Faculty RFP: Enhancing Sustainability in UAF classrooms

Faculty RFP: Enhancing Sustainability in UAF classrooms Proposal Guidelines Review of Infrastructure, Sustainability and Energy (RISE) Projects

Funds are available for faculty interested in better incorporating principles of sustainability into their UAF courses. We are looking for proposals that enhance Sustainability Education at UAF by increasing student awareness, engagement, or knowledge of cultural, environmental, social, or economic sustainability through curriculum, workshops, or other educational activities.

In 2010, the student body voted to contribute to the Student Sustainability Fund. The Fund is intended to reduce UAF’s non-renewable energy consumption and promote sustainability of the UAF student body and campus. (For more details, see the UAF Campus Sustainability: Recommendations from the Chancellor’s Sustainability Transitions Team, July 2008).

Background Award Information: This Faculty Award is a trial program for faculty that the RISE Board is testing in 2013. ● Projects are expected to be funded for one semester, although improvements for ● sequential courses (i.e. CHEM 101 & 102) will be considered.

After proposals are submitted, the RISE board will evaluate proposals and provide a ● recommendation to the Chancellor who makes the final decision.

Eligibility Information: To submit a proposal you need to be a UAF faculty member when the proposal money is awarded.

Deadline: August 21, 2013 at 5 p.m. Alaska time All proposal submissions should be emailed to mahebert@alaska.edu (Michele Hèbert, Rasmuson Room 407; 907-474-5070).

UAF Office of Sustainability RFP

Page 1

Award Guidelines If you would like to incorporate sustainability into an aspect of a UAF course that requires a relatively minor investment, please submit a proposal! While this is a new funding program, we hope to accept proposals twice each year.

Anticipated funding levels: We welcome proposals from faculty for costs associated with

enhancing sustainability education of an existing course up to $2000 per class. The Board may award up to $10,000 each semester to enhance sustainability education in existing classes.

Project types: Proposed projects and programs might include (but are not limited to) funding equipment, educational materials, field trips, and/or travel. Proposals must directly improve sustainability education in UAF classes.

Proposal Content and Format REQUIRED ELEMENTS 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Descriptive project title Faculty name(s) Faculty classification (Regular or Adjunct) Email address Academic department Course # and Title Sustainability focus (Choose one or more from this list or create your own) a. Energy b. Transportation c. Purchasing d. Waste Management e. Sustainable Design f. Food systems g. Education and Curriculum h. Social Sustainability i. Process and Institution j. Other:________________

8.

Summary of Sustainability Enhancement a. Provide a brief summary of the proposed course improvements and how they will enhance education of sustainability, as defined above, at UAF.

UAF Office of Sustainability RFP

Page 2

9.

10.

b. Summarize previous sustainability education in any of your previous courses.

Details of Course Improvement Keep in mind that the students fund the Sustainability Fee, so we have the responsibility to spend money efficiently, responsibly, and in a way that benefits students. a. Describe the course. b. How will you better incorporate the theme of sustainability into your course? c. Define specific goals and expected long and short term benefits to the student body and/or UAF campus. d. How do the course improvements build upon existing course syllabi? e. How will you measure the success of your course improvements?

Implementation plan a. Present an implementation plan in a table similar to this example table:

Date

What will be done

Responsible person

Funds used

Week of Sept 20 2013

Field trip to Chena Hot Springs Geothermal powerplant

John Smith

$400

December 2013

Provide assessment of implemented John Smith course improvements to RISE Board

11.

Budget Table a. Include itemized costs for equipment, supplies, services, software, etc. b. Preference for suppliers should be local, or organic if possible. c. Example budget:

Item

Supplier

Quantity

Unit

Unit price

Cost

Gardening lab kits

Amazon.com

20

each

$15

$300

Shipping

Amazon.com

1

per shipment

$25

$25

Total

$325

12.

Budget justification: Please explain line items in your proposed budget table if more detail is appropriate.

Preparation and Submission Submission Guidelines: Proposals should be written in a 12 point font and should include the REQUIRED ELEMENTS listed above in the specified order. Format your proposal so it is easily UAF Office of Sustainability RFP

Page 3

readable. Proposals should be submitted in a single electronic document (pdf format), but attach a duplicate MSWord document (.doc) of your proposal text as well.

Submit all proposals via email to the Office of Sustainability (mahebert@alaska.edu).

Schedule The call for proposals will be advertised and available on the Office of Sustainability website approximately three (3) weeks prior to the submission deadline. We will also send out a notice via email to the “all faculty” email lists. Final reports will be due two weeks following finals.

The general schedule for the academic year is as follows: Fall Submissions RFP announcement ….................................... August 2, 2013 Submission deadline …................................... August 21, 2013 Final report due.............................................. December 22, 2013 (2 weeks after finals) Spring Submissions RFP announcement ….................................... October 1, 2013 Submission deadline …................................... November 1 , 2013 Final report due.............................................. May 22, 2014 (2 weeks after finals)

Proposal Evaluation and Awards Evaluation criteria: Funding decisions will be made based primarily on the potential impact of the proposed project, and the likelihood that the project will be successfully carried out. The Project Value and Implementation Plan sections of your proposal are particularly important to identify the specific benefits from your project and to demonstrate project feasibility. For detailed evaluation criteria refer to the STARS technical manual pages 38-64 (https://stars.aashe.org/pages/about/technical-manual.html).

After submission: Proposals will be collected by the Office of Sustainability and then submitted to the RISE Board for evaluation. The RISE Board will submit recommendations for proposal funding to the Chancellor who will make the final decision on funding projects.

If your proposal is funded: You will need to fill out a Purchase Requisition form to request use of the funds that have been awarded for your proposal. The form is a Word document and is available for download here.

UAF Office of Sustainability RFP

Page 4

Final reports: A final report for each project is due at the end of the first semester that the project is implemented. It is important that the report be received in order for subsequent proposals to be considered for future funding. Your final report should describe how the money was spent. We will email you a reminder about the final report when the deadline approaches.

Conflict of interest statement: A conflict of interest is defined as an actual or perceived interest by a proposal author in an action that results in, or has the appearance of resulting in, personal, organizational, or professional gain. Funding will not be approved if it is deemed that an author stands to benefit disproportionately from the funding of the proposal. However, projects that benefit the whole student body (or at least which are equally accessible to the whole student body) are encouraged. Concerning the RISE board itself, the board will not fund proposals from any of its current acting members, nor can the RISE board itself put forth proposals.

Procurement Requirements: All proposals are subject to procurement requirements established by the state of Alaska and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Refer to UA Regulations 05.06 for more information at http://info.alaska.edu/bor/contents/pt5.html If you have questions about the proposal process please contact the UAF Office of Sustainability at 907-4745070.

UAF Office of Sustainability RFP

Page 5