February 4, 2021
FY 21 Strategic Investment Fund proposals awarded
Dear Colleagues,
The strategic investment fund is the key component in the budget model for investing in the strategic priorities of the university. While much of the fund is currently invested in subvention for teaching, research, service and administrative services across the university, we announced last fall that a small pool of monies within the fund would be set aside for units to request during this academic year. In the second year of the request process, 14 proposals from units across the university requesting approximately $1.2 million in funding were submitted for consideration.
President Myers and I are happy to announce that the following proposals were approved for funding after review by the University Budget Planning Team and approval by the Core Budget Team:
- Student Success — Improving DFW Rates: Taking an Equity Minded Approach ($37,950 over three years)
A multi-unit collaborative retention pilot project to explore the adoption of additional low-cost support programs for courses with high numbers of students earning class grades of D or F or withdrawing. - Student Success — Supporting Student Retention through SPARK ($20,100, one-time funding) One-year pilot project to establish student retention success baseline data of the Second Opportunity for Academic Refocus at K-State, or SPARK, program.
- College of Arts and Sciences and College of Agriculture — Environmental Sciences program director ($85,000 over two years)
Partial funding support for a program director for the new interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences program. - K-State Polytechnic — Master of Science in Aeronautics with Aerospace Certification Engineering Option ($85,000 over two years)
Partial funding support for the initial launch of this first-to-market academic offering which is the cornerstone of K-State's Global Aviation initiative.
We thank everyone for their creative and thoughtful proposals. While it is true we are facing critical budget challenges, it is important for us to continue to support innovative and strategic ideas that advance our priorities.
Sincerely,
Chuck Taber
Provost and Executive Vice President