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Mini-Grant Program for Course Revision

About the DISCOVER Faculty Mini-Grant Program

The DISCOVER Mini-Grant Program is the faculty development feature of the DISCOVER Initiative, the University-wide effort to support students’ search for purpose and meaning, calling and vocation in the undergraduate experience, sponsored by the Office of Mission and Identity, with funding support from the Lilly Foundation and the Council of Independent Colleges.

The Mini-Grant program offers instructors the opportunity to apply for funding to revise an undergraduate course to explicitly and deliberately integrate activities, ideas, and lessons that invite or “call” students to study, work, and live with greater purpose and meaning, within the context of that particular course, discipline, and our Lasallian heritage. 

The amount of the mini-grant is $500, to cover the cost of planning and needed resource purchases.

Please note:  Course revisions must be both significant and sustainable, i.e. to include important and lasting features of the course as it continues to be taught in subsequent semesters beyond the grant cycle.  And your creativity is encouraged!

DISCOVER Course Resources

Numerous resources for for exploring calling and vocation are available in the .

You may find many of these resources helpful as you prepare your course revision proposal.
These resources include:

• Books, both scholarly and popular
• Poetry, Fiction, and Non-fiction
• Scholarly and non-scholarly articles
• Essays
• Feature Films
• Online Videos
• Websites
• Podcasts

Proposal Application Criteria and Guidelines

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant can be a full-time or regular half-time faculty member. 
• The course must be an undergraduate course. 
• Faculty members can apply for only one course per funding period. 
• A letter of intent to apply is sent by the deadline (see below).

Proposal Application Process
The proposal is a description of the ways in which the course will be revised to reflect explicit and deliberate ideas, lessons, and activities designed to engage or direct students’ attention to living with greater purpose and meaning within the context of that course, discipline, and our Lasallian heritage. The revised course activities and experiences should enhance students’ understanding of calling and vocation, of what it means to seek to live with intentional purpose and meaning, in general or in the particular context of the discipline. The proposal should offer specific revisions, descriptions, and explanations reflecting this kind of work, as follows:

Please include the following in a Word document

1. Basic Information: Instructor Name, College, Department, Course Number and Name
2. A brief summary of the course content/aims
3. A thorough description of the course revisions
4. A copy of the syllabus reflecting the course revisions. The revised syllabus should also include the use of the DISCOVER logo and a brief description/statement explaining the DISCOVER Initiative (to be sent to you).
5. A brief discussion of the anticipated impact on or outcomes for students
6. A brief description of how the impact or outcomes will be measured
7. An explanation of how at least some of the course revisions will be sustained over time, beyond the semester supported by the mini-grant
8. A final report and assessment, to be submitted within three weeks of the end of the semester, that includes:
   • a brief student survey (supplied by the Mini-Grant program)
   • a summary of results from the assessment administered by the instructor (#6)
   • a reflection by the instructor discussing course experience and students’ survey responses
   • a possible dialogue or presentation with interested others about the experience, as requested, e.g., for May Institute or an Arts & Ideas event

Submitting the Proposal
Submit the proposal to the DISCOVER Initiative email: discover@lewisu.edu.

A committee of faculty and DISCOVER team members will review the proposals; the mini-grant awards will be announced within two weeks of the submission deadline. 

Submission Timeline

1. For Fall Courses
   Letters of Intent due: May 31​
   Proposals due: August 15

2. For Spring Courses
   Letters of Intent due: December 31
   Proposals due: January 4

We hope you will consider proposing course revisions for this engaging initiative. We believe it has the potential to make a real and lasting difference in our students’ lives.

Questions?  Contact Dr. Sheila Kennedy, DISCOVER Curriculum Coordinator, ext. 5580, kennedsh@lewisu.edu

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