Virtual Exchange Call for Proposals

The Office of International Initiatives (OII) and Atlanta Global Studies Center (AGSC) are seeking proposals from academic departments to participate in the Scaling Access to Virtual Exchange (SAVE) Grant Program. Virtual Exchange (VE) is a high-impact teaching and learning practice that connects students and faculty from different cultures to collaborate virtually on academic projects. Benefits to students include increasing awareness of our interconnected world, promoting digital literacy, and fostering cultural appreciation and understanding. Benefits to faculty include internationalizing the curriculum, building research and teaching networks at international institutions, and creating professional development opportunities. The SAVE grant program supports GSU’s Quality Enhancement Plan to develop Global/Intercultural Fluency Career-Readiness Skills. Learn more about Virtual Exchange >.

 

Fall 2023 GSU Virtual Exchange Initiative Call for Proposals

The Office of International Initiatives (OII) and Atlanta Global Studies Center (AGSC) seek proposals from Georgia State University (GSU) faculty to integrate Virtual Exchange (VE) activities into classes taught during the 2023 fall semester. An exciting interactive high impact practice, VE:

  • Connects GSU students and faculty with their counterparts at an international university to work collaboratively,
  • Promotes students’ intercultural competence and digital literacy across shared multicultural learning environments, and
  • Utilizes a variety of teaching strategies, such as peer review, cooperative learning, online discussions, project-based learning, service learning and co-teaching.

Benefits of globalizing the curriculum through VE include introducing students to an interconnected world, promoting digital literacy, and fostering cultural appreciation and understanding. VE also supports GSU’s Quality Enhancement Plan to develop Global/Intercultural Fluency Career-Readiness Skills. Learn more about Virtual Exchange >.

 

ELIGIBILITY

OII and AGSC welcome proposals from GSU’s full-time faculty who are implementing VE activities for the first time in courses taught during the 2023 fall semester. Faculty who previously implemented VE in other classes (and those that may have received past support from OII) are eligible to apply if requesting support for VE in a new course.

 

AWARD

Faculty whose proposals are accepted for funding may receive up to $1,500 in professional development funds.

Awarded proposals will receive $1,000 in professional development funds for integrating VE activities for the first time in a particular GSU course during the 2023 fall semester. The $1,000 in professional development funds may be used for travel, conference registration, materials, equipment, books, or student assistants, etc. Exceptions require written approval from your department chair and OII.

In addition to the $1,000 professional development funds, faculty may receive additional funding for attending the “Designing VE Workshop.”

During May 2023, a three-week, approximately four hours per week, virtual (asynchronous and synchronous) Designing VE Workshop will be available to faculty whose proposals are accepted for funding and their international partners. Those who elect to attend the workshop will receive $500 in professional development funds. The professional development funds may be used for travel, equipment, books, or student assistants, etc. Exceptions require written approval from your department chair and OII.

 

It is strongly encouraged that faculty attend the workshop with their VE partner.

 

EXPECTATIONS

Acceptance of funds from OII represents a commitment by the faculty to:

  1. Implement the VE project,
  2. Facilitate an online or in-person presentation on VE in their department or college during AY2023-24 to share information with colleagues regarding the benefits of VE,
  3. Attend the Designing VE Workshop if receiving additional funding for this activity,
  4. Support assessment activities conducted by OII and AGSC, and
  5. Submit a brief final report.

 

SUPPORT

OII offers one-on-one support and resources for proposal development, including identifying a partner institution if needed. Ideally, the development of your proposal would occur in consultation with your international faculty partner. Please contact Nannette Commander at [email protected] as soon as possible to connect with a partner in January.

Faculty are invited to participate in a Virtual Exchange Faculty Teaching and Learning Community that meets monthly. The community is designed to bring faculty together to share expertise, ideas, pedagogical techniques, and technology tools.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE  

Applications must include four parts as follows:

 1. Statement on desired amount of funding. Please select one of the options below and copy/paste the selection into your proposal.

I am requesting the following Professional Development funds:

  • $1,000 to implement VE and facilitate a VE session in department or college, OR
  • $1,500 to implement VE, facilitate a VE session in department or college, AND attend “Designing VE Workshop” in May 2023

2. Abstract (up to 200 words

3. Proposal Narrative (no more than 3 pages) that describes:

  1. GSU course
  2. Typical student population in the GSU course (number of students, characteristics, etc.)
  3. International university partner*
  4. Faculty partner name(s)/title(s)*
  5. Description of partner institutions’ student population* (number of students, characteristics, etc.)
  6. Description of VE activities
  7. A general timeline / implementation plan of proposed activities and assessments
  8. Facilitation of student interaction and grading of VE activities
  9. Technology utilized (If you are unsure, use this resource guide for more ideas.)
  10. Identification of student learning outcomes (i.e., cultivating a global perspective, insight into personal cultural values, interpreting an intercultural experience from more than one viewpoint, and negotiating a shared understanding of differences with openness)
  11. Sustainability of VE activities in future course offerings – Include a plan for how VE component will be integrated into a course for multiple semesters and adopted/facilitated by different instructor(s)**

*Contact Nannette Commander, VE Coordinator, for assistance in identifying a partner if needed.

**Special consideration will be given to proposals that include a detailed plan on the sustainability of VE activities.

4. Approval of Department Chair and Dean of College

Please copy and paste this statement into your document:

“I support this application and understand that if the proposal is awarded, the departmental business or finance office will be asked to process payments for professional development or other approved expenses associated with this project as follows (mark all that apply):

  • $1,000 in professional development funds to integrate VE into course
  • An additional $500 in professional development funds to attend the Designing VE Workshop in May 2023.”

Signature of Department Chair

Signature of Dean of College

 

EVALUATION

A review committee appointed by OII and AGSC will rate proposals according to the following criteria:

  • Details and clarity of project description
  • Timeline for implementation of activities
  • Level of innovation and creativity of activities
  • Strength of connection of student learning outcomes to global/cultural fluency
  • Appropriateness of technology for activities and partner university
  • Sustainability – plan for how VE component will be integrated and delivered for multiple semesters and facilitated by different instructor(s)

 

Final Report: due by December 15, 2023*

The final report should include the following:

  • Course name, number, CRN, US and international student population and partner institution
  • Beginning and end date of VE project
  • Approximate number of hours per week and number of weeks that students engaged in VE activities
  • Description of communication and/or interaction with institutional partner(s)
  • VE objectives, learning outcomes, and description of student assessment (formal or informal)
  • Description of VE activities
  • Appropriateness and any modifications of timeline and technology
  • Current or planned changes to teaching because of VE
  • Research activities on VE
  • Support by department, college, university
  • Sustainability plans for implementing VE in future courses
  • Future support or assistance that would be helpful and/or necessary for you to remain actively engaged with VE
  • Please provide the date of your departmental presentation and the number of attendees.
  • Optional: We welcome you to submit your PowerPoint Presentation from your departmental event. Please upload your file here.

*All identifying information will be kept confidential and not shared with your department or college.

 

Submit the complete proposal as a single PDF file via email to [email protected] by March 27, 2023, at 5 p.m. Award notifications will be made by April 17, 2023. 

The Designing VE Workshop is tentatively scheduled for the weeks of May 1, 8, and 15, 2023. Please save these dates on your calendar.