May 12, 2004

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System announces 41 grants to campuses for projects supporting active learning

Contact: Nancy Conner, (651) 296-0541, nancy.conner@so.mnscu.edu

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System this week announced 41 grants totaling nearly $420,000 to help support projects promoting active learning in academic and professional programs throughout the system.

The grants, which are offered through the system's Center for Teaching and Learning with funding assistance from The Bush Foundation, are for projects in the 2004-2005 academic year. Many of the projects support areas defined in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities strategic plan, including teacher education, nursing, community development and increasing access and opportunity.

Teacher education projects include a new program from Bemidji State University that will concentrate on East African immigrants interested in teaching in inner city schools. In nursing, a new program at Lake Superior College will focus on increasing the success of students in pre-nursing courses. Service-learning projects at Dakota County Technical College, Metropolitan State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Northland Community and Technical College, and Southwest Minnesota State University will help meet community needs.

The Center for Teaching and Learning received more than 73 grant requests totaling nearly $800,000. Five different committees of faculty, staff and administrators reviewed proposals. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 240,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 130,000 students in non-credit courses.

Note: Descriptions of the funded projects follow.

Center for Teaching and Learning Grants Awarded for 2004-2005
(By Category: Project leaders, campus, amount awarded, project title)

Active Learning
Steven Murphy and Ken Simberg, Hibbing Community College $7,329 for "Hands-on Training for the Installation and Management of Wind Power"

Richard Jewell and Marianne Barnett, Inver Hills Community College $5,000 for "Developing Writing-Intensive Courses in All Disciplines"

Kristi Ongalo, Mesabi Range Community and Technical College $15,000 for "Mesabi Range Theatre Internship Project"

Paul Sando and Andrew Conteh, Minnesota State University Moorhead $4,366 for "The Canadian Studies Pilot Project"

Lori Halverson-Wente and Jay Lee, Rochester Community and Technical College $15,000 for "Creating Communication, Collaboration and Community by Constructing a Team Building Challenge Course"

Ming Chien Lo and Phillip Grossman, St. Cloud State University $8,680 for "Active Learning for Economics Education"

Assessment of Student Learning
Debbie VonSpreecken and Candice Heino, Anoka-Ramsey Community College $7,050 for "Assessing Student Learning in Business Programs Using e-Folio Minnesota"

Randall McClure and Kris Bigalk, Minnesota State University, Mankato $4,984 for "Peer Observation and Self-Assessment as Teacher Development Tools"

Eugena Paulus and Patricia Pieper, North Hennepin Community College $11,200 for "Integrating Assessment Into Activates in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory"

Mary Soroko and Brad Sleeper, St. Cloud State University $5,000 for "Integrating Course Goals and Assessments into Core Business Courses"

Health Care Education
Kristin Juliar, Minnesota State University, Mankato $15,000 for "Project Orientation for Clinical Adjunct Faculty"

Nicole Weydt and Julie Buntjer, Ridgewater College $15,000 for "Integration of Performance Based Instruction and Simulation Learning in Nursing Education"

Community Service Learning
Ginny Coyle and Mel Knapton, Century College $4,950 for "Soil Science, Sustainability and Student Success"

Anna Verhoye and Sue Allen, Dakota County Technical College $15,000 for "Learning Through Serving: A Collaborative Project"

Susan Schumer and William Lowe, Metropolitan State University $14,652 for "Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility"

Benjamin Smith and Jane Bergland, Minnesota State University Moorhead $3,950 for "Spanish for Healthcare Professionals"

James Strandlie and Dennis Paisler, Northland Community and Technical College $9,800 for "Moving Toward Quality Education through Service Learning"

Sue Olson and Jean Evens, Rainy River Community College $5,000 for "Soup Bowls for Hunger: Collaborative Learning for Civic Responsibility"

Kathryn Rusch and Peter Johnson, South Central College $10,500 for "Establishing the Services, Work and Learning Center"

Emily Deaver and Elizabeth Desy, Southwest Minnesota State University $13,837 for "A Water Monitoring Project Enhancing Students Learning, Collaboration and Civic Engagement"

Undergraduate Student Research
Joseph Provost, Minnesota State University Moorhead $15,000 for "Incorporation of Research and Technology into Biochemistry and Biotechnology Courses"

Brian Wisenden and Michelle Malott, Minnesota State University Moorhead $14,998 for "Linking Research Training to Curriculum Enhancement in Molecular Ecology"

Lakshmaiah Sreerama and Mohammad Mahroof-Tahir, St. Cloud State University $12,800 for "Interdisciplinary Research Experience for Undergraduates: Opening Avenues to Meaningful Science Learning"

Student Success
Joann Abercrombie-Beaupre and Ann DeAmond, Lake Superior College $10,150 for "Student Success Program for Pre-Nursing Students"

Paul Carney and Wes Lundberg, Minnesota State Community and Technical College at Fergus Falls $9,450 for "Bridging the Gap: Identifying and Supporting College-Ready Writing Skills among High School Students"

Jillian Quandt and Ken Graetz, Winona State University $4,151 for "Using E-Tutoring to Bridge the Gap for WSU Rochester Students"

Teacher Education
Jean Strait and Tim Sauer, Bemidji State University $14,560 for "Creating an East African Teacher Education Cohort"

Catherine Summa and Jean Leicester, Winona State University $14,896 for "Piloting a Problem-Based Environmental Science Course for Pre-Service Elementary Education Majors at Winona State University"

Teaching with Technology
Dragolijub Bilanovic and Timothy Kroeger, Bemidji State University $15,000 for "Subsurface Filtration Pilot Plant for Laboratory Practice"

Brad Irwin and Ann Silgen, Central Lakes College $14,000 for "Improving Skills in Farm Business Management through Crop and Market Data Collection"

Aaron Kelson and Jill Peterson, Mesabi Range Community and Technical College $4,450 for "Using Computer Supported Collaborative Learning to Enhance Student Learning of Controversial Subject Matter"

James Harley, Minnesota State University Moorhead $5,000 for "Incorporating Interactive Digital Technology Into Music Performance"

Paul Sando and Karl Leonard, Minnesota State University Moorhead $4,843 for "The Interdisciplinary GPS Project"

Mark Wallert, Minnesota State University Moorhead $15,000 for "Web Based Technology to Enhance Freshman Cell Biology Laboratory"

James Wilde and Karen Chou, Minnesota State University, Mankato $5,000 for "Innovative Engineering Education for the Visual Learner"

Linda Winkler and Ananda Shastri, Minnesota State University Moorhead $13,250 for "Seeing Electricity: Improving the Electronics Laboratory Experience"

Jane Visto and Barbara Hoppe, Minnesota State University Moorhead $4,984 for "Acoustic Analysis Technology: Voice & Speech Science Revisited"

Chulsung Kim, Rainy River Community College $15,000 for "Computer-Based Real-Time Graphic Illustration Activities in Chemistry Laboratory"

Underserved Populations
Richard Adler and Bruce Hanson, Minnesota State University Moorhead $11,161 for "Integrating Culturally Sensitive Curriculum into Speech Language Pathology Courses"

Jan Flack, Minnesota State University Moorhead $14,075 for "Ensuring Access for Under-Served Nursing and Paraprofessional Education Students"

Kenyon Williams and Helen Shumaker, Minnesota State University Moorhead $10,650 for "Putting Diversity to Practice: Increasing the University & Community Influence of a Multicultural Music Ensemble"

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The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 240,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 130,000 students in non-credit courses.

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