Funding

Student Projects

Funding for faculty to engage students in sustainability research and creative inquiry is available through the Center for Environmental Inquiry. (See CEI Funding)

Curriculum Development

Sustainability in the Classroom Grant Program

The Sustainability in the Classroom grant provides a $3000 summer stipend for faculty to infuse sustainabilty and resilience into new or existing courses. Proposals must incorporate sustainability content and activities into a significant portion of course. Preference is given to proposals that incorporate high-impact eduational practices, such as inquiry and real-world project experiences. Proposals from all disciplines are encouraged. 

Two stipends of $3,000 each are available in the Spring 2020 call for proposals. Proposal deadline: early April 2020. 

We recognize that faculty may not necessarily have experience incorporating sustainability topics into their coursework or have the community contacts needed to launch service-learning projects. We encourage faculty to contact the Center for Environmental Inquiry for project development support.  

Grant Deliverables:

1. Revised or new course syllabus showing the incorporation of sustainability topics
2. New or revised curriculum must be offered in the fall or spring semesters following the award
3. Students must submit and present a poster covering class projects at the SSU Symposium for Research and Creativity held at the end of the Spring semester.

Eligibility: SSU faculty and lecturers from all schools and disciplines. Previous awardees have included faculty from Biology, Business, Economics, Environmental Studies, Math, Sociology, and Philosophy. 

Proposal Guidelines: Proposals should be a maximum of two pages (approximately 700 words) with the following section headings and content:

• Course: Course title, number, GE area (if applicable), and expected number of students
• Course Description: General concept for the new or revised curriculum 
• Expected Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)
• Course Materials: A list of anticipated course materials related to the new sustainability content
• First Offering: Anticipated semester for first offering of the course
• Permanency: Measures taken to ensure that the curriculum will have longevity 
• Attachments: 
  • A previous version of course syllabus and schedule (for proposals that revise an existing course)
  • An email from the department chair stating that if approved for funding, the proposed course will be offered in the fall or spring.

Review Criteria: Proposals are ranked using the following criteria:

• Incorporation of high-impact educational practices, such as service-learning, inquiry, place-based learning, field experiences, etc.
• Potential permanency of the course curriculum developed and number of students reached
• Cross-disciplinarity of the approach, such as team teaching, faculty collaboration, or engagement of multiple courses. 

Awards will be paid in two installments: one, at the time of award, and the second upon receipt of completed syllabus and schedule for the new sustainability course. Questions regarding proposal guidelines may be directed to Dr. Claudia Luke, Sustainabiliity Programs Director / Director Center for Environmental Inquiry.