Strategic Initiative Grant Program
SIG is Happy to Announce the
2009 Recommended SIG Awardees
i-Negotiate a program that resulted from the Leadership Studies Initiative working group of the Illinois Leadership Coordinating Committee of the ILC. Members of the committee including academic units and the Office of Student Conflict Resolution will serve as facilitators for the program. The workshop is designed to teach negotiating, communication, and intergroup relations skills in a context of perceived disagreement or disparate goals. These skills will promote personal safety for students not accustomed to dealing with conflict. The workshop will be conducted once in the Fall and once in the Spring. ILC Certificate Students will pilot the program which ILC hopes to open up to the general student population should it prove to be efficacious.
Collaborators: Illinois Leadership Center, Office of Student Conflict Resolution, and the College of Law
Number of Participants: 30 students and 8-10 faculty members
Strategic Initiative addressed: Safety
Veterans Bowling League -a program to assist armed service veterans in establishing a healthy social network as they adapt to campus life in an informal setting. The league will last ten weeks and meet every other week for a total of five times. The league format offers the expectation of attendance by participants and keeps interactions relaxed and less forced. During each meeting partners from the Counseling Center will provide information and resources for the veterans. Over the course of the program it is expected that the veterans will establish relationships with team mates and the other participants.
Collaborators: Illini Union and the Counseling Center
Number of Participants: 50 students
Strategic Initiative addressed: Specific populations and their engagement with campus
I-SPIN (Illinois Single Parents’ Information Network) a needs assessment program to both identify and inform students who are single parents about the resources that are available to them on campus and in the community. The goals are to provide resources, sharing of parental strategies specific to being a student, develop a directory of resources, develop a website, and develop general support group for single parents. Also, plan to evaluate the support group, directory, and website.
Collaborators: Women’s Resources Center, African American Cultural Center, Native American Cultural Center, La Casa Cultural Latina, Family and Graduate Housing, Office of Minority Student Affairs, Department of Human and Community Development, and School of Social Work
Number of Participants: 50 students and children
Strategic Initiative addressed: Specific populations and their engagement with campus
Peabody Early Arrival Leadership Retreat a program targeting first year students for a full-day leadership retreat. Students will engage with professional staff from Residential Life, OVP, and ILC through a variety of activities. Students will learn the ILC leadership philosophy, evaluate opportunities for themselves in the ILC, OVP, and residence hall organizations, learn what leadership skills they have, learn communication and conflict management skills, consider the role of identity and social justice in campus leadership, and plan a program or event for their peers.
Collaborators: University Housing, ILC, and Office of Volunteer Programs
Number of Participants: 40 students and 5 staff
Strategic Initiative addressed: Specific populations and their engagement with campus
Latina/o Parent and Family Informational and Outreach Network this program consists of two events, one in the Fall and the other in the Spring, to be held in the Metropolitan Chicago areas. These events will be training sessions for parents and family mentors to create a Latina/o Parent and Family Outreach Network. Funds are requested to hire a bilingual undergraduate to market and recruit parents and families to participate in the events and to assist in the development of the programs and supporting materials. The network will help to increase retention of Latina/o students, educate and engage family members and parents by giving them a fuller understand of the university, empower parents to take a more active role in their college students’ experience, expose parents and families to the importance of the integration of academic and co-curricular activities to create a fulfilling college experience, and how family support is important to their students’ retention and graduation. Additionally, it is hoped that the program will increase participation by Latino families in the programs and events co-sponsored by the Illini Union Parent Programs Office and the Moms and Dads Associations.
Collaborators: Illini Union Parent Programs, Latino Family Visit Day Committee, La Casa, and recently received interest from the Latino Alumni Association
Number of Participants: up to ten student and academic affairs staff, 2-10 student workers and 40-50 parents/family members and 2-3 Latino community members
Strategic Initiative addressed: Diversity
Subtract Stupidity a fire safety campaign that was piloted last year in private certified housing. Preliminary data indicates that students remember the slogan and remember the information associated with the campaign materials. Funds will be used to purchase give aways with the slogan and fire safety tips.
Collaborators: Fire Factor Committee which consists of representatives from the local Fire Departments, Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, University Housing, Facilities and Services, and Illinois Fire Service Institute.
Number of Participants: 16,000 students
Strategic Initiative addressed: Diversity
Total number of applications submitted: 21
Total amount of funds requested: $109,732
Total amount of funds recommend to be awarded: $20,000
About SIG
The Student Affairs Program Coordinating Council seeks applications for its Strategic Initiative Grant Program. The purpose of these funds is to promote collaborations within Student Affairs units as well as with academic units across campus. Additionally, the goal is to support innovative and new programs that improve the campus community; particularly programs that meet Student Affairs strategic initiatives. These strategic initiatives will be announced yearly.
Applications will be accepted yearly on July 1st and IF AND ONLY IF funds are available a second deadline in November may be announced. Applications should be submitted online (see link).
Eligibility
Any Student Affairs unit on the Urbana-Champaign campus may apply for these funds. The unit must have at least one other active co-sponsor within Students Affairs.
Sponsorship Criteria
Innovative programs that target any campus sub-population are encouraged. However, those programs that ultimately improve students’ academic experience are encouraged. The proposed event must meet one of the selected strategic criteria to be determined by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs yearly. Proposals are encouraged to incorporate technology use; accessible materials; innovations that have the potential to become best practices; and the creation of programs that have the potential to become permanent.
Applicants will be required to document the extent of the involvement of co-sponsors. Unit heads or their designees must sign off on the proposal. A summary and assessment report will be required within thirty days of the event prior to the award being released. An assessment template will be provided for this purpose. Proposed events must not have occurred on campus within the past two years. Applicants must adhere to all university policies and procedures.
Restrictions
• All events must meet University policies which also supersede PCC guidelines
• Strictly social events will not be supported
• Funds cannot be used for full-time staff wages or salaries
• Political endorsements
• Expenses for fundraisers and alcoholic beverages
Contact Information
Any questions or concerns can be addressed to Belinda De La Rosa (blarosa@illinois.edu), Special Assistant to the Dean of Students for Assessment, 300 Turner Student Services Building, 217-333-0050.
2009 Strategic Initiatives
Safety (spatial, interpersonal, environmental, economic, healthy social network, etc.)
Specific Student Populations and Campus Engagement
Diversity
What Students are Saying