Funded opportunity seeks 2-year college instructors for int'l curric
Submitted by Ken Walz
2012-05-19 17:04:09
Madison Area Technical College is pleased to announce a call for applications to participate in grant-funded training for study abroad program development (application deadline is June 25, 2012). Participants selected in this call will be a part of the final cohort of a three-year award that began in 2010 and will train faculty from a total of 24 colleges throughout the United States.
This is an exciting opportunity for faculty at community and technical colleges to receive funding and training to develop new short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs in the target areas of engineering, renewable energy, sustainable development,technical education, and related fields. Funded training includes participation in a workshop on Renewable Energy for International Development in rural Costa Rica, January 2-13, 2013 followed by a program of mentoring and workshop training spring 2013.
Madison Area Technical College (Madison College) has been selected to administer a Capacity Building in Study Abroad grant from the US Department of State Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. This award is designed to support the creation of new study abroad programs at community and technical colleges that serve underrepresented populations and academic disciplines.
Program Summary:
This program will bring a cohort of eight faculty to rural Costa Rica to observe and participate in a Madison College 10-day student service-learning program focusing on Renewable Energy for International Development. All costs of travel, meals and lodging are paid for selected grant cohort participants. This in-country training will be followed by a three-day workshops on best practices in study abroad program and curriculum development. Participating faculty and their supporting institutions will be empowered to develop a new study abroad course in one of the target subject areas (engineering, renewable energy, sustainable development and technical education) through mentoring, online resources, and networking with colleagues. Participating institutions will join the Community College Sustainable Development Network (comprised of other grantee institutions) to collectively market the new courses and cross-enroll students in grant-developed programs. Sixteen colleges have already participated in training, and several are in the process of launching new programs in the areas of renewable energy and sustainable development.
Benefit to Faculty Participants:
· Funding for airfare, local transportation, and lodging to participate in a January 2-13, 2013 training on Renewable Energy for International Development in rural Costa Rica. Participants should expect rustic camp lodging, substantial, but primarily vegetarian meals, and be prepared for semi-strenuous physical activity in a hot and humid tropical climate.
· Mileage, lodging and per diem to participate in a three-day workshop in Madison, WI on new study abroad program development.
· A stipend of $1,000 for the development of new study abroad course curriculum.
· Mentoring and program development support from Madison College’s award-winning staff and network of colleagues who have successfully established new study abroad programs.
· Opportunity to apply for additional funds for program-development site visits to Central America or the Caribbean as part of the development of new education abroad offerings.
Responsibilities of Participant Institutions:
· Selected faculty members must commit to full participation in all stages of the project including participation in the January 2013 training, spring workshop for new program development, and subsequent planning and development of a new study abroad offering.
· Commit to the development of a new credit-bearing study abroad course (either by themselves or in partnership with other institutions) in the target subject areas of engineering, renewable energy,sustainable development, or technical education.
· Join the CCSDN consortium to allow the enrollment of students and articulation of credits among a network of other colleges participating in this capacity building program.
· Agree to participate in grant-related assessments of new programs including surveys of student participants.
· Where possible, colleges will release or otherwise allow the faculty member to devote 10% of their workload for one year to participation in this project.
· College President, Provost, or Chief Academic Officer will sign a Memoranda of Understanding that outlines the terms of this agreement as a condition of participation.
Eligibility:
This program is designed specifically to expand the capacity of community and technical colleges that do not already have strong programs of study abroad on their campuses. It is also specifically designed to increase participation in study abroad among underrepresented populations, and underrepresented fields of study including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and other related areas. Applicants should justify their participation in at least one of these areas of eligibility when completing their application narrative.
New Program Development:
Participants are expected to develop a new study abroad course that complements and supports the network of opportunities created by other members of the consortium. New programs should be related to the broad fields of engineering, renewable energy, sustainable development, or technical education (including apprenticeship programs). Supporting courses (such as Spanish for Engineering, or Sociology ofSustainable Development) will also be considered. New programs in sustainable agriculture, water resources, civil engineering, eco-tourism, or sustainable construction are especially encouraged. Programs will ideally be located in Central America or the Caribbean, but proposals for other developing world locations will also be considered. New programs will be developed in consultation with Madison College as an advisory partner who will provide support for new program development and overall coordination of offerings to ensure that new courses complement rather than compete with one another in terms of timing, location, and content.
See the application materials at:
http://matcmadison.edu/study-abroad-capacity-building-costa-rica
For more information, visit:
http://www.MadisonCollege.org/International