Call for Proposals 2020-2021

The MSU Writing Center with funding from the Center for Faculty Excellence welcomes proposals for the Integrating Writing Across MSU Teaching Grants Program, 2020-2021. Grants of $4000 each will be awarded to two faculty willing to develop or revise a meaningful writing assignment into their course curriculum. The writing experience will integrate the Writing Studio model, supported by the MSU Writing Center, and will provide students the opportunity to develop an ePortfolio.

The deadline for proposal submission is June 1, 2020 at 5:00 pm. Questions regarding the Integrating Writing Across MSU Teaching Grants and application procedures should be directed to the Director of the Writing Center, Michelle Miley ([email protected]).

These grants are available to tenure track and non-tenure track faculty employed at Montana State University Bozeman. The grants will provide faculty funding for curriculum development that integrates writing and Writing Center support into their course designs. (Funds will be disbursed as summer salary in August 2020z.) The Integrating Writing Across MSU Teaching Grants provide incentive to those faculty members willing to invest the time to integrate writing effectively into their course designs. The grant comes with the expectation that the recipients are willing to collaborate with the Writing Center and to engage in the time it takes to learn along with those in the Writing Center how to better integrate/teach writing into MSU disciplinary courses. Students will receive writing support through their writing process through the Writing Studio model, hosted by the MSU Writing Center.

The Writing Studio Model

The Writing Studio model reflects core values of the Writing Center: it creates a learning space (either face-to-face or online) that does not duplicate the classroom, and it relies on student-centered, peer-to-peer learning. In the Writing Studio model, students enrolled in a large class meet in small groups (five to seven students) throughout the semester to work on their writing assignments. A Writing Center tutor facilitates conversations and provides additional feedback. Students receive more feedback, have more time to write and revise, and respond extensively to other student writers as well. During the studio process, no one grades the writing or the ideas – writers and tutors just respond, interact and discuss. This is an important process of discovery and reflection that improves writing skills. In addition, students experience the collaborative nature of writing as they work through the process together. They practice being readers and writers, listeners and communicators. The Writing Center has hosted studios in both face-to-face and online environments.
 
Throughout the Studio process, the Writing Center meets with faculty, discussing student engagement as they progress through the writing experience, allowing faculty to “see” how students experience writing in their courses. Faculty, in turn, can respond more quickly to students as they write, offering clarification and feedback about writing assignments. Students have the support and the time necessary for revision, which means that faculty receive better papers. Students, faculty, and the Writing Center all learn from each other, again reflecting the core values of the Writing Center.

Grant awards will provide funding for faculty to:

  • Create and adopt new and innovative assignments and teaching methodologies incorporating writing into their classes   
  • Collaborate with the Writing Center and other participating faculty to develop valued practices in writing and to support students’ writing processes through the Writing Studio model
  • Participate in a three-day Teaching Writing Workshop in August 2020
  • Attend monthly brown bag lunches each semester (Fall 2020 and Spring 2021).

Information sessions will be held, at the following times:

  • 9:00-10:15 am, Friday, May 8, 2020 via WebEx (Email [email protected] to reserve a spot.)
  • 9:00-10:15 am, Wednesday, May 13, 2020 via WebEx (Email [email protected] to reserve a spot.)

To learn about Writing Center faculty partners, many of whom have integrated the Writing Studio experience, visit the virtual WAMSU Showcase.

Evaluation Criteria

  • Potential for instructional innovation through writing
  • Assessment plan that includes measurement of outcomes
  • Potential breadth of impact on instruction beyond a single course
  • Potential for outcomes that will improve future teaching
  • Willingness to collaborate fully with the Writing Center and other participating faculty in developing writing assignments, supporting writing within the course, and in creating an assessment plan that includes a measurement of outcomes.

Further Details

  • Grant funds may be used for compensation to faculty for curriculum development and implementation. Summer salary is allowable, although compensation must be paid during the period when the work is completed. Only direct salary costs need be included in the budget. It is not necessary to calculate the cost of benefits.
  • Funded courses must be taught between August 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. 
  • Recipients must participate in a three-day Teaching Writing Workshop in August 2020 and attend monthly brown bag lunches each semester (Fall 2020, Spring 2021).
  • A final report in PDF format is due to the Writing Center by August 1, 2021. The report must project goals, activities, assesment results, and details for continuation of course implementations. Send reports to Michelle Miley at [email protected].

Proposal Guidelines

All proposals must include the following:

  • Title Page:  Include project title, applicant name, academic rank, department, date of hire, telephone number, and email address.
  • Proposal Narrative:  In a statement not to exceed three pages, address each of the following: the proposed course number and name; the place of the proposed course in the curriculum; the proposed course goals and goals of the course writing assignment(s); and the anticipated outcomes and/or contribution to MSU. In addition, address the applicant’s interest in integrating writing into the course design; describe why the course is a good match for integrating writing; and indicate willingness to collaborate with the Writing Center in developing writing assignments, supporting writing within the course, and creating an assessment plan that includes a measurement of outcomes.
  • Statement of Support:  A brief statement of support from the applicant’s department head should be included. If the project requires involvement of a unit other than the applicant’s department, the proposal should also include a statement of support from that unit.
  • Short (2-3 page) curricula vitae

Submission Guidelines

  • All proposals must be submitted electronically in one PDF document with the applicant’s name in the file title.
  • The PDF of the application should be attached to an email to [email protected] with the subject line "integrating Writing Across MSU Grant Proposal."
  • All proposals must be received by 5:00 p,m. on June 1, 2020.
  • Applicants will receive notification of awardees by June 15, 2020.

Questions regarding the Integrating Writing Across MSU Teaching Grants and application procedures should be directed to the Director of the Writing Center, Michelle Miley ([email protected]).