Diversity Program Development Initiative
The University of Wisconsin-Extension is committed to being an inclusive organization that seeks and promotes diversity in our workforce, program participants, clientele, customers, educational partners and program content. Working in partnership with UW institutions, the Continuing Education, Division of Outreach and E-Learning Extension has a major role to play in helping UW-Extension to achieve its goals under the UW-Extension Plan 2008: Educational Quality Through Racial and Ethnic Diversity. The Diversity Program Development Initiative (DPDI) fund has been established to provide start-up support for new ventures that are consistent with the goals and initiatives of this plan. Funds are intended to assist UW institutions in developing and implementing new diversity programs and services but are not to be viewed as a long-term, or even multi-year solution to funding diversity programs.
Eligibility Criteria
Participation in this program is limited to the Continuing Education, Division of Outreach and E-Learning Extension's campus-based partners throughout the University of Wisconsin System and to the Division's internal units, Learning Innovations and the School for Workers. To qualify for consideration as a DPDI, the UW institutional applicant must have a community partner with credibility in the target community(ies), e.g., Hmong Area Mutual Assistance Agency, Centro Hispano, Urban League, Association of Black Social Workers, Native American Tribal College . Programs may include partnerships with Cooperative Extension, but for purposes of this grant, Cooperative Extension is not considered a community partner. The proposed program must be directly linked to one or more of the goals and initiatives set forth in the UW-Extension Plan 2008 . Funds may be used to develop either credit or non-credit programs that have not been offered by the applicant institution before. Although the applicant may use funds to replicate programs that have been demonstrated to be highly successful elsewhere, innovation and creativity in program design are strongly encouraged. The applicant must also agree to assess the program's outcomes/impact in relationship to the Plan 2008 goal/initiative it is intended to address.
Level of Funding
The DPDI program is intended to assist in program planning and development. The Continuing Education, Division of Outreach and E-Learning Extension Dean's Office will make available a total of $50,000 annually. We expect to fund about ten to twelve projects each year, with a maximum funding level of $7,500 per project. Funding is awarded for a single year only. Applicants may apply for second year funding by submitting a new proposal that describes how the additional funding will alter, strengthen, or expand the program and by demonstrating the success of the first year's efforts.
Use of Funds
DPDI funds may be used to purchase faculty, academic staff, ad hoc instruction, or consultant time in support of providing a program consistent with diversity initiatives. Funds may also be used for in-state travel, food service, stipends, or to purchase educational materials/supplies. Funds may not be used for capital expenditures and/or equipment.
Assessment/Evaluation
The Division encourages both formative and summative evaluation of projects. Proposals must identify anticipated outcomes/impacts and briefly describe how these outcomes will be assessed. Funded projects must share assessment/evaluation findings with the Continuing Education, Division of Outreach and E-Learning Dean's Office on completion of the project. Findings will be included in the UW-Extension Plan 2008 annual accountability report.
Preparing a Proposal
DPDI proposals must include a cover page, signed by the institutional Continuing Education Extension Committee (CEEC) representative and a representative of the partner agency or organization. A narrative, not exceeding 1,250 words, should document the need for the project, identify its relationship to the UW-Extension Plan 2008, explain the proposed project, and describe how it is to be evaluated. The proposal should also contain a timeline, showing when major activities are to be accomplished and by whom and a budget, including a detailed narrative description of how funds are to be used.
Review Process
Proposals will be reviewed by a committee comprised of CEEC representatives and continuing education programmers who have been nominated by their institutional CEEC representative, including persons representing Plan 2008 target groups. The review group (about five people) will recommend to the Continuing Education, Division of Outreach and E-Learning Extension Dean's Office, in priority order, which proposals should be funded. Proposals will be evaluated based on the value of their anticipated impact and likelihood they will achieve this impact, innovation, and consistency with the goals and initiatives of the UW-Extension Plan 2008.
DPDI Grant Selection Criteria
Applications will be reviewed for and granted according to the following criteria:
Community Partner: Is the community partner likely to have strong credibility with the population(s) the proposal is intended to serve?
UWEX Plan 2008 Linkages: To what goal(s) and initiatives of the UWEX Plan 2008 is the project linked? What target group(s) (African American, Hispanic, Native American, Southeast Asian) is addressed?
Innovation and Creativity: Does the proposed appear innovative? Does is replicate a highly successful program that has never been implemented at the applicant institution?
Budget: Are budgeted funds adequate to support implementation of the proposed program? Is the program dependent on additional funding requests (grants, contracts, etc.) that have not yet been secured?
Assessment/Evaluation: Does the applicant provide a brief plan for assessing outcomes?
Timelines: Do timelines appear realistic and benchmarks achievable?
Sustainability: How will this program be sustained beyond the initial DPDI funding?
Project Report
At the completion of the funding year, a brief project report must be submitted to UW-Extension. The project report should contain a brief narrative description of what was accomplished; discussion of any problems encountered in developing the program and how these problems were addressed; numbers of persons affected by the project; a description of what was evaluated and evaluative findings; and future plans for the program. Plan 2008 and Program Impact Report templates will be provided and must be used for these project reports. These reports will also be submitted electronically.
Schedule
To be considered, proposals must be received by UW-Extension on or before March 7th, 2005 by 4:30 pm. Applicants will be notified of the status of their proposal (funded or not funded) on or before May 1, 2005 . Funding will commence July 1, 2005 and will conclude June 30, 2006. A project report, including evaluative information about the program, must be submitted on or before July 30, 2005 unless other arrangements have been made with Mary Crave.
For more information on the DPDI grant, contact the grant coordinator:
Mary Crave, Ph.D.
Continuing Education Extension
Phone: 608-262-6677
Fax: 608-262-8205
e-mail: crave@conted.uwex.edu