Student Success Initiatives Grant for Faculty and Staff

For San Jacinto College Faculty and Staff ONLY

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STUDENT SUCCESS INITIATIVES (SSI) GRANTS FOR FACULTY AND STAFF
Funded by the San Jacinto College Foundation

The San Jacinto College Foundation’s SSI program invites SJC faculty and staff to propose ideas, concepts, or projects that promote student success. This is an opportunity to be inventive by developing a new project or re-imagining a past program or project. The Foundation welcomes and encourages the submission of all endeavors.

Funding requests may range from $200 to $5,000. Please review all grant guidelines and requirements before beginning your application. A preview of the application is provided at the bottom of this page.

Eligibility

• All salaried full-time SJC faculty and staff are eligible to apply.
• All hourly full- and part-time SJC faculty, staff, and adjunct faculty are also eligible to apply with approval from their direct leadership and in accordance with San Jacinto College’s employee compensation policy.

Grant Guidelines

1. All applications must be submitted through the AcademicWorks online system.
2. Limit of one application per requestor per application cycle.
3. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
4. Preference is given to projects that have not previously received funding through the San Jacinto College Foundation.
5. A signed SSI Pre-Approval Form is required of all applicants (see NOTE* below). If the proposed initiative involves the purchase of TECHNOLOGY ITEMS (includes all software and/or hardware), pre-approval must be obtained from your Department Chair, Dean, Provost, and the college’s Chief Information Officer at the start of the application process. If NO technology items will be purchased, only the applicant needs to sign the form.
6. A completed and signed SSI Final Approval Form is also required of all applicants. Approval from the following personnel must be obtained before submitting an application:

• the Department Chair (or head of Department) for each named applicant;
• the Dean over the applicant’s department (if campus-based);
• the SLT Leader (i.e., Campus Provost or the appropriate Vice-Chancellor);
  For projects involving facilities modification, the Vice-Chancellor of Facilities.
  NOTE: _The newly revised SSI Pre-Approval Form and SSI Final Approval Form are available for download on the Foundation’s SSI webpage: www.sanjac.edu/foundation/ssi-grants.* Completed signed forms must be scanned and uploaded to your SSI application in AcademicWorks in order to submit*.

7. Proposed projects must be completed within one year from date of award (see Application Timeline below for anticipated award dates).
8. Maximum award amount is $5,000.
9. For questions regarding the SSI grant application process, please contact Tammy McAdams in the San Jacinto College Foundation office at 281-998-6104 or tammy.mcadams@sjcd.edu.
10. For assistance with application preparation (if desired), or questions regarding the technology item approval process, please email the SJC Grants Development office at DL-GrantsDevelopment@sjcd.edu.

Budget Guidelines
1. All purchases must comply with San Jacinto College Contracts and Purchasing Office policies and guidelines. Applicants with questions or concerns regarding proposed purchases should contact Contracts and Purchasing Services at 281-998-6117 or contracts.purchasing@sjcd.edu prior to submitting an application. Additional information is available at http://www.sanjac.edu/purchasing.
2. Proposed technology purchases (equipment and/or software) must comply with San Jacinto College ITS policies and guidelines. Applications which include the purchase of technology items require pre-approval from the CIO. For questions and/or assistance in this process, please contact the Grants Development office at DL-GrantsDevelopment@sjcd.edu as early as possible (see Grant Guidelines above).
3. Salary or compensation for faculty, staff and students is not eligible for funding.
4. Meals/food are eligible for funding. A detailed explanation of the need for the expense must be included within the Budget Section of the application.
5. Field trips, speaker fees or attendance at events are eligible for funding. A detailed explanation of the need for the expenses must be included within the Budget Section of the application.
6. Limited travel expenses are allowable. A complete breakdown of all costs (i.e., hotel rate, number of days, rooms, etc.) and an explanation of need/purpose should be included in the Budget Section of the application.
7. The use of outside or department funds to help fund a proposed project is permitted, but not required. If including any additional funding sources, (including department funds), please provide a complete list in the Budget Section of the application. If you plan to do any outside fundraising for your project, please contact Stewardship Coordinator, Elke Ornelas, at the San Jacinto College Foundation office (281-998-6104 or elke.ornelas@sjcd.edu) prior to contacting any professional organizations or corporations to avoid any possible conflicts.

Grant Application Review Process

All completed and submitted SSI applications are evaluated by an SSI Review Committee selected from the San Jacinto College Foundation Board of Directors. Applicant names are not disclosed to the reviewers. Each section of an application is scored and assigned points according to a standard metric. Maximum point values for each section are detailed below and also noted within the application.

• Brief Description: 10 points
• Need, Issue, or Opportunity Addressed: 15 points
• Connection to San Jacinto College Vision or Mission: 10 points
• Full Description of Project/Initiative with Timeline: 30 points
• Objectives: 20 points
• Budget: 15 points

Once scoring of all submitted applications by the committee is complete, results are reviewed by the San Jacinto College Foundation’s Executive Director, who retains final responsibility for award selection.

Project Final Report

All persons receiving an SSI award are required to submit a completed project evaluation and final report at the end of their project/initiative. This is an opportunity to share your story and success with the San Jacinto College Foundation Board of Directors. In addition to a detailed review of the project and activities, final reports should clearly and specifically explain how the success of the program was determined and measured.

Guidelines for Project Final Report:

• Reports must be completed within two months from the date of the project’s completion. Early submissions are accepted and encouraged.
• Reports should include a brief description of the planning and implementation of your project, its successes and challenges, the overall outcome and significance to the college and implications for future SJC students (if any). Results should focus on the successes and achievements of the students directly involved in the funded project, and include any measurable outcomes.
• Reports should be 2-3 pages in length, and the inclusion of photos, videos, PowerPoint presentations, surveys, and examples are highly encouraged. Funded projects may be featured on the Foundation website and through other SJC media platforms.

Application Preview

The online application consists of the numbered items shown under Supplemental Questions below. We suggest you copy these into a Word document and use it to prepare a draft of your application. When you are ready to sign in and complete your application in the online system, your responses may be copied and pasted into the appropriate answer box. Note the word limits indicated below for each item.

*To apply, click the green “Sign In” button in the top right corner of this page, then complete and submit the online application within the timeline shown below. *

Application Timeline
Fall opens February 15 – Deadline to apply April 30 – Awards Announced by May 31 – Funds Available by August 15
Spring opens September 1 – Deadline to apply October 30 – Awards Announced by November 30 – Funds Available by January 15