Rochester Institute of Technology
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses

The Provost’s Learning Innovations Grant (PLIG) program has been developed by the university to broaden and enrich the learning opportunities of students by funding faculty-initiated projects designed to assist or enhance student learning. Since the launch of the program in the 2000-2001 academic year, more than 200 RIT faculty members have received funding for projects designed to create exceptional learning opportunities for students, ranging from the creation of interactive lessons on individual impacts on sustainable systems, introducing a case-based active learning approach to understand sustainability challenges, and leading data collection for urban and regional planning in the field of sustainable architecture.

In addition to PLIG, the University launch a new incentive program this year linked to the strategic plan, to develop courses at the intersection of Technology, Art, and Design with one of three sub-themes: Health and Wellbeing, Sustainability and the Environment, or Equity and Access. More:

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: NEW COURSES IN TECHNOLOGY/ART/DESIGN (T/A/D)
A strategic area of focus for RIT based on our current Strategic Plan lies with the intersection of Technology, the Arts, and Design (TAD). At RIT, TAD involves meaningful partnerships of diverse ways of thinking, exploring, and making that addresses complex world problems, advances knowledge, and pursues joy and wonder.
The T/A/D Steering Committee concluded last spring that RIT is well-equipped and positioned to establish a distinct reputation around T/A/D. The wealth of T/A/D experience and expertise among the faculty can help build on the university’s current strengths in three Overarching Thematic Areas (OTAs). These three areas include:
1. Solving Humanity’s Complex Problems: uniting diverse perspectives and expertise to identify challenging problems, understand the underlying complexity and develop creative, collaborative solutions.

Subthemes:

a. Health & Well-being
b. Sustainability & Environment
c. Equity & Access

2. Storytelling through Enhanced Realities: leveraging technology to help spin imaginative tales, put on wondrous shows, and create compelling experiences

3. Pushing the Boundaries of Visual Communication and Imaging: uniting expertise with technology to explore the boundaries of visual media and media technologies.
FUNDING TO DEVELOP NEW COURSES IN THE T/A/D SPACE
In order to expand the number of T/A/D offerings, The Provost’s Office seeks proposals for the design (or redesign) and delivery of a course (or set of courses) that focus on one of the three OTAs.
Proposed courses should:
• not carry any prerequisites
• be open to all RIT students
• be designed for general education credit if possible
In addition, recipients of this funding must work with their department chairs to ensure that the proposed course (or series of courses) can offered at least once in each succeeding academic year.
Proposers should include the following information in their proposal:
• Course title
• Course description, including detail on how this course fits in the T/A/D space and one of the OTAs
• Course objectives
• Faculty expertise and experience with the course content
It is expected that the course will eventually be submitted to the appropriate department curriculum committee using the RIT course outline form for a special topics course or regular course. Courses designed for general education credit will need to be submitted to the General Education Committee for approval.
Funding of a one course release for one semester will be provided for up to 5 proposals.
Award Timeline
January 24, 2022:
Proposals due by 11:59 pm EST to Provost’s Office submitted via (provost@rit.edu)
March 15, 2022:
Applicants notified of application status
March 23, 2022:
T/A/D awards announced to the RIT community
January 2023:
Course ready to be reviewed by department curriculum committee and General Education Committee, if applicable
August 2023:
Course offered for the first time

Provost’s Learning Innovations Grants may range from $1,000-$5,000.
Examples of the use of funds for include:
Course release (reasonable, actual replacement costs for full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty members removed from teaching)
Development of new technology-based learning tools and/or environments
Technologies or equipment required by the project that are not normally provided by the department/college
Resources for research design and consultation, data collection and aggregation, instrument development and/or purchase, secure data storage, data analysis, and report generation
Travel to support research activity and/or meet with potential funding sources