Dear Colleagues,
We are writing to solicit applications for three course development programs for the 2026–27 academic year that are supported by the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty (PDOF), the Upstate Institute, and the Max A. Shacknai Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education (COVE), respectively. Because these programs all foster curricular and pedagogical innovation, we are including information about all of them in a single message. The overarching goal of all of these opportunities is to benefit our academic programs and our students, and to support the creativity of Colgate faculty.
The PDOF will again support competitively awarded team-taught courses for the 2026–27 academic year. Team-taught courses can be a powerful — and enjoyable — approach to creating innovative and dynamic classrooms. Such courses bring together faculty expertise in exciting ways and demonstrate the power of multi-disciplinary thinking to our students. Successful proposals will allow both faculty members to receive a full load credit for a team-taught course. Questions about this program may be directed to Associate Dean of the Faculty April Baptiste Henderson at abaptiste@colgate.edu.
The Upstate Institute and the COVE each have grants available for faculty interested in incorporating community-based learning and research in the classroom that enhances the work of regional or international agencies and effects positive change in the community. These grants include a one-time stipend of $4,000 to support course development, as well as funds to support a direct service assignment domestically or internationally, or for course expenses associated with regional research projects. Awardees will join a community of practice to discuss how to implement a community-based course in the spring of 2027. Whether offered by an individual faculty member or team-taught, the course should be offered twice in the four years following receipt of the grant. Questions about this program may be directed to Catherine Cardelús, faculty director of the Upstate Institute (ccardelus@colgate.edu) and Jeremy Wattles, director of the COVE (jwattles@colgate.edu). There will be an information session on Friday, Oct. 24 from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Lathrop 107. Please fill in this form if you are interested in writing a grant or attending the teaching table.
The deadline to apply for each of these opportunities is Nov. 7, 2025. The chart below provides additional information and links about how to apply.
Please consider these opportunities to explore new courses and potentially new approaches to teaching. And if you have additional ideas for new instructional approaches, please be in touch. All funding opportunities for teaching and research can be found on the dean’s webpage.
Sincerely,
Lesleigh Cushing, Provost and Dean of the Faculty
April Baptiste, Associate Dean of the Faculty for Global and Local Initiatives
Course development grant details:
| Office | Program | Incentive | Deadline | Guidelines link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provost and Dean of the Faculty | Team-taught Course Proposals | One full load credit for each participating faculty member for two years | November 7, 2025 | Guidelines |
| Upstate Institute | Regional Research Course Development Grant | $4000 stipend + course expenses | November 7, 2025 | Guidelines |
| Upstate Institute | Team-taught Regional Research Course Development Grant | $1000 stipend + one full load credit for each participating faculty member for two years | November 7, 2025 | Guidelines |
| Max Shacknai COVE | Service Learning Course Development Grants | $4000 stipend + funds for course travel | November 7, 2025 | Guidelines |