To: All UMM Faculty

From: International Programs Committee (IPC)

Subject: Grant to Develop International Enhancements for UMM Curriculum

Application Deadline: Friday, April 3, 2009

The International Programs Committee (IPC) invites proposals from all faculty members for a grant to enhance the existing UMM curriculum by offering students the chance to continue their studies internationally. Individual and joint projects are welcome. Unfortunately, funds are quite limited. The IPC will award one grant of up to $2,500.

Purpose of New Grant Program

Funded by the all-University Bush Foundation project to internationalize the University of Minnesota, the purpose of this new grant program is to encourage and enable faculty members to develop international study experiences emerging from our on-campus curricular offerings.

While there are any number of possibilities, here are some hypothetical examples:

• an on-campus Shakespeare course might be followed by a program in England similar to UMM’s May Term offering "Shakespeare’s England";

• an on-campus geology course might be followed by a program like UMM’s "Geology in Italy".

The international experience might involve classroom study in another country, field work or research projects. Successful past applications include Bert Ahern’s “Indigenes and Colonisers in the U.S. and New Zealand” (a link to Bert’s proposal is included on the IPC website listed below), Keith Brugger’s “Design and Development of Field Protocols for Student-Directed, International Glaciological Research,” and Ray Schultz’s “International Theater Production: Performing at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival.”

In short, the study abroad enhancement experience should have a clear relationship to an on-campus course or courses and be based upon the idea that all students, first year through senior, benefit from direct contact with other cultures.

Developing a Proposal

Your proposal should indicate the study abroad destination, the on-campus course(s) to which it corresponds, and the number of credits offered. Please provide details as to how the curricular enhancement builds upon the on-campus course and learning activities that will be involved. Also state the requirements necessary to earn the credits and how the study abroad experience will apply to the UMM degree requirements.

The international experience should be no shorter than ten (10) days, although the length of the program is flexible. It could be offered as a short-term program during winter break or a slightly longer program during May term or summer session. A semester offering may be a possibility. Please note the timeframe on the proposal application form.

Grant funds may be requested for a stipend to plan the curricular experience, for travel expenses related to planning, for acquisitions of program-related library materials and/or correspondence and communication. Funding for conference attendance or research will be given consideration, but priority will be given to direct planning of the international program.

Budget information in the proposal must clearly state how funds are to be expended. Be specific.

Grant funds will be available during summer 2008 with the expectation that the international experience will be offered within the next two to three years. Recipients must submit a detailed outline of the proposed curricular enhancement including information about the correlating on-campus course(s), the focus of the program (classroom, field-work, research, etc.), proposed itinerary, activities, requirements and tentative dates by the end of summer 2008.

A grant award does not guarantee that the course will be offered; the course must also have sufficient enrollment. Students will pay additional tuition and other costs associated with the international experience.

Funding Priorities

Highest priority will be given to proposals that clearly relate the international enhancement experience to on-campus courses.

Priority will be given to proposals that in the judgment of the committee are likely to have long-term impact on the campus’ internationalizing efforts. For example, proposals that have broad student appeal are more likely to be offered more than once.

Each faculty member is eligible to submit one individual proposal and one joint proposal.

Application Materials

Applications are available (to be downloaded) at www.morris.umn.edu/committees/ipc/. Hard copy applications are available in International Programs Office. Applications may be submitted directly to Pilar Eble by e-mail at eblep@morris.umn.edu, by campus mail to IPC, 120 Blakely Hall, or brought to Pilar in 120 Blakely Hall. Deadline for 2009 hard copy and electronic applications is Friday, April 3, 2009. Decisions will be announced in mid-April.

If you would like to discuss ideas or have questions about the "Internationalizing the University" enhancement experience, address them to Thomas McRoberts, Director, International Programs at mcrobetb@morris.umn.edu or extension 6408.