Student Course Development Projects
Student Course Development Projects (SCDP) provide funding for instructors to hire an undergraduate to assist in the development of new course content, learning activities, or learning materials. For instance, an instructor might employ a student to build collections of homework problems or in-class examples, design and test lab activities, or develop online learning materials. The course must primarily enroll students in the School of Arts & Sciences or the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences.
The student is expected to work on the project during the summer preceding the academic year in which the instructor plans to use the student’s work. Projects must entail a substantial volume of work for the student—approximately six weeks of full-time work. Consequently, the instructor must be available for hands-on supervision of the project during the period when the student is working. In addition, if the student that the instructor proposes to hire is graduating in May, the instructor must track the student's time to the minute for payroll purposes.
Awards cover the cost of a stipend to the student in the amount of $3,648, six weeks of on-campus housing for the student during that summer, and can cover up to $500 of the cost of any materials or other expenses related to the project. There will be three available time blocks during the summer: Summer A (typically May-June), Summer B (typically July-August), and an intermediate block specific to the program (June-July).
Applying
To apply for program funding, you must submit a proposal that:
- Is no more than 750 words
- Names the student you propose to employ
- Describes the nature of the work the student will do
- Describes how you, the instructor, intend to use the products of the student’s work
- Includes a budget that specifies any funds required for materials
The application deadline for funding for the summer of 2025 will be March 24, 2025, and we will announce funding decisions by April 11, 2025. The application portal will open in mid-February 2025.
Funding recipients must complete assessment activities to assist the Teaching Center in evaluating and improving the program. These include:
- A student survey completed at the end of the project
- An instructor report completed at the end of the project
- An instructor survey completed partway through the course implementation
Selecting Proposals
Successful proposals require the student to think critically about how learning works in the instructor's course, and to work creatively and collaboratively with the instructor to design activities and produce materials that enhance that learning. In addition, we prefer, although do not require, that the instructor include in the proposal a plan for the assessment, when deployed, of the activities or materials produced by the student.
Assistance
Teaching Center staff are happy to assist instructors in designing projects, preparing proposals and identifying students to work on projects. If you have any questions about the program or would like assistance in preparing a proposal, please contact the Teaching Center.