General Information
Purpose
Viterbo’s core values of hospitality and contemplation have particular relevance as we think about our efforts to learn and develop as professionals. We seek proposals which aim to live out these two core values by creating space for faculty to explore issues in a relaxed social setting related to teaching at the collegiate level. We believe that through these formal and informal conversations faculty will increase their knowledge of best practices of teaching and learning but will also increase their satisfaction with and engagement in the academic community of Viterbo.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is eligible to apply for these funds? You must be considered a full-time faculty member in Viterbo’s graduate and/or undergraduate on-campus curriculum.
- What types of activities are appropriate for this fund? We are open to a range of proposals which meet our stated purpose above. However, our initial vision is to support groups which would explore journal articles or books together or perhaps gather to talk about best practices on encouraging discussion in your classes. We also can see faculty gather to explore interdisciplinary scholarship of teaching and learning projects or short-term groups aimed at encouraging scholarly writing.
- What is the turnaround time for applications? All applications are reviewed within a week of receiving them with the exception of when the university is on break.
- What can funds be used for? For books or articles but food and beverages are also acceptable expenses.
- What parameters are recommended for group size and meeting frequency? While this is largely determined by the project's goals, we expect a minimum of three faculty members and that the group meets multiple times as they move towards accomplishing their expressed goal.
- Are groups required to be interdisciplinary? No. While we encourage and think interdisciplinary groups help in creating rich conversations, we can envision projects better suited within a disciplinary home.
- How will the money be dispersed? Awarded funds will be distributed on a reimbursement model once the final reflection has been submitted to the faculty member who applied for the grant. Receipts will need to be submitted for all purchases.
- Is there a limit how often I can apply for these funds? We ask that each faculty member only receives one of these grants per academic year in order to give broad access to this opportunity. However, you are encouraged to participate in as many of these groups as fits your professional development needs.
- Is there a limit to how much I can ask for? We envision these grants being small (a couple hundred dollars) however that being said each proposal will be evaluated on its own merit.
- Who can I talk to if I have an idea but not sure it fits into this fund? Feel free to reach out to your Faculty Development School Elected Representative or email facultydevelopment@viterbo.edu.
Francis Fund Reflection/Grant Follow-up
After completing the Francis Fund activity, complete the following form: