Tools for Transformation
Funds for transformation.
Units that restructure and reorganize to serve our students better, to achieve our research goals, and to promote integration of the two will be eligible to draw upon the tools fund of temporary money to help realize the new vision.
Example2: A department ready to restructure its curriculum for majors in order to fully integrate service learning or a research experience for undergraduates might need summer salary for professors and/or graduate students to implement departmental goals.
| Availability: | Now |
| Contact: | Debra Friedman |
Funds for innovation.
Units that devise innovative plans for teaching in new ways in preparation for the future - by integrating teaching and research, incorporating new technologies, with a combination of distance and residential components, and so on - will be eligible to draw on a fund of temporary money to support those efforts.
Example: A program or department prepared to transform a number of its predominantly lecture-based courses to a distance-education format using a variety of technologies might seek funds for implementation.
| Availability: | Now |
| Contact: | Debra Friedman |
1% of each biennial budget will be recaptured and reallocated to cutting-edge proposals in education, research, and infrastructure.
Examples: See last year's successful UIF proposals.Availability: Guidelines for 1999 UIF awards will be announced later this spring by the Provost's office.
Release time and support for faculty to pursue new ideas in education and research.
Funds for release time, professional development opportunities, and technical and teaching assistant support to allow selected faculty to pursue new visions in research and education, including interdisciplinary and international education.
Example: Faculty from a variety of departments who have come together to craft an interdisciplinary program or set of courses complementary to existing courses (or instead of them), and would like to offer those courses on an experimental basis, can apply for these funds4
| Availability: | Now |
| Contact: | Debra Friedman |
Awards for departments, programs, faculty and students.
Awards to units and individuals for excellence in innovation in teaching and learning, and for advancing the integration of research and education.
Example: In addition to Distinguished Teaching Awards and Excellence in Teaching Awards, there are plans for other awards, including those to be given to students and their mentors at the April 3 Undergraduate Research Symposium. Also, excellence at the departmental and program level will be recognized through the newly-established Brotman Awards, to be administered on the recommendation of the members of the Teaching Academy (composed of past Distinguished Teaching Award winners).Availability: Competitions for awards will be announced on an on-going basis.
Funds to support the research infrastructure.
It is critical to support the space, facilities, and support staff necessary to further the research enterprise from which the UW derives its quality.
Example: In order to keep up with change in a field of research, bring top-quality education to graduate and undergraduate students, and/or compete for new funding opportunities, modifications in existing space, facilities and staff may be required. Proposals on a modest scale will be entertained.
| Availability: | Now |
| Contact: | Debra Friedman and Harlan Patterson |
Support for students in research, public service, and international study.
As faculty, departments, and programs increasingly emphasize experiential learning, particularly in the areas of research, public service, and international study, it is important to ensure that qualified students have the chance to take advantage of these new opportunities.
Example: Several academic programs have built an international experience into their core curriculum for selected students. Funding to support students to participate in international travel and study can be made available through this fund.
| Availability: | Now |
| Contact: | Debra Friedman |
Three-campus collaboration. While UW Seattle, UW Bothell, and UW Tacoma each must have the freedom to respond to their distinctive responsibilities and opportunities, the UW as a whole should simultaneously take advantage of the growth of enrollment, faculty, and programs on all three campuses. A fund of seed money for multi-campuses initiatives will be established to support the rapid development of academic programs that involve two or three campuses.
Example: New programs that can be simultaneously adapted or scaled for two or three campuses, or existing programs in Seattle that, with modification, will serve the needs of students in Bothell or Tacoma are good candidates for this fund.
| Availability: | Now |
| Contact: | Louis Fox and Debra Friedman (see their March 9, 1998 letter on this subject addressed to Deans, Directors, and Chairs) |
Collaboration with community colleges and public schools.
Partnerships with other educational institutions that draw on the expertise of the faculty and students and increase the educational level of students throughout the state, especially those who will eventually become UW students, are good candidates for funding.
Example: Developing and implementing programs for K-12 students, drawing on the special expertise of UW faculty and students, may require resources to prepare materials and/or to support UW students in outreach activities.
| Availability: | Now |
| Contact: | Louis Fox and Debra Friedman |
Collaboration with industry and civic organizations.
Developing partnerships that draw on the expertise of faculty and students and increase the regional and national impact of the UW might seek support from this fund.
Example: In its initial stages, developing industry partnerships often requires support for extraordinary travel and student involvement for which these funds would be appropriate.
| Availability: | Now |
| Contact: | Debra Friedman |
Unit-based responsibility.
Units that are able to set ambitious goals and targets for their work in graduate and undergraduate education and research, consistent with University goals, will have maximum freedom to specify the division of labor and rewards for faculty in their units.
Sharpened focus of mission at all levels.
Identify and eliminate tasks that are no longer of the highest priority.
RCEP
In 1996 the Faculty Senate adopted a revised policy covering the reorganization, consolidation, and elimination of programs (RCEP). Deans are now working with their faculties and selected faculty councils to implement the processes required by this policy.
Review use of indirect costs, including RSA.
A reexamination by the Provost and deans of the internal policy governing indirect costs, including RSA policy, with a particular eye toward the incentive structure for faculty, departments, and colleges who win external funding.
Identify best policies at peer institutions.
Based on best practices at peer universities, review UW policies governing faculty benefit packages, faculty titles, spousal hires, parental leave policy, retirement incentives, and the like.
Remove impediments to units, faculty, and students.
Certain impediments to innovation and improvement exist at all levels, usually in the form of rules and requirements limiting action. Review rules and requirements and implement changes, as appropriate.
Improve management and information systems at all levels.
To enhance the analytic and management capacity of academic leadership requires the continuous improvement of management and information systems at all levels, particularly with respect to the collection of data and the dissemination of information.
2Examples are meant to be illustrative only, and should not be taken as indications of preferred proposals.
3Unlike most of the other resource tools, the UIF awards utilize permanent, rather than temporary resources.
4In Fall 1997, President McCormick called together a group of faculty involved in interdisciplinary education, as well as selected chairs, and asked them to formulate an approach to stimulate the development of interdisciplinary courses and programs. Their recommendations are available from the Provost's Office, and may be used to guide the development of interdisciplinary proposals.
