Grant for Excellence in Teaching & Learning

NB: Effective July 1, 2023, the disbursement of Grants for Excellence in Teaching & Learning is suspended until further notice.

The University of North Carolina, Pembroke, is founded on excellence in teaching and learning as a matter of mission: “UNC Pembroke exists to promote excellence in teaching and learning, at the master’s and undergraduate levels, in an environment of free inquiry, interdisciplinary collaboration, and rigorous intellectual standards.” At UNCP, exceptional faculty are defined as those who “show command of their subject, [are] creative and imaginative, [are] enthusiastic, promote critical thinking, stimulate their students to improved performance, engage in and use research, and [are] outstanding communicators.” In so doing, the University seeks to prepare graduates for “rewarding careers, postgraduate study, leadership roles, … fulfilling lives, … engagement in global society, and responsible stewards[hip] of the world."

Grant-winning projects include the following:

• Whitney P. Akers, PhD; Stephanie R. Robinson, PhD; and Nicole A. Stargell, PhD (School of Education): Enriching Graduate Counseling Students’ Professional Identity (Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, $2,649)
• Nachiket M. Bhawe, PhD; Professor William R. Crandall, PhD; Si Ahn Mehng, PhD; and Nakibur Rahman, PhD (Thomas School of Business): Students’ Needs and Experiences in Online Video Lectures (Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, $10,000) 
• Silvia Smith, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): Enhancing Teaching and Learning and Student Success in Anatomy & Physiology I and II (Fall 2022, $14,920)
• Amy Purser Medina, PhD, and Jennifer Wells, PhD (College of Health Sciences): Student Success and Next Generation NCLEX Assessment (Spring and Fall 2022, $11,288)
• Camille Goins, PhD; Leslie Locklear, PhD; Gerald Neal, EdD; and Claudia Nickolson, PhD (School of Education): Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Needs of Diverse Students (Spring 2022, $18,550)
• Michele Fazio, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): First-Generation Student Success (Fall 2021 and Spring 2022, $5,150)
• Camille Goins, PhD; Leslie Locklear, PhD; Tiffany Locklear, EdD; Gerald Neal, EdD; Claudia Nickolson, PhD; Gretchen Robinson, PhD; Dana Unger, PhD; and Jeffrey Warren, PhD (College of Health Sciences and School of Education): Culturally Responsive Teaching (Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, $15,500)
• Joe West, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): Colloquia Series Featuring UNCP Faculty Research (Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, $400)
• Jennifer D. Jones-Locklear, PhD, and Astrid D. Oviedo, PhD (College of Health Sciences): Teaching the Legal Aspects of Nursing Using Jurisprudence (Fall 2020, $4,599)
• Dana Unger, PhD (College of Health Sciences): Certification in Trauma-informed Counseling (Fall 2020, $6,969)
• Xinyan Shi, PhD (School of Business), Mindfulness, Altruism, Personality and the Public Good Game (Spring 2020, $2,500)
• Michele Fazio, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): Sharing Stories, Creating Allies: First-Generation Student Success at UNCP (Fall 2019, $5,450)
• Jane Haladay, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): Richard Grounds, Indigenous Language, and Indigenous Food Sovereignty (Fall 2019, $2,188)
• Beth Holder, PhD, and Joe Sciulli, PhD (School of Education): iGen: Advising Today's College Students (Fall 2019, $5,462)
• Beth Holder, PhD, and Zoe Locklear, PhD (School of Education), PraxisBoost (Fall 2019, $4,000)
• Camille Goins, PhD; Leslie Locklear, PhD; Tiffany Locklear, EdD; Gerald Neal, EdD; Claudia Nickolson, PhD; Gretchen Robinson, PhD; Dana Unger, PhD; and Jeffrey Warren, PhD (College of Health Sciences and School of Education): Culturally Responsive Teaching (Fall 2019, $12,000)
• Naomi Lifschitz-Grant, EdD (College of Arts & Sciences): Art Education Digital Video Archive (Fall 2019, $1,560)
• Michael Berntsen, PhD; Robert Epps, MFA; and Naomi Lifschitz-Grant, EdD (College of Arts & Sciences): Team-teaching Social Justice through Literature and Film (Spring 2019, $2,744)
• Jane Haladay, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): International Indigenous Exchange Consortium (Spring 2019, $2,000)
• Michele Fazio, PhD, and Peter Grimes, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): David Joy and Working Class Literature (Spring 2019, $2,000)
• Cherry Maynor Beasley, PhD; Jane Haladay, PhD; Mary Ann Jacobs, PhD; and Conner Sandefur, PhD (Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Health Sciences): Interdisciplinary Teaching in Indigenous Food Sovereignty (Fall 2018)
• Jaime Martinez, PhD, and Jamie Mize, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): Active Learning in Archival Settings (Fall 2018, $2,897)
• Gretchen Robinson, PhD (School of Education): Enhancing Undergraduate Reading Methods Courses (Fall 2018, $3,916)
• Dana Unger, PhD (College of Health Sciences): Facilitating Student Learning through Recording in Counseling Education (Fall 2018, $1,777)

Purpose

The awarding of Grants for Excellence in Teaching & Learning aims to enhance and/or enrich pedagogy and instruction at UNCP through interventions in classes, courses, and/or curricula and/or the scholarly development of UNCP faculty.

Eligibility

All faculty, employed fulltime or part-time and in good standing at UNCP, are eligible to apply, individually or collectively. Proposals from groups or teams of collaborating faculty are encouraged.

Submission Procedures

In order to be considered for a Grant for Excellence in Teaching & Learning, eligible faculty must submit an application, consisting of an application form, a narrative explaining the proposal to enrich and/or enhance pedagogy and instruction, an itemized budget, a c.v., and, as appropriate, supporting documentation.

Applications are available via Qualtrics <https://uncp.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_88ECuVQ1GFdCKih> and are due as follows:

• March 1 for grants to be expended between July 1 and Dec. 31
• Sept. 1 for grants to be expended Jan. 1 and June 30.

Incomplete applications shall not be considered.

Preparation of proposals

Proposals shall take the following format and consist of the following parts:

1. Applicant information
2. A narrative that, using clear and concise language understandable to reviewers in multiple disciplines, describes the following:
   • The interventions and/or activities being proposed
   • The alignment of the proposal to commitments to excellence in teaching and learning as set forth in the University mission and vision
   • The expected outcomes of the proposed interventions and/or activities, with teaching and learning goals and objectives clearly defined
   • Scholarly evidence and data to establish the efficacy of proposed interventions and/or activities
   • A schedule detailing the implementation of the proposal
   • A discussion of the proposal’s future sustainability and/or replication
   • The contribution of the proposal to the applicant’s growth as a teacher-scholar
3. A budget itemizing proposed expenditures, such as those for equipment, educational materials, wages and/or stipends, professional development, and travel
4. Supplemental documentation as appropriate, such as syllabi, travel requests, position descriptions, invoices or cost estimates, scholarship of teaching and learning, institutional data, and other documents
5. Curriculum vitae

Review, Evaluation, and Selection of Proposals

The Task Force on Teaching Excellence will review and evaluate all eligible proposals according to the following criteria:

1. The extent to which the proposal advances one or more commitments put forth in the mission and vision of UNCP, to wit (in no particular order):
   • Active student learning
   • Rigorous intellectual and academic standards
   • Skills of critical thinking and effective communication
   • Interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation
   • Students’ intellectual curiosity and creativity
   • Students’ capacity to embrace difference and adapt to change
   • International perspectives and responsible citizenship
2. The extent to which the proposal will enrich and/or enhance teaching and learning at UNCP
3. The extent to which proposed interventions and/or activities are supported by scholarly, authoritative, and relevant evidence and data and are likely to achieve the proposal’s expected outcomes and goals
4. The extent to which the proposal is sustainable and replicable
5. The value of the scholarly work to contribute to the applicant’s growth as a teacher-scholar

The Task Force shall select the proposals to be funded and the maximum amount at which they will be supported, and applicants shall be notified of the Task Force’s decision within 30 days of the deadline for application.

Reporting Requirement

Individuals awarded a Grant for Excellence in Teaching & Learning shall (1) participate in the TLC’s Mid-semester Class Check-in and Open Classroom programs and (2) submit a written report to the TLC director.

The report shall describe the implementation of the proposal, assess its impact, and reflect on the individual’s growth as a teacher-scholar. Deadlines for the written report are as follow:

• Aug. 1 for grants implemented from Jan. 1 to June 30
• Feb. 1 for grants implemented from July 1 to Dec. 31

The report shall be made public via the TLC’s website and other media.

For more information, contact TLC director Scott Hicks at (910) 775-4032 or scott.hicks@uncp.edu.

Grants for Syllabus Transformation

The University of North Carolina, Pembroke, is founded on excellence in teaching and learning as a matter of mission: “UNC Pembroke exists to promote excellence in teaching and learning, at the master’s and undergraduate levels, in an environment of free inquiry, interdisciplinary collaboration, and rigorous intellectual standards.” The University seeks to develop and support exceptional faculty, faculty who “show command of their subject, [are] creative and imaginative, [are] enthusiastic, promote critical thinking, stimulate their students to improved performance, engage in and use research, and [are] outstanding communicators.” In so doing, the University seeks to prepare graduates for “rewarding careers, postgraduate study, leadership roles, … fulfilling lives, … engagement in global society, and responsible stewards[hip] of the world."

Grant-winning projects include the following:

• Laura Hakala, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): ENG 2230: American Literature before 1865 (Fall 2021)
• Danielle Hiraldo, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): AIS 1010: Introduction to American Indian Studies (Fall 2021)
• John (Jack) Spillan, PhD (Thomas School of Business): MGT 3150: International Management (Fall 2021)
• Camille Goins, EdD (School of Education): EDNL 5800: Supervision & Instructional Leadership (Spring 2021)
• Leslie Locklear, PhD (School of Education): CNS 5800: Multicultural & Social Justice Counseling (Spring 2021)
• Tiffany Locklear, EdD (School of Education): ELE 4110: Teaching Mathematics in Elementary School II (Spring 2021)
• Claudia Nickolson, PhD (School of Education): ELE 5775: Development, Diversity & Differentiation of Instruction (Spring 2021)
• Dana Unger, PhD (College of Health Sciences): CNS 5060: Crisis Intervention (Spring 2021)
• Emilia Bak, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): PRE 2200: Introduction to Public Relations (Fall 2020)
• Autumn Lauzon, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): ENG 2050: World Literature before 1660 (Fall 2020)
• Karen Granger, EdD (School of Education): EDN 5040: Introduction to the Basic Tenets of Education (Fall 2019)
• Crystal Walline, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): BIO 2110: Human Anatomy & Physiology (Fall 2019)
• Hannah Baggott Anderson, MFA (College of Arts & Sciences): ENG 1050: Composition I (Spring 2019)
• Dennis Edgell, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): GGY 3720: North America (Spring 2019)
• Joshua Busman, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): MUS 2930: The World of Music, Classical to the Contemporary Era (Fall 2018)
• Virginia Garnett, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): ENG 1060: Composition II (Fall 2018)
• Karen Granger, EdD (School of Education): EDN 2100: Introduction to Education (Fall 2018)
• Abigail Mann, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): ENG 1060: Composition II (Fall 2018)
• Kayonna Pitchford, PhD (School of Education): ELE 3040: Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School, Grades K-2 (Fall 2018)
• Enrique Porrúa, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): SPN 3200: Literary Analysis & Criticism in Spanish (Fall 2018)
• Crystal Walline, PhD (College of Arts & Sciences): BIO 2100: Human Anatomy & Physiology Laboratory (Fall 2018)
• Jennifer Whittington, EdD (School of Education): EDN 2100: Introduction to Education (Fall 2018)

Purpose

The awarding of Grants for Syllabus Transformation aims to enhance and/or enrich pedagogy and instruction at UNCP through improvement in class construction and syllabus design.

Eligibility

All faculty, employed fulltime or part-time and in good standing at UNCP, are eligible to apply.

Submission Procedures

In order to be considered for a Grant for Syllabus Transformation, eligible faculty must submit an application, consisting of an application form, a narrative explaining the applicant’s desired goals in transforming her or his syllabus, a copy of the syllabus currently used in the class, and a a c.v.

Applications are available via Qualtrics <https://uncp.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_82mf2OpzVgdj9mR> and are accepted on a rolling basis. Incomplete applications shall not be considered.

Preparation of Proposals

Proposals shall take the following format and consist of the following parts:

1. Applicant information, including a copy of the syllabus proposed for transformation and selection of the University partner with whom the applicant wishes to partner in completing syllabus transformation
2. A narrative that describes the following:
   • the class for which the applicant seeks to revise and transform a syllabus,
   • the goals of the applicant in transforming the syllabus, and
   • the expected and/or desired outcomes of the transformed syllabus in effecting excellence in teaching and learning.
3. Curriculum vitae

Review, Evaluation, and Selection of Proposals

The Director of the Teaching & Learning Center, in consultation with appropriate University partners, will review and evaluate all eligible proposals according to the following criteria:

1. The extent to which the proposal will enrich and/or enhance teaching and learning at UNCP and
2. The value of the scholarly work to contribute to the applicant’s growth as a teacher-scholar.

The TLC Director shall select the proposals to be funded, and applicants shall be notified of the Director’s decision within five days of the deadline for application. The number of proposals funded will be determined by the availability of funds.

Grant Activities

Individuals awarded a Grant for Syllabus Transformation shall receive a stipend of $350 to be disbursed by June 30 (for March 1 submissions) or Dec. 31 (for Sept. 1 submissions), in compensation for consulting with a University partner and submitting a transformed syllabus within three months. University partners supporting this effort will receive $100 in funding for resources to support each syllabus transformation they support.

Reporting Requirement

Individuals awarded a Grant for Syllabus Transformation shall (1) participate in the TLC’s Mid-semester Class Check-in and Open Classroom programs, (2) participate in a syllabus transformation workshop, and (3) allow their revised syllabi to be make publicly available to the University community via the TLC’s website and social media.