Maximizing Institutional Impact
Increasing the diversity of learners and creating learning environments designed for equity and inclusivity are necessary conditions for U-M to make progress on solving the problems that matter most to society. To expand interest in this challenge, the Office of Academic Innovation is issuing a call for proposals from faculty and full-time regular staff across the Ann Arbor campus to increase the diversity, equity and inclusivity of U-M’s learners and learning experiences:
Academic Innovation’s areas of focus:
- Area 1. Online and hybrid learning experiences, both open and credit bearing
- Area 2. Educational technology tools to support online and residential learning
- Area 3. Educational data and research
Diversity, equity and inclusion are core design elements across all of these areas of focus. Still, there are more opportunities for us to better support diverse learners. In each of our areas of focus, we see opportunities to increase access to the scholarship, learning experiences, and technologies created at U-M. We invite proposals aligned with our mission of supporting diverse learners and the creation of inclusive and equitable learning experiences in all three areas of focus. Some possible types of projects in each area are given below, and we welcome other project ideas aligned with the goals of this call for proposals.
All faculty and full time regular staff appointed on the Ann Arbor campus are eligible to respond to this call for proposals. For purposes of this call faculty include both regular instructional faculty and supplemental instructional faculty as defined by Standard Practice Guide Section 201.34-1, except for visiting instructional faculty.
Issued Date: Friday, March 8, 2019
- Proposal Due Date: Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at 5pm*
- Decision Date: Friday, May 24, 2019
Creation Projects
Creation projects are often developed using in-kind resources from the Office of Academic Innovation, but funds can be requested to hire other resources as needed. Some projects may include a modest stipend for faculty leads.
Investigation Projects
Investigation proposals may include requests for in-kind resources from the Office of Academic Innovation. Allowable expenses include funding for student support, analysis software, and other related project needs.
Adaptation/Adoption Projects
Adaptation and adoption proposals will receive in-kind support from the Office of Academic Innovation so that project teams have the necessary access to tools and platforms. Allowable expenses include student support, transcription services, and other related project needs.
Project Inspiration
Area 1. Online and hybrid learning experiences, both open and credit bearing
For those interested in or who have ideas for…
- Developing online learning experiences to help pre-college learners prepare for higher education
- Adapting current offerings or building new learning experiences intentionally designed to meet the needs of underrepresented learners, such as rural, non-English-speaking, and minority learners
- Creating open, online content in areas or disciplines that are less-represented in the online space, such as the arts or humanities
- Engaging diverse communities to co-create online learning experiences
- Creating increasingly accessible online learning experiences for individuals with a range of physical and cognitive abilities
- Increasing participation of underrepresented learners within existing Michigan Online offerings
Area 2. Educational technology tools to support online and residential learning
For those interested in or who have ideas for…
- Increasing the adoption and adaptation of existing Academic Innovation tools, such as Viewpoint, Tandem, Problem Roulette, and eCoach, to support diverse learners and create more inclusive learning environments
- Developing prototypes for new educational technologies to support learners
- Proposing new tools that support scaling equitable teaching practices
- Designing experiments and interventions to be deployed within the existing Academic Innovation tools
Area 3. Educational data and research
For those interested in or who have ideas for…
- Researching teaching practices and technologies that support inclusion and equity
- Understanding which post-secondary learning opportunities are not fully accessible to all learners, and why
- Identifying which educational technologies are more effective for certain learners
- Exploring how diverse learners approach course and program selection differently
Preparing Your Proposal
The Office of Academic Innovation strongly encourages faculty and staff with an idea to consult with a member of our staff prior to submitting their proposal. We will host office hours for potential applicants interested in exploring their idea(s) for a proposal. Office hours will all be held at the Office of Academic Innovation on the 8th floor of the Hatcher Graduate Library on:
- March 20, 2019 from 12:00-1:00 PM
- March 25, 2019 from 3:00-4:30 PM
- April 3, 2019 from 4:00-5:00 PM
- April 12, 2019 from 2:30-4:30 PM
- April 24, 2019 from 3:00-5:00 PM
Academic Innovation staff members will provide office hour attendees with the appropriate proposal form during their consultation(s).
If you cannot attend an office hour session, you are welcome to set up another time to meet with someone from Academic Innovation by emailing academicinnovation@umich.edu, using the subject line “Expanding Equity and Inclusivity Call for Proposals.”
Final proposals should be submitted via e-mail to aif-proposals@umich.edu.
Special Considerations for MOOC Proposals
Proposals for the creation of new Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) must be submitted by a faculty member.
MOOC proposals must be submitted to the appropriate administrator in the lead faculty member’s School/College prior to submitting to Academic Innovation. If approval is not received by May 1st, applicants are encouraged to submit their MOOC proposal to Academic Innovation by the deadline, but the review committee will not make decisions until School/College approval is received.