November 2007 Proposals

 

Facilitating Student Educational and Career Success with an Interactive Workbook Targeting Incoming UAF Freshmen and Transfer Students.

Request: $20,248: PI Linda Hapsmith (Academic Advising Center), with Patti Picha (Career Services), Ginny Tschanz (Orientation Program), Debbie Toopetlook (RSS), Michele Stalder (TVC)

The goal is to provide all new UAF students with coherent and unified information and activities, so that they can explore career options and plan their education to achieve their goals. The workbook will have online, printable (.pdf), and print versions.It will incorporate information and guidance specific to high-demand jobs in Alaska and to the courses and programs available through UAF.This workbook will be a collaborative effort among the UAF Academic Advising Center, Career Services, the new and transfer student Orientation Program, Rural Student Services, and Tanana Valley Campus Student Assistance and Advising Center.  This proposal was chosen for funding because it met all of the established criteria very well.Additionally, it was selected because it has the potential for impacting a large number of students, i.e., all degree-seeking UAF undergraduates. It will particularly help those who enter UAF without clear educational or career objectives. Below is a summary of the response to the criteria. More detail is provided in the full proposal.

1. Relevant to the purpose of this grant program, the academic mission of the department and the institution.Student success is a central goal of the university and of the student-centered advising programs working collaboratively on this project. Internal UAF research has shown that students with declared majors are more likely to be retained than students in General Studies. Further, an early and well-considered choice of major will foster appropriate course selection and timely degree completion. Thus this project should improve UAF performance in both retention and high demand degrees.

2. Aligned with the short or long-term objectives of the faculty or staff members making the proposal.All of the participants are dedicated to improving advising at UAF as a means to improve student success.

3. Use of funding.All of the proposed expenditures are necessary and appropriate for project success.They include web design (student worker), graphics design, and printing costs.The expenditures can be completed in this fiscal year. The assessment will be completed at the end of FY 09.

4. How outcomes will be measured and assessed. As detailed in the proposal, the workbook is designed to direct students to additional services and resources.One short-term assessment will be to monitor student use of these resources before and after the workbook is made available, to see if use increases.There will also be a pre- and post-test of students participating in orientation on the contents of the workbook, to see if they have assimilated key information.In the longer term, career and education plans on file for advisees will be monitored, and retention and degree completion for students completing plans will be compared to those of appropriate control groups.

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Data Acquisition Instrumentation to Promote Student Based Research and Inquiry Based Learning

Request: $17,950; PI Anupma Prakash (Geophysical Institute); Jonathan Dehn (Geophysical Institute), Douglas Goering (College of Engineering and Mines), Gregory Walker (Geophysical Institute)

This proposal is to purchase equipment, a thermal infrared sensor, to be used for student research experiences, including precollege students in the 2008 Alaska Summer Research Academy operated by CNSM and undergraduate and graduate students in geoscience and mechanical engineering courses.The equipment will also be used for faculty research.The equipment will be used to generate detailed, continuous surface temperature maps that have a wide range of science and engineering applications, from locating heat leaks on buildings to studying volcanoes. This proposal was chosen for funding because it met all of the established criteria very well.Additionally, it was selected because it has the potential for impacting a large number of students.Below is a summary of the response to the criteria.More detail is provided in the full proposal.

1.       Relevant to the purpose of this grant program, the academic mission of the department and the institution.As a research university UAF’s mission encompasses both faculty and student research.Surface temperature mapping is of particular utility in addressing certain problems (for example, permafrost and thawing of permafrost under roads, energy conservation in heating of structures) that are especially relevant for America’s Arctic University.

2.       Aligned with the short or long-term objectives of the faculty or staff members making the proposal.All of the participants are engaged in both education and research activities that provide applications for the sensor.

3.       Use of funding. The funding requested will be used to purchase the sensor, and this can easily be accomplished during this fiscal year. The assessment will be completed at the end of FY 09.

4.       How outcomes will be measured and assessed. The following assessments will be carried out:

(a) a functional test of the sensor, (b) number of pre-college students participating in the ASRA use of the sensor, (c) number of courses and students employing the sensor during the academic year, including a description of the exercises, (d) research projects using the sensor and new industry partnerships established as a result, (e) proposals submitted that included data from the sensor or proposed applications of the sensor, (f) publications or presentations at meetings based on sensor data.

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Course Development to offer the AAS Applied Business Degree via web-based delivery

Request: $24,000 (Funding recommendation, $21,802).C. N. Dexter, PI

The proposal is to complete redesign of four courses for web delivery so that the AAS in Applied Business can be completed entirely online.The Applied Business and Accounting Program offers two certificates and two AAS degrees, which prepare students to fill positions in high demand job areas.Both enrollment and graduates are increasing (by over 10% this past year) and the programs have about 160 students total.The proposal will make these programs available to both rural students and urban students whose circumstances don’t permit attending classes in person.Although this proposal is not specifically collaborative, Applied Business has articulation agreements with the BBA programs at both UAF and UAS.The media to be purchased will be available to a wide variety of instructional programs in addition to Applied Business. This proposal was chosen for funding because it met all of the established criteria very well.Additionally, it was selected because it has the potential for impacting a large number of students.Below is a summary of the response to the criteria.More detail is provided in the full proposal.

1.       Relevant to the purpose of this grant program, the academic mission of the department and the institution.This proposal will enhance UAF’s efforts in workforce development.The proposed work will make a High Demand Job Area program available to a larger number of students.

2.       Aligned with the short or long-term objectives of the faculty or staff members making the proposal.Professor Dexter is the director of the Applied Business and Accounting programs, and this proposal will enhance those programs.

3.       Use of funding. The funding requested will be used for salary to support the website development ($10,000), marketing the program ($4000 for a brochure), and purchasing instructional media ($7802, reduced from the $10,000 requested).Expenditures can be completed by the end of the fiscal year.The assessment will be completed at the end of FY 09.

4.       How outcomes will be measured and assessed. The following assessments will be carried out: (a) SCH production in the 4 newly reformatted courses (b) increase in AAS Applied Business majors (c) number of uses of media purchased in courses or community education.