Florida Gulf Coast University
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses

COLLOQUIUM INSTRUCTOR TRAINING: All faculty and staff that complete the Colloquium Instructor Training receive guidance on the following: -To provide a "sense of place" and an understanding of the unique ecological features of the environment of which you are a part; -To assist in developing an ecological perspective and a commitment to community awareness and involvement in order for students to know the issues related to economic, social, and ecological sustainability, analyze and evaluate ecological issues locally and globally, participate in projects requiring awareness and/or analysis of ecological and environmental issues; -To provide experiences to assist in moving toward achieving the university learning goals of effective communication skills and critical thinking skills as well as the university’s stated mission of “practicing and promoting environmental sustainability and “encouraging civic responsibility”; -To enable a practical understanding of sustainability, of environmental education, and of ecological literacy. (http://www.fgcu.edu/Catalog/colloquium.asp) During the Colloquium training, instructors also receive guidance and ideas for how to incorporate the above mentioned concepts into their other classes. FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATES EARTH CHARTER MINI-GRANT PROGRAM, 2012-2013 According to our mission, the Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education “works toward realizing the dream of a sustainable and peaceful future for Earth through scholarship, education, and action. The Center advances understanding and achievement of the goals of environmental and sustainability education through innovative educational research methods, emergent eco-pedagogies, and educational philosophy and practice based on ethics of care and sustainability. The Center seeks to elevate the environmental mission of Florida Gulf Coast University and serve the university community, the local community of the Western Everglades and Barrier Islands, and the wider community of scholars.” In order to advance this mission, the Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education has developed a Faculty and Staff Associates Program to provide a means of connecting to the work of the broader Florida Gulf Coast University Community. In defining their professional and academic lives, Associates delineate specific activities that support the work of the Center and advance the environmental sustainability mission of the university.

For the academic year 2012-2013, the Center is pleased to offer small grants generally ranging from $250 - $1,000 to Faculty and Staff Associates. The focus of the grants is scholarly projects that fulfill one or more of the four Center goals and are tied to the Earth Charter. For your reference, a link to the Earth Charter can be found here: http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/pages/Read-the-Charter.html The Goals of the Center are as follows: I. To advance innovative educational research methodologies and pedagogies in environmental and sustainability education. This work will include developing methods for the assessment of sustainability, philosophical research, and curriculum and program development, and will take place in a variety of educational settings and geographical locations, ranging from local to global. II. To educate for an ecologically literate citizenry and to advance civic engagement in the critical environmental issues of the Western Everglades and Barrier Islands. Key areas of emphasis will include ethics, activism, and the literary arts. III. To provide professional development for educators in environmental education and education for sustainability. The priority audiences will include University administrators, faculty, and in-service and pre-service teachers. IV. To provide opportunities for faculty, administrators, staff, and students from across the campus to engage in scholarly activity, teaching, and service related to environmental and sustainability education. The Center will cooperate with other FGCU Centers and Institutes to advance common interests and to achieve the University's environmental mission. Mini-grant projects fall under three broad categories: 1. Scholarly Projects—those that support teaching or research of environmental or sustainability education. Stipends for individual faculty members are limited to $500. 2. Seed Grant Projects—those that provide ground work for or explore the possibility of a grant or that enable Associates to complete a grant. 3. Specialized Training or Certification Projects – those that provide faculty with specialized training that results in certification or formally recognized credentials relevant to the mission of the Center. 4. Curriculum Development—those that provide support in time or research materials for faculty to incorporate the Earth Charter in the FGCU curriculum. It is the responsibility of each applicant to identify: 1. How the proposed project is tied to a particular Center goal. 2. How it is tied to an Earth Charter Principle. 3. How the project will be assessed. We invite proposals that include staff and students. To request a grant, complete this form and return it along with a copy of your Professional Development Plan (or that part of your PDP that includes your Center work) to Sharon Bevins, Senior Faculty Advisor, by Friday, September 28, 2012. We will begin reviewing applications at that time. A final project report, along with information included on your Annual Report of Progress, will be required, with an explanation of how the funding was used. This year we will begin to measure the effectiveness of the Earth Charter Mini-grants more systematically. Our aim is to bring coherent assessment to the program by developing appropriate evaluation methodologies. If your project is approved, we will request that you answer certain “guiding questions” to assist us with assessment. We will invite you to develop questions of interest as participants in your project.