Go Beyond the Classroom Micro-Grants

Community Engagement

Go Beyond the Classroom Micro-Grants

The Go Beyond the Classroom Micro-Grant is an internal grant program for one-time funds not to exceed $350 for faculty/instructors/staff to create one-time CEL experiences for students in CEL-designated courses. This is a competitive grant process with limited funding. Proposals will be reviewed and rank-order with priority given to projects that advance the student learning and student success outcomes of the Go Beyond the Classroom Quality Enhancement Plan.

Apply here!

 

Funding Cycle

In general, applications will open in the fall semester for spring/summer session I CEL designated courses and be due before the close of the semester. The application will open in spring semester for fall CEL designated courses with the deadline before the end of the spring semester. See below for specific 2024-2025 deadlines. 

 

Funding Cycle Deadlines

For the 2024-2025 academic year, requests for Spring 2025 and Summer Session I will be due by December 6, 2024 and awards announced by December 13, 2024.  


Applications will either be approved or not. There will be no opportunity for revision but applicants whose requests are not approved may schedule time to get feedback on how to strengthen the proposal and re-submit. 


Funding is dependent on availability of funds. A final project report is due no later than June 30, 2025.  


If funds remain at the end of the academic year, support for CEL courses for Summer Session II 2025 may be available. If so, an announcement will be made by May 15, 2025.

 

Eligibility

Any ETSU faculty/instructor/staff (including adjunct faculty) who is teaching a CEL designated course may apply. No ETSU faculty/instructor/staff may receive more than one QEP-funded Go Beyond the Classroom Micro-Grant during the 5-year QEP cycle. Faculty/instructor/staff who were funded for a CEL grant in 2023-2024 or 2024-2025 may apply for a Micro Grant for a new project but not the one previously funded. 

 

Application Guidelines

  • Complete the Micro-Grant application including a budget justification. 
  • Clarify that the timeline in which the engagement will be completed is within the same academic year as the application. Awardees will be notified of acceptance within three weeks of the application deadline. 


  • A statement of support is required from the Department Chair. This may be an email uploaded as a PDF in the online form. 
  • Applicants must identify the community partner(s) involved in the project.  
  • Projects should benefit both ETSU students and organizations and communities within the Appalachian Highlands (Hancock, Hawkins, Cocke, Greene, Washington, Sullivan, Carter, Unicoi, Johnson) 
  • The project/service and the need for the funds must be described in 500 words or less. 
  • Any change to the application after it is approved, including budget, plan, or extension of dates, requires a separate request by the faculty/instructor/staff and approval by the awards committee before proceeding. 
  • Priority consideration for funding will be given to 1000 and 2000 level CEL courses and General Education CEL courses. 



 

Expected Use of Funds 

Funds may be used for student travel only as needed to provide the CEL experience and must support, enhance, and/or expand the CEL experience. Funds may not be used for transportation for students who need to regularly travel to and from clinical practicum sites including internship sites. 


Funds may be used for: 

  • Materials and supplies necessary to complete the project in the CEL course 
  • Conference registration fees (for example if student are is presenting or attending a conference as part of the CEL course) 
  • Entrance fees (for you and students, for example, to a museum) 
  • Guest speaker meal, lodging, and/or travel 
  • Lodging costs (for you and students if project involves an overnight stay) 
  • Mileage (for long distance beyond the classroom experiences) 
  • Ground transportation for local travel (van or bus)  


Funds are not to be used for: 


  • May not be used for salaries, honoraria, or compensation to the individual(s) working on the project. 
  • May not be used as a donation. 
  • May not be used for cash awards, incentives for participation, awards, purchasing gift cards or special prizes, etc. 
  • May not be used for normal departmental instruction costs or supplant costs that should be covered by student course fees. 
  • May not include faculty/staff salary or stipends, course releases, and payments to community partners.  

 

Reporting

  • Grant recipients must submit a project report to the Office of Community Engagement no later than June 30, 2025. The report must include: 

  • QEP goals and intended outcomes for the plan or project
  • Description of the impact on student learning and/or student success as a result of the plan or project including a description of the degree of achievement of the identified goals and outcomes, and any unanticipated outcomes of the CEL project

  • Reflection on what the entity (college, department, faculty, staff, students, and/or community partner) learned as a result of the CEL experience and any impact on future plans for the course

  • Summary of budget expenditures. 

 

For additional information or assistance, contact:

 

Dr. Susan McCracken
Vice-Provost for Community Engagement and Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan
(423)-439-6191
mccrackensd@etsu.edu