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FY26 Faculty Initiative Fund

Request for Proposals is Open

FIF Summary and Background

A financial commitment of at least $360,000 by the University of ������Ƶ (UA) for FY26 is identified as the Faculty Initiative Fund (FIF) aimed at fostering an institutionalized environment of cross-campus communication that inspires learning and disseminates knowledge while fostering the exchange and advancement of new, more efficient approaches to educating ������Ƶns and engendering high academic standards. It is designed to promote collaboration across the three universities, between universities and their community campuses, and/or across colleges and departments on the same campus. The fund may also serve as seed money toward the procurement of external grants and contracts and to promote collaborative networking and scholarship beyond ������Ƶ.

Projects eligible for FIF funding include system-wide projects that develop, facilitate, and sustain effective and innovative efforts to fulfill the University’s academic mission and to achieve systemwide goals. The fund can support traditional professional development opportunities as well as engagement and collaboration among faculty at all three universities that are crucial to maintaining academic innovation, quality, and rigor. UA system-wide collaborative research efforts are highly encouraged. Submissions describing UA system level professional development activities that serve the goals of course alignment, course sharing, and/or the establishment or improvement of new or existing learning networks are likewise encouraged.

Initiative Categories. The purpose of this request for proposals (RFP) is to serve the UA mission and system goals by providing an equal opportunity for FIF distribution to eligible faculty to pursue one or more of the following initiative categories:  

• build the intellectual capital of UA through basic and applied research,

• promote obtainment of external grants and contracts or other cost-reducing measures,

• develop high-impact pedagogical practices,

• generate new professional development initiatives for faculty that will establish and maintain collaborations across the UA system,

• foster community partnerships and engaged learning opportunities,

• reduce the cost of degrees and/or contribute to student recruitment, retention, & success,

• promote student engagement, research, internship, or apprenticeship opportunities, or

• enhance UA’s service to the state.

UA Mission: The University of ������Ƶ inspires learning, and advances and disseminates knowledge through teaching, research, and public service, emphasizing the North and its diverse peoples.

Systemwide Goals: Deliver academic excellence & success at all levels; Modernize the student experience; Contribute to ������Ƶ’s skilled workforce and engaged citizenship; Operate efficiently, effectively, and responsibly; Grow our world-class research; and Provide an open and welcoming university with equal opportunity and access for all students, faculty, and staff.

AWARD LEVELS

The 2025/6 FIF has two tiers based on the size and scope of the project and budget.

Tier I: ~18-month-long projects with a budget of no more than $30,000 (at least six (6) awards available)

Tier II: Smaller projects are either smaller mini-projects or seed funds for larger projects with budgets of no more than $10,000 (at least fifteen (15) awards available).

TIMELINE, EXPECTATIONS, AND EXCLUSIONS

All proposals in response to this RFP are due to the Office of Academics, Students & Research by 5 pm Monday, October 6, 2025. The review period will then commence, and end by 5 pm Monday, November 3, 2025, with awards announced by November 10, 2025. All applications must be submitted via Google Forms or by emailing their proposal as a single PDF file to the Office of Academics, Students & Research Office (sldayton2@alaska.edu). All submissions will receive an email confirmation of receipt within two ������Ƶ days. Disbursement of project funds may begin on January 8, 2026.

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A faculty voice in matters affecting the general welfare of the
University of ������Ƶ system and its educational programs.

Second Annual UA Faculty Alliance Thought Leaders Forum: UA faculty come together to share their thoughts about the important education and research topics of today

Faculty Alliance Thought Leaders Forum:

“Universities as a Public and Common Good: Investing in Students, Communities, and Careers”

The Faculty Alliance will host their second annual Thought Leaders Forum for two half days of virtual Zoom meetings, March 27, from 11am to 3pm, and March 28, from 9am to 2pm. This year’s topic is “Universities as a Public and Common Good: Investing in Students, Communities, and Careers.” Is education a public good? Common good? Private good? All three? What do we mean by “public,” “common,” “private,” and “good” in the context of education? As a publicly funded university, the University of ������Ƶ needs to engage in the conversation about the proper role of formal education in contributing to society. Let’s get serious about defining the role of the knowledge, skills, and credentials provided by the University of ������Ƶ toward the future of ������Ƶ and its peoples. 

Descriptions of Sessions

March 27th, Thursday 11:00 - 11:30 : Opening Words and Welcome
Faculty Alliance chairs: Jennifer Carroll, Jackie Cason, Ali Ziegler, Vice President Brian Smentkowski

Main Session

Friday March 28th, Day 2

Brian Smentkowski, University of ������Ƶ Vice President and Chief Academic Officer

 

For more information contact:

Jennifer Carroll, UAF Faculty Senate Past-President, jlcarroll@alaska.edu 

Jacqueline Cason, UAA, Faculty Senate President, jecason@alaska.edu 

Ali Ziegler, UAS Faculty Senate President-Elect, aaziegler@alaska.edu 

 

2024 First Annual UA Faculty Alliance Thought Leaders Forum Schedule
Opening Session: Introductions by VP Paul Layer, Jennifer Ward, Jennifer Carroll, and Jackie Cason, and presentation by Ben Shier (Chief Information Technology Officer for UA) & Bill Anker OIT’s (Director for Strategic Initiatives: Systems Office for Information Technology: Artificial Intelligence, data security, and private.
  Passcode: &4*0Pv?i

March 28 Track A: Sean Holland, with Peter Westley (UAF), “Using AI Voiceovers to Augment Instructor Presence”; Ruth Gastineau (UAF) Slideshow, “AI & Social Media Marketing”; Nathan Feemster, with Retchenda George-Bettisworth (UAF), “Priming Conversations on Ethical Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in an Online Program”; Arghya Kusum (Argo) Das (UAF), “AI for Research and Education: Where We Are Heading and How We Should Respond?"; Erik Carlson (UAA), “AI Models and AI Products: Layers of Bias”
  Passcode: T20i3B*M

March 28 Track B: Ilana Kingsley (UAF), Jodi Jacques and Ruth Terry (UAA) “Future of Library Research”; Jennifer Tilbury (UAF) “Using AI As A Partner in the Research Process”; Kenrick Mock, Helena Wisniewski, Masoumeh Heidari, Frank Witmer, and Vinod Vasudevan (UAA), “Growing the AI Ecosystem at UAA: Research, Curriculum, & Student Projects"
Passcode: 1d%aaZN=

March 29 Track A: Nathan Feemster (UAF), “Making Project Based Learning Scalable with Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools"; Dan LaSota, UAF Center for Teaching and Learning, “A Year of AI Pedagogical Inquiry and Support from CTL”; Nathan Feemster (UAF), “Detection Feasibility of Artificial Intelligence Derived Text”; James Ryan (UAS), “Against ‘cheating’: Rebooting our response to AI”; Jennifer Moss (UAF) and D'Arcy Hutchings (UAA), “AI and Open Educational Resources: Opportunities and
Pitfalls"; Faculty Alliance Panel: "Knowing What We Know, How Should We Act? An Exploration of Policies for the Future"
Passcode: X#MrF#0W

March 29 Track B: Tori McDermott, with Amy May, Donica Nash, Nike Jacob (UAF), “Impact of AI on academic performance: A Communication Perspective”; Rodger Lewerenz (UAF)
“AI as a Catalyst to Enhance Education and Empower Faculty”; Corrie Whitmore (UAA)., ”Utilizing AI Tools in the Classroom to Deepen Student Learning"; Andrew Harnish (UAA)
“A.I. and Writing Studies: Current Trends and Future Possibilities";  Chris Coffman, with Manuel Melendez (UAF), “Reading, Writing, and Theorizing with AI: Possibilities
and Limitations"
Passcode: ^35bhcHm

Keynote Session: Dr. Tricia Bertram-Gallant: Creating Integrous Classrooms in the GenAI Era
Passcode: wf^63t0b       Keynote Speaker Slides

 

UA faculty, staff, and students will explore the ethical integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into educational practices at our first Faculty Alliance Thought Leaders Forum: A Brave New World: Looking into the Future of AI in Higher Education. The forum will occur via Zoom over two days, Thursday March 28 from 11 to 3 and Friday March 29 from 10 to 2. Presentations include discussions on practical and disciplinary applications of AI in course development, teaching methodologies, learning assessment, and career applications while emphasizing the importance of maintaining academic and degree integrity, as well as discussions regarding the biases and potential ethical implications of AI use in terms of replicating social biases, integrity and authorship, and safeguarding student data and identity. We have presentations from all three universities, including faculty, staff, and administrator presenters.  While each university has been discussing issues of AI in their own academic programs and with their students, we hope that the forum will provide a broader look at the issue and provide an opportunity for increased collaboration across the system. The forum also includes a Keynote address by Dr. Tricia Bertram-Gallant, the Director of the Academic Integrity Office and Triton Testing Center at the University of California San Diego (UCSD).

For more information contact:

Jennifer Carroll, UAF Faculty Senate President, jlcarroll@alaska.edu 

Jacqueline Cason, UAA, Faculty Senate President-Elect, jecason@alaska.edu 

Jennifer Ward, UAS, Faculty Senate Past-President and UA Faculty Alliance Chair, jdbrown@alaska.edu 

 

UA Faculty:  AY25 Faculty Initiative Fund!

Faculty Initiative Fund Website

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