TEACHING-LEARNING DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

Article 19.31

YUFA COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT

Awards from the Teaching-Learning Development Fund will support projects which have the potential to make significant curricular or methodological contributions to teaching and learning at York, or which enable faculty to enhance their own teaching skills. Proposals are invited for projects relating to either undergraduate or graduate teaching.

Highest priority will be given to projects whose results are applicable to other instructors and teaching units. Projects will be judged as to their innovation or creativity, including the application of ideas to York developed elsewhere. Special attention will be paid to the potential to improve the learning experience for York students. Activities supported by this Fund are expected to go well beyond what is normally required in the development of a new course.

Similarly, expenses associated with the creation of a traditional text book will be a low priority.

The purchase of computer hardware will normally also be a low priority; however, in exceptional circumstances, such as those in which the hardware will provide student or other broadly based access to pedagogical innovation, The Joint Committee may consider such purchases among the expenses. Applicants are encouraged to exhaust other sources of funding prior to applying to this fund for the purchase of computer hardware.

ELIGIBILITY

All members of the YUFA bargaining unit shall be entitled to apply for these funds, except members of the Joint Committee

• Individuals may apply for up to $2,500
• Group projects are eligible for up to $5,000

ELIGIBLE EXPENSES INCLUDE

• expenses for travel to conferences or expenses incurred in convening conferences, seminars, workshops or retreats at York
• travel and per diem expenses associated with bringing speakers or consultants to York
• research expenses
• expenses for computer programming or other technical assistance

INELIGIBLE EXPENSES

• expenses incurred in cataloguing
• expenses incurred in inviting guest lecturers to speak to individual classes
• expenses incurred in developing routine course materials
• typing services--it is expected that Departments/Faculties will provide these
• subsidies in support of publication

CONDITIONS

1. Successful applicants will be expected to make a report to the Joint Committee within six months of the completion of the project including an evaluation of the project's success. They will also be expected to offer a talk or seminar on the results of their project for other interested faculty members and/or to write a brief article for Active Voice, or some other York publication of wide internal circulation.

2. Grants must normally be expended within one year, but applications for up to two years may be entertained, with funding for the additional year contingent upon the receipt by the Joint Committee of a satisfactory report on and accounting for work carried out in the first year of the grant.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. Appropriateness of budget for the proposed work
2. Degree to which the proposed work is directed toward improving the process of teaching rather than disciplinary competence
3. Clarity and specificity of description of how the project is to be carried out
4. Clarity and specificity of the description of the product of the proposed work
5. Degree to which results of the project will be useful to other teachers
6. Feasibility of the proposed work
7. Degree of innovation of the project

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Contact the YUFA office 55236 or e-mail yufa@yorku.ca or click here for an application form.

The Joint Committee requires an original plus four copies of the completed application form, including the project description and budget, and five copies of a current curriculum vitae (edited, if necessary, so as to be 15 pages or less) with a covering letter highlighting aspects of the c.v. relevant to the application.

Applications are to be submitted by November 15, 2009 to:

Secretary
Teaching-Learning Development Grants
261 Health, Nursing & Environmental Studies Building