SP1: Office of Professional Development in the Graduate School
A new Office of Professional Development (OPD) to be housed within the Graduate School will provide professional development for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty. Specifically, the OPD will: build on success of the GCOS by expanding both the breadth and frequency of professional development opportunities offered; offer career-directed explorations including industry and academic alumni; communicate with the Office of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions (OGRA) to identify programs and opportunities that might be especially decisive for prospective doctoral candidates; collaborate with the Division of Research to cultivate competitive external fellowship applications to NSF, NIH, and other funding agencies; develop and expand microcredential opportunities in collaboration with the Center for Learning and Teaching (CLT); energize graduate student, postdoc, and faculty engagement in career-enriching professional development; cultivate effective mentorship skills through workshops targeting both faculty and trainees; and establish effective leadership training programs for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty.
SP2: Enhancing Student Transition and Success Through Expanded UNIV 101/103 Course Offerings
This project will support the retention and success of first-year students through the expansion of UNIV 101/103 courses. To meet the increasing demand for UNIV 101/103 courses, additional sections and instructors will be added, supporting the creation of 10-12 new sections of UNIV 101/103 courses, with an allocation of $2,000 per instructor. This funding will expand course offerings, reduce class sizes, and allow for more personalized support for first-year students.
SP3: Male Scholars Initiative
Nationally, men, including Black and Hispanic/Latinx men, are not persisting to degree completion at the same rate as women. Modeled after CUNY’s Black Male Initiative, NYC’s Young Men’s Initiative, and California State University’s Diverse Male Scholars Initiative. This project will take an intrusive, holistic approach to supporting the academic success and sense of community for young men on campus. Specifically, this initiative will recruit broadly during student orientation and offer culturally centered/relevant mentoring, intrusive advising/mentoring (similar to EOP/HEOP); relevant programming (e.g. barbershop chats); an orientation/early arrival program in partnership with Residential Life DEEP Program interns; and an alternative spring break program in partnership with Office of Alumni/ISSS.
SP4: Funding to Support Community-Engaged Teaching and Research
Building on the success of previous Road Map funding, the Center for Civic Engagement will continue a faculty grant program to provide support to community-engaged learning courses and community-engaged research. Faculty can apply to receive funding to cover expenses related to engaged teaching and research, such as student transportation, supplies/materials, event costs, research stipends, speaker honoraria and more. In addition, community organizations are eligible to receive funding in recognition of their contributions to student learning and faculty scholarship. Finally, the University’s membership in the Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC) will be continued. ESC membership provides access to professional development opportunities, awards and an annual conference to support faculty, staff and institutional commitment to community engagement.
SP5: Employee Engagement Specialist
An Employee Engagement Specialist will be hired to work collaboratively with other divisions and departments (e.g., DDEI, Human Resources, EAP, Recreation, etc.) and campus professional groups (e.g., PSS, FSEC, etc.) to support affinity groups and provide social experiences, thereby promoting connections and enhancing employee satisfaction and loyalty. Specifically, the Employee Engagement Specialist will: facilitate the establishment and growth of affinity groups; coordinate with existing professional groups and departments to organize social events that foster interaction; collaborate with HR and DDEI to orient new professionals to campus; develop a welcome packet to acclimate new hires to the campus culture; conduct regular surveys to gauge employee satisfaction and engagement levels; provide seed money and other resources to support affinity group leaders to effectively manage and sustain their groups; and collaborate with HR, DDEI, FSEC, PSS and EAP (as well as other relevant departments) to integrate employee engagement initiatives into the University’s overall strategic plan. Furthermore, this initiative will provide dual career support and offer career coaching, resume development, networking, and interview practice/preparation; oversee dual career floater positions; and develop resources for dual career clients needing visa sponsorship.
SP6: Binghamton University: Global Learning for All – Broadening participation in Study Abroad and Strengthening Faculty-Led Programs
This scholarship is intended to enhance the participation of students in education abroad. Preference for recipients includes, yet is not limited to: Pell Grant recipients, students with financial need, first-generation college students, students with disabilities, students registered with EOP or TRIO, students in academic majors with structured curricula that do not typically seek out study abroad, and students who have not previously traveled abroad. Scholarship amounts will range from $1,500-$5,000, based on recommendations by a committee overseen by the IEGI, working with collaborative partnering offices across campus. Additionally, these funds will supplement faculty-led program budgets, thereby reducing the overall program cost to our students. Lastly, to promote access to education abroad, IEGI will implement a passport fair to cover the cost of the fees for each student who is applying for a passport for the first time.
