition to the usual individual proposals that are funded up to the $5K level, the committee hopes to be able to fund one or two large proposals that may have a more significant impact at the program, department, or divisional levels.  The committee has looked more favorably on larger proposals when there are matching funds committed from alternative sources.

Awards will be made in the form of grants for development expenses, including, but not limited to, materials costs, summer graduate student support, and support for technical assistance.  Due to ongoing budget concerns, it will not be possible to support summer salary for faculty.

Proposals should be innovative and cost effective, with potential to affect a large number of students. Proposals should be geared to undergraduates and offer something new in instructional delivery. Proposals should have potential for broad support (several faculty working together). Interdisciplinary proposals are particularly encouraged. Proposals that incorporate international content into the curriculum are also encouraged. Experiments with new technologies or new teaching approaches are welcome. The Instructional Improvement Committee may wish to take into account whether a proposal is responding to a recommendation from a CEP Subcommittee to review undergraduate programs. The Instructional Improvement Committee provides one-time funding, and does not expect to approve requests for continued funding of the same project. The Instructional Improvement Committee has provided support for graduate students [typically Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) summer salary] working on instructional improvement projects. Benefits and/or fee remission expenses should be included in the proposal, when applicable, by following standard guidelines.

Please contact Marie Sidney (x40097; msidney@ucsd.edu) or Gail McNabb (x20226; gmcnabb@ucsd.edu) with any questions.

• 2008-09 Call for Proposals (February 27, 2008)
• 2008-09 On-line Proposal Form
• Award History 1999-00 thru 2007-08  [PDF]