Faculty Resources
Mini Grant Application
Proposal Content
All proposals must be typewritten and contain the following:
- Proposal Narrative (2-page maximum): Define the issue or problem and discuss how the Community-Engaged Learning project will address this issue. What role did the community partner play in identifying the project goals and deliverables? How are students applying course content and deepening their understanding of the issue? How are students reflecting on what they experience and learn? -Attach at the bottom of the page
- Budget and Budget Narrative: The Budget Narrative justifies how a line item helps to meet the project deliverables. Please include brief descriptions, prices, and quantities. - Attach at the bottom of the section.
- Allowable Costs: materials, transportation to project site, books, supplies, wages or stipend for student assistant(s).
- Unallowable Costs: indirect costs, food (unless it’s part of the project, i.e.: school garden, nutrition education), payment to participants, supplemental faculty pay, entertainment (unless it’s part of the project), cash incentives, or gift cards.
Application Procedures
Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on December 15 & May 15.
Please send applications to:
Kate Stephens,
Center for Community Engagement
7205 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-7205
Email: kate.stephens@usu.edu
Please submit the form and upload all documents separately.
CBI Process
Since the rollout of the Community Bridge Initiviative (CBI) partnership program in fall 2016, all Community-Engaged Learning faculty and community partners participate in a partnership process that facilitates communication, establishes clear goals and objectives, and develops agreed-upon deliverables. All community partners have completed a Memorandum of Understanding, indicating that the organization has liability insurance and requirements for background checks that students are expected to uphold. The Community Engaged Learning program will also maintain a database of community partner project proposals to be matched with courses.
Once you have decided to teach a CEL course, you must adhere to the following process:
CBI Process Steps
Course Matching:
Community partners and faculty consult the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) office to identify project and course matches. Although CCE staff do their best to identify course matches, there is not always a good course fit each semester, and some community agencies/classes might need to wait until the following semester or academic year.
Designation Form:
Faculty are required to complete and submit a Community-Engaged Learning Course Designation Form to have their class officially designated as a CEL course. This form can be submitted at any time, but it must be received prior to student registration to be included in Banner. For more information on the designation process, please view our Faculty Resource Page.
Scope of Work:
Prior to the start of the semester, community partners and faculty will meet to complete the Scope of Work (SOW), outlining goals of the project, roles and responsibilities, and deliverables to be completed by the end of the semester. Both parties will be involved in the completion and signing of this document. The Scope of Work form can be found in the ‘resources’ section of this website.
Orientation:
At the beginning of the semester, the community partner should schedule time to provide an orientation to students who will be involved in the SL project—either during class time or on-site. Orientation should include a discussion of the issue, agency background/history, and an overview of the project.
Mid-Semester Check-In:
A mid-semester meeting provides time for faculty and community partners to assess the progress of the project, determine if any changes to the Scope of Work are necessary, and address any challenges or concerns.
Assessment:
After the completion of the semester and the project, community partners, faculty, and students complete a short survey assessing their experience, determining impact, identifying areas for improvement, and sharing accomplishments.
Events
Presidential Awards for Community Engagement Awards
Each year, the Center for Community Engagement recognizes the work of outstanding faculty, staff, students, and community partners. Faculty, staff and students can nominate awardees in the following categories:
- Community-Engaged Scholar
- Community-Engaged Staff Member
- Community-Engaged Student
- Community-Engaged Alumnus
- Committed Community Partner
Submit an award online: www.usu.edu/community-engagement/awards/presidential-award
Engaged Faculty Retreat
Resources
Online
- Community Engaged Teaching during Suspension of Face-to-Face Classes - blog post by Michael Valliant (IU-Bloomington)
- Coronavirus and the Engaged Campus - Campus Compact Iowa
- Ethical International Community Engagement: Fair Trade Learning
- Generally Accepted Community Engaged Learning Styles
- Resources for Community Engaged Teaching and Learning - IU-Bloomington
- Resources for Supporting Community-Engaged Teaching - IUPUI’s Center for Community Engagement
- Teaching an Online Social Action Course
- Utilizing Community Engagement Projects in an Online Class - video from Jon Westover (UVU)
Organizations
- American Democracy Project (ADP)
- Campus Compact
- Imagining America
- International Association for Research on Community Engagement (IARSLCE)
Resourceful USU Documents
- USU GivePulse
- Scope of Work (SOW)
- Roles & Responsibilities in Community Engaged Learning
- Faculty Community-Engaged Learning Handbook
- Campus Compact Resources & Sample Syllabi
- Sample Student Behavior Contract - editable in Adobe Acrobat
- USU's Civic Action Plan
- Assessing Community-Engaged Learning Impacts using Ripple Effects Mapping
- Best Practices in Community-Engaged Teaching