Alumni Fund for Enrichment of Liberal Arts Education

The time has come to begin crafting your applications to receive funds for 2027. We invite all MAC instructors to consider ways that these funds can be used to enhance student experiences in General Education. Share your ideas with others and let’s embrace this tremendous gift that we have been given to celebrate and appreciate the liberal arts with our students.   

Purpose of Funding: To provide undergraduate students with meaningful experiences within the General Education Program (currently MAC). Purposes for which funds might be used include, but are not limited to, field trips, guest speakers, purchasing performance rights for a film showing, discussion groups, seminars, class materials, training for new/creative pedagogy, unique teaching strategies or opportunities, etc.  

Determination of Funding: Funds will be spent at the recommendation of the General Education Council and/or the General Education Council Chair to the Vice Provost for Academic Programming and Accreditation.   

Faculty who have funded requests will be asked to submit a report about the impact of the funding at the end of the semester. 

2027 Funding Application Deadline: October 19, 2026, by 5:00PM  

Application Guidelines: 

1. Submit the following:
   1. overview of plans;
   2. intended outcome and specific benefit to students (short and long term);
   3. why funding is needed for this project;
   4. project budget (direct costs)
2. Be sure the instructor listed will be teaching the course in Spring or Fall 2027 and is willing to follow the proposed plans if the application is selected. If a GIA/GTA will be assisting, this should be noted and agreed upon by all parties.  
3. Please provide an overview of how the money will be spent (budget template) and identify the funding needed. One-time awards can be given between $1,000 and $5,000. The number of projects funded, and money awarded will be determined by the selection committee. Please DO NOT request more than is needed as all money must be used for student enhancement and not additional compensation for faculty.
4. Please note that special consideration will be given to those projects that prioritize interdisciplinary opportunities AND direct student benefits.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:  

Quality of the proposed experience, quantity of students reached, interdisciplinary interest, rationale for proposed funding request, rationale for the project, short-term and potential long-term impact on students, course, and MAC.  

We encourage you all to embrace this opportunity as it is the first fund established specifically for the Liberal Arts. We have a strong general education program because of the expertise and creativity of faculty like you. Let’s show our students that liberal arts learning is a foundational part of growth and development in new and exciting ways that may have been cost prohibitive in the past.