Image adapted from Shazz, creative commons 2.0

On April 30, the Project Conexión team in Academic Affairs launched the first Innovation Grant Design Challenge.  More than 50 faculty, staff, and students participated in this day-long activity as part of a revised approach to the mini-grant proposal process.  Supported by Title V funds from the U.S. Department of Education, the Innovation Grant model will facilitate the design and use of new practices and resources that connect students with 4-year colleges, employers, and LaGuardia alumni.  Projects will strengthen student reflection around transfer- and career-readiness through ePortfolio, site visits, and panel discussions.

In addition to the Innovation Grants, the CTL team will support a range of workshop and seminar activities, as well as complete a few of the 2020-2021 activities that will hold showcases in the fall.  We will introduce 2021 offerings in two stages this year—late Spring and early Fall.

Juggling multiple projects and activities, we look to balance the following goals that shape CTL offerings:

• Provide a range of supports that address institutional and grant-funded priorities (e.g. the First Year Experience; ePortfolio for learning, career, and transfer; advising and co-curricular learning)
• Support pedagogical and curricular innovations that respond to faculty interests across disciplines
• Address instructional interests and identified needs in relation to student learning goals
• Incorporate diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning practices
• Determine available resources and program capacity

CTL seminar staff have met with groups of faculty and staff in the past few weeks to discuss structures and processes that might support more transparent and inclusive practices for CTL activities, such as establishing a steering committee or advisory group, or soliciting seminar and workshop ideas more widely and more frequently.  As these ideas take shape over the next few months, we have focused on finalizing a few offerings that begin in the fall.  Next week, we will announce these opportunities; we will promote more in October for Fall 2 and Spring implementation.  At that time, we also hope to have a more formal structure in place for responding to and recommending seminar topics, structures, and facilitation.

Please be on the watch for our soft launch of Fall 2021 CTL activities.  And on behalf of the CTL team, I thank our colleagues for their patience and supportive collaboration throughout the year!