Curriculum Development

I. Research and Sponsored Programs Office

Curriculum Development Program

Provides “teaching faculty with seed money to engage in projects that lead to curricular innovation. Three types of projects are encouraged in this program: (1) the creation of/or significant redesign of courses that emphasize new teaching technologies, (2) the creation of courses for new majors or minors and (3) the creation of new interdisciplinary courses.”

II. LTEC (Learning and Teaching Excellence Center)

1. FACUL-TE Program

Funds available to support small teaching excellence projects designed by faculty. Eligible projects should be clearly directed towards the improvement of teaching and active learning strategies in the classroom and college environment. Preference may be given to programs relevant to current LTEC priorities.

2. Faculty Fellows

Supports projects designed "To create a student-centered academic culture which encourages innovative approaches to teaching and learning, provides resources to support pedagogical innovation, and evaluates the effectiveness of teaching and learning."

III. Center for Undergraduate Research


Curriculum Development Programs (Department and Individual Faculty)

Supports programs designed to integrate undergraduate research and inquiry-based learning into departmental curricula, funded through a US Department of Education Title III grant.

Projects supported by this grant should meet one or more of the following goals: 

  • Integrates undergraduate research into the program’s curricular plan for a substantial number of students.

    • Integrates undergraduate research in capstone course.
    • Develops undergraduate research opportunities in sophomore level courses.
    • Develops individual student and faculty research courses for credit. 
    • Increases the number of faculty engaged in undergraduate research.
    • Department Curriculum Development Grants require a team of four faculty working together to revise a program curriculum.


Each faculty member will be paid $2586 in summer salary. Department applications can include up to $5000 for equipment for the department in support of the curricular initiatives.

IV. NEH Summer Seminars

Month-long seminars on selected topics in the humanities endowed by the National Endowment for the Humanities and held at SUNY Potsdam.  Associated Colleges of the St. Lawrence Valley faculty are eligible to apply.  

For information contact NEH Director Dr. Geoffrey Clark at clarkgw@potsdam.edu.

Application for NEH Summer Seminar for Faculty

V. Academic Department

Some academic departments have funds to support faculty research and creative work.  In addition, occasionally a faculty member may be given a reduced teaching schedule to work on a particular research project.  Contact your department chair to discuss these possibilities.

VI. Dean and Provost

The deans or the Provost may be able to provide funding for significant specific projects on occasion. Contact them to inquire.

VII. Learning Communities

The Director of Learning Communities administers small grants to assist in the development of learning communities, which are groups of 6-24 students taking the same interdisciplinary set of 2-5 courses, as part of First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs), upper division pairs and clusters, and semester-long coordinated studies.

VIII. Honors Program

The Director of the College’s Honors Program may have funds available to support the development of Honors courses by faculty members.