Objective: To invite faculty to share their creative thinking through the submission of proposals describing courses that integrate science and societal issues and are targeted for first and second year students.

Background: A key mission of CALS is to educate future leaders who are well-prepared to address complex societal challenges for the betterment of Iowa and the world. CALS is committed to educating all students at ISU in the wise use of science and technology in solving society’s grand challenges. CALS is also committed to ensuring that all students understand the societal context in which they will work through an appreciation of social, artistic, ethical, diversity, political and other perspectives. This mini-grants process has been endorsed by the CALS Curriculum Committee and by the Dean’s Strategic Planning and Budget Student Committee. It will support a faculty-driven process to develop, publicize, and teach a series of courses (both existing and newly developed) focused on the connections between science and society.

Request for Proposals: CALS, in collaboration with the College Curriculum Committee, encourages CALS faculty to prepare and submit 2-page proposals describing a course they believe would fit appropriately under the Science and Society banner. Proposals will be accepted for courses that are led by CALS faculty but faculty from other colleges may be included as co-developers and/or co-instructors. The dean will invite the development of up to five (5) courses and will provide development grants of $7,500 per three (3) credit hour course. Proposals for one and two credit hour courses are welcome and will be considered for smaller grants. CALS faculty already teaching courses that address science and society issues in an integrated manner may apply for $3000 grants to upgrade their course and/or to develop the course for online delivery. Funds will need to be expended and course proposals prepared by August 15, 2012.

Course proposals require the following:

• Title, description of subject area, proposed level of course
• Differences between the proposed course and any closely related courses (to avoid duplication)
• Description of how science and societal issues will be addressed
• Description of potential target audience of students (demand)
• Name(s) of CALS faculty, department(s) or curricula that would be involved
• Brief budget
• Approval of the chair of the lead CALS department (separate email is fine)

Submissions: Email to David Acker, Associate Dean, by January 31. dacker@iastate.edu

Proposals will be reviewed by a sub-committee of the CALS Curriculum Committee.