Pedagogical Inquiry Grants
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Center for Teaching and Learning
Pedagogical Inquiry Grants
Purpose: Whitman faculty are continuously exploring new approaches to their teaching. The CTL grant program, generously funded through a number of endowments, provides special opportunities to do this exploration with the additional benefit of scholarly support and shared inquiry into teaching and learning. Grant recipients gain expertise that they can share with the faculty community at Whitman through hosting CTL programs and through departmental and other conversations.
Eligibility: Priority is given to instructors in long-term teaching appointments because of the likely longer duration of the benefit to students. However, visiting faculty may apply, particularly when their participation may bring expertise that benefits the teaching of other faculty. We also encourage instructors to invite relevant staff members into their project. If the staff member is providing support that goes beyond their normal job duties, they can receive a stipend for this support with approval of the staff supervisor. While there is no set limit to the number of times an individual or department can apply, priority may be given to those who have not recently received funding.
Review Process: To help the CTL Steering Committee evaluate applications equitably, we are establishing deadlines. Our proposal application requirements are minimal in part because of our expectation that drafting the application itself is part of the inquiry process. The CTL steering committee often responds to an application with additional questions and suggestions before issuing an award letter. Depending on the availability of grant funds, the CTL committee may ask about sharing the costs of specific line items in the budget proposal (i.e. materials books, journal subscriptions, etc.) with department budgets and/or endowments dedicated to such purposes.
Application Requirement: Please use the application template to provide:
- Cover page including budget details
- Narrative that directly answers the questions for the project type selected below
- Budget justification (see below for guidelines)
- Anything else? Feel free to let us know any questions you had in putting this application together or anything else you'd like us to know.
Note that after the project has concluded, the project member(s) must submit the following to the CTL Steering Committee in order to receive stipends:
- A report to the CTL steering committee that explains how the initial goal of the inquiry project was met, preliminary information on its impact on student learning, and how the grant recipient envisions sharing the results of the project with others on campus.
- Specific deliverables such as course proposals, syllabi, specific assignments, revised learning goals, and/or assessment plans that emerge out of a project.
Where appropriate, the CTL may also request that award recipients present their findings to the faculty, for example in the context of an informal roundtable event.
Project Types: To be responsive to the impact and opportunities from the Financial Sustainability Review, we are currently limiting project types to the following.
A. Cross-Departmental Inquiry Project. A team is exploring a common area of concern. This might include how a particular topic is taught from multiple perspectives or a particular skill that cuts across disciplines (e.g., writing, oral communication, quantitative skills, intercultural learning). The participants will benefit from the experience of learning alongside each other. Each faculty member may request up to $1,500 in compensation and a coordinator may request an additional $500 in recognition of the additional organizational time.
- What is the common area of inquiry you want to explore, and why do you think it is important?
- Who are your team members and what does each bring to your inquiry (1-2 sentences is fine)? Remember that staff can be included in your proposal. You might also mention people you had hoped would participate but who are not able to.
- What does each of you imagine to be the outcome of your participation in the project? Is it better teaching of writing? New interactive activities that help students get more from lecture? A better understanding of how a particular topic might connect across disciplines and programs? Improved content and curriculum coordination around closely related topics? Each person needs to provide 2-3 sentences. Additionally, if there is some kind of shared "product" (public exhibit, a shared assignment or rubric, etc.), mention that here.
- What preliminary texts will guide your work? Some of these might be focused on content (e.g. articles or books about gender, animal studies, graphic novels) but you should also include some pedagogically focused readings about how to teach content.
The report should include a brief description by each person of specific changes they made/will make in at least one course.
B. Departmental Inquiry Project. Members of a department want to go beyond their regular departmental business to focus on an area or program identified as a high priority. Each participating faculty member may request up to $1,500 in compensation.
- What is the specific aspect of student learning that has sparked the department's decision to work together? What about students' performance has been less than expected? What source of information led the department to identify this as an issue (e.g. external review results, assessment in the major, alumni feedback, etc.)?
- What will success look like after your project ends? What do you envision will have changed in terms of what students can do?
- What specific collaborative work is necessary and which department members are participating? For example, a department might undertake curricular mapping to see where specific skills are being taught to ensure students are getting repeated opportunities to build their performance on that skill.
- What scholarly research or expertise would you like to focus on to guide your inquiry? This could include the general scholarship on teaching and learning or something specific to your field. It might also include consultation with a professor in your field with expertise in particular pedagogical approaches.
Budget Guidelines
Stipends. Participating faculty may request a stipend, up to the maximum amount specified under each project type description above. Please provide an estimated schedule of faculty participation to justify your stipend request(s). Remember to explicitly indicate whether staff participants should receive a stipend as agreed by their supervisor. Stipends are paid upon receipt of the final project report.
Consultants. A consultant with expertise can be brought to campus, ideally to meet with a group of faculty to help with assignment design or some other pedagogical aspect. Their travel expenses plus a stipend of $500 can be requested.
Readings. There are many books and online resources already available and the CTL can order titles we do not yet own. Each participant may request up to $100 in books or other research-related fees.
Equipment and Supplies: Any equipment purchased with PIG funds will become the property of Whitman College. For requests involving technology, please consult with David Sprunger, Director of Instructional and Learning Technology, prior to submitting your application.
Student assistants. Students often offer valuable perspectives on the classroom or curriculum. Up to 80 hours of student assistance can be requested (at the same rate as the Abshire awards). Explain why the student's assistance is especially valuable to the project.