Call For Preliminary Proposals

June 3, 2008

Dear Colleagues:

The Alex and Brit d’Arbeloff Fund for Excellence in Education, administered by the Office of Faculty Support under the supervision of the Dean for Undergraduate Education, is soliciting preliminary proposals for ambitious projects to enhance the educational experience of our undergraduates, especially during their first year at MIT. Special attention will be given to proposals that involve “Big Ideas” subjects in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS); Elements of Design subjects; and 6-unit Science, Math and Engineering (SME) Essentials pilots. We likewise welcome projects that aspire to provide dynamic, effective teaching within the General Institute Requirements, including Communication Intensive subjects. These emphases build upon the vision expressed by the Educational Commons Subcommittee as reported at the May 2008 faculty meeting. Further information about this vision can be found at the ECS web site:

http://web.mit.edu/ecs

The Educational Commons Subcommittee (ECS) further defined the ideas of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Commons. It focused upon the General Institute Requirements (GIRs), which are intended to offer a broad educational background that not only prepares students for more advanced studies in their majors but also expands their knowledge base in preparation for a lifetime of learning.

ECS continues to believe that the first year is crucial in helping our students develop a passion for learning that will endure throughout their stay at MIT and, indeed, throughout their lives. Many faculty and students have expressed the opinion that the first-year experience can be improved. We hope to expand upon the innovative work undertaken by faculty in recent years, especially in the areas of project-based learning, first-year HASS pilot subjects, and interdisciplinary offerings. We also reiterate the importance of learning from one another in our pedagogy and experimentation.

Completed preliminary proposals are due by October 15, 2008. The d’Arbeloff Grants Committee will review the preliminary proposals; applicants who pass the initial screening process will be invited to submit final proposals by December 1, 2008.

Diana E. Henderson	Dennis M. Freeman
Dean for Curriculum and Faculty Support	Chair, Committee on the Undergraduate Program