Funding and Support
CEL Funding Overview
CEL-designated classes and departments with multiple CEL courses are eligible to apply for funding recognizing the value of community engaged learning and also the extra effort it may take to provide deeply engaged learning opportunities.
CEL Course Support Funding
These funds (up to $1000) support community engaged work conducted in CEL designated
courses. Instructors of CEL courses are strongly encouraged to apply for funding to
help support CEL in the classroom and deepen community partnerships.
- Eligibility:
- The course must have the CEL attribute and be taught for the semester requested. Learn more about how to apply for a CEL attribute here.
- The funding request is directly related to the CEL course community work and falls
within one of the following approved categories: Materials, Equipment, & Subscriptions/Software;
Honoraria for Community Partners; Student/Faculty Travel Support to Community Site;
Partner Travel/Parking Support to Campus; Student Background Checks; and/or Semester-End
Events
- Requirements:
- Promote CEL outcomes assessment surveys to both course students and community partners
- Share the impact of this CEL funding by submitting a short final report detailing departmental CEL work, outcomes, student learning, and community impact
CEL COURSE FUNDING APPLICATION
CEL High Impact Work Funding
These funds (up to $5000) support high impact community work that spans across sections/courses/semesters, courses with high enrollment, or more involved community projects requiring more than $1000 in funding. Work could be related to faculty community engaged research, community partner projects, or department level programming.
- Eligibility:
- Must be connected to applied work/research/teaching conducted in at least one CEL designated course.
- Must have clear community partners and support.
- Preference given to projects that can demonstrate clear community impact.
- Requirements:
- Promote CEL outcomes assessment surveys to both course students and community partners
- Share the impact of this CEL funding by submitting a short final report detailing departmental CEL work, outcomes, student learning, and community impact
CEL HIGH IMPACT FUNDING APPLICATION
Community Engaged Department Funding
These funds (up to $10,000) provide support for faculty/staff/GA time to coordinate
community engagement efforts at the departmental level. This may include buying out
faculty teaching time, assigning a portion of GA work to coordination, or assigning
staff time to support this work.
- Eligibility - Preference given to departments with:
- Higher number/percentage of courses with the CEL designation including core/required courses.
- Supplemental/matching funding for the position with a plan/timeline to fully fund the position.
- Requirements:
- Share the impact of this CEL funding by submitting a short final report detailing departmental CEL work, outcomes, student learning, and community impact.
- To deepen campus-wide CEL, departments may be asked to recommend faculty to CEL committees.
COMMUNITY ENGAGED DEPARTMENT APPLICATION
Application Dates
Funding applications are accepted until all funding is expended, with the following priority deadlines:
- Summer and Fall 2025 only: September 8
- Fall: September 1
- Spring and Summer: January 15
CEL Course Funding Use
CEL course funding requests must be directly related to the CEL course community work. Some of the legitimate uses of CEL course funding include:
- Materials, Equipment, & Software: Purchasing materials, equipment, and/or software licensing for student CEL projects and/or for a community partner to allow for engagement.
- Honoraria for Community Partners: Paying an honorarium to a community partner for working with a CEL class or group of students, including guest speakers.
- Student Background Checks: Covering background checks for students working with minors (required for some CEL placements).
- Student/Faculty Travel Support to Community Site: Travel to and from community partner sites or other locations (may include lodging).
- Partner Travel Support to Campus/Site: Paying the parking/travel expenses for a community partner who comes to campus or another site (not office or work location) to engage with a CEL class.
- Food and Events: Paying for a semester-end event, including CEL presentations by students to community partners. Also includes any food or meals provided during engagement.
All awarded instructors are asked to complete a survey to report how you utilized the course funding to support your CEL efforts. Understanding how these funds are utilized is crucial for advocating for additional resources for CEL courses.
