Three grants are planned each academic year:
- The UCM Exemplary Program Assessment Grant ($3,000) – awarded to the program that
demonstrates effective use of the five distinct yet interrelated actions of the program
assessment cycle in program assessment in the review period. The assessment plan for
this program is a model for other UCM programs to emulate.
- The UCM Advancing Assessment Grant ($2,500) – awarded to the program that demonstrates
effective use of portions of the program assessment cycle in the review period and
significant improvement compared to program efforts in the prior review cycle. The
assessment components are judged to be “best practice” and a model for other UCM programs.
Two awards are available in this category.
- The UCM Support Unit Assessment Grant ($1,000) – awarded to the UCM support unit that
demonstrates effective use of the five distinct yet interrelated actions of the program
assessment cycle in the review period. The assessment components are judged to be
“best practice” and a model for other UCM support units.
Programs may use grant funds in any manner consistent with university policy regarding
departmental general operations budgets.
Eligibility
All UCM departments and support units are eligible to apply.
Grant Consideration Submission
The FSUAC will review proposals during the summer. The application deadline is May
15th each year.
Fill out and submit the Assessment Grant Consideration Form to assessment@ucmo.edu. Requests must be submitted in the spring semester. Grant award decisions will be
announced at the beginning of the fall semester.
What can be funded
Grants must be used to fund activities and/or items allowed by university policy for
general operations budgets. Programs are encouraged to consider the following activities/items
to further improve assessment work in the unit:
- Course releases or summer salary for faculty
- Student labor costs for activities to support program assessment
- Develop assessment instruments such as a capstone course, test items, etc.
- Incorporate previous assessment findings into curriculum improvements
- Re-assess improvements made in response to prior assessment findings to determine
efficacy of changes
- Develop, revise, or refine student learning outcomes in the major
- Integrate/develop an equity lens in program assessment practices
- Fund a department retreat for faculty look at assessment data together and discuss
assessment plans
- Support a meeting of faculty to score student work/artifacts together
- Review General Education data
- Stipends for guest speakers/consultants related to learning outcomes assessment
- Purchase nationally normed assessment instruments or supplies directly related to
assessment of student learning.
- Purchase of books or other materials that support learning outcomes assessment efforts
- Faculty attending an assessment conference (except for meals and entertainment) sponsored
by a professional organization
What cannot be funded
- Course design and/or preparation activities
- Raffle prizes, gift cards, incentives for participants
- Membership fees
- Multi-year proposals. Funds must be spent within the current fiscal year.
Grant criteria
This is a competitive process and funding decisions will be based on the following
factors:
- FSUAC scoring of the quality of each element of the program assessment cycle.
- Final narrative program assessment report of actions taken submitted in Nuventive.
- In the event of ties, the FSUAC may recommend more than one award recipient in each
category to the Vice Provost for Academic Programs.