The Third Century Initiative (TCI) is a plan from the University of Michigan president and provost to develop innovative, multi-disciplinary approaches to teaching and scholarship at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. The overall goal of the Third Century Initiative is to stimulate creative thinking among students and faculty, and to develop programs that will intensify learning experiences in and beyond the classroom. TCI is a five-year program with $50 million dollars of dedicated funding.

The Third Century Initiative has two components: (1) creating innovative student learning experiences and (2) developing creative approaches to the world’s greatest challenges and opportunities.

The Student Learning Advisory Committee is the faculty committee charged with making funding recommendations for the student learning portion of the Third Century Initiative. Members of the Student Learning Advisory Committee include:

1. Melanie Sanford (CHAIR), College of Literature, Sciences and the Arts (Chemistry)
2. Rebecca Hardin, School of Natural Resources and the Environment
3. Aileen Huang-Saad, College of Engineering (Biomedical Engineering)
4. Tim McKay, College of Literature, Science and the Arts (Physics and Astronomy)
5. Thad Polk, College of Literature, Science and the Arts (Psychology)
6. Malcolm Tulip, School of Music, Theatre and Dance
7. Lynn Wooten, Ross School of Business

TLTC stands for Transforming Learning for a Third Century. TLTC represents a funding mechanism associated with the student learning component of the Third Century Initiative. TLTC is being launched by the Student Learning Advisory Committee on behalf of the Provost and includes two grant programs: Quick Wins / Discovery and Transformation. The TLTC grant program aims to fund the most exciting and innovative ideas from across the University of Michigan campus to enhance engaged, action-based learning for U-M students.

No, TLTC is a different program, but all of these programs are part of the Third Century Initiative.

Quick Wins and Discovery fund relatively small-scale, “shovel ready” projects that have transformative potential for curriculum, pedagogy, and student learning and/or projects that embrace risk, discovery, and experimentation, empowering faculty members and staff to explore opportunities beyond the traditional.  The latter type of projects should be based on a general hypothesis regarding teaching and learning that can be questioned, explored, and planned or piloted during this initial funding period.  (up to $50,000)

Transformation is aimed at large-scale changes to instruction and/or infrastructure, enabling faculty and staff to implement new learning approaches for sustainable and replicable adoption.  Projects should be based upon evidence that the proposed changes will favorably impact the learning experiences of the students involved.  ($100,000 to $3 million)

The TLTC grant programs are open to faculty and staff from all units and disciplines on the Ann Arbor campus.

Applications must include the signature of the appropriate authority in your unit (Dean, Associate Dean, Department Chair, Director, etc.).  Transformation proposals require Dean’s office level authority.

Quick Wins/Discovery proposals should address how the project meets criterion (a) as well as at least three additional criteria from the list below.

a.  Increases engaged, action-based learning experiences for UM students

b.  Leads to an immediate change in or shows the potential for change in the nature of instruction at UM

c.  Leads to an immediate change in or shows the potential for improvement in the quality of the students’ learning experience

d.  Will impact a significant number of students and faculty

e.  Demonstrates a clear plan for gathering evidence to justify continuation to Transformation phase

f.  Has potential for replication by other groups across campus

g.  Has potential to be sustainable

h.  Has potential for visible impact on broader landscape of American higher education

a.  Has a transformative impact on the education of U-M students

b.  Increases access and visibility of engaged, action-based learning experiences for a significant number of U-M students, exposing cohorts of students to valuable learning experiences that they would otherwise not have had

c.  Provides a plan for sustainability (material, financial, cultural, etc.) and a clearly articulated theory of change

d.  Is based on evidence that the proposed changes will favorably impact the learning experiences of the students involved

e.  Includes a plan for ongoing assessment and evaluation.  For assistance with your assessment plan, we strongly encourage you to contact CRLT at CRLTassessment@umich.edu.

f.  Includes the potential for replication or translation by other groups or learning communities across campus

Funding decisions will be made by the Provost and Vice Provost, based on the recommendations of the Student Learning Advisory Committee.

Proposals may be submitted by individuals or teams.

Yes. Please clearly describe your existing innovation and how the TLTC funding will advance your work.

Replacement teaching subventions are NOT allowable expenses for Quick Wins / Discovery.

Replacement teaching subventions are discouraged and will only be considered an allowable Transformation grant expense if deemed fully necessary for the success of the project.  Unit approval will be formally required for an exception to be made.  Buyouts funded via cost sharing are at the discretion of the unit.

Yes.

Yes, and in fact, we encourage the inclusion of students in the proposal team. Students may not, however, submit a proposal for TLTC without faculty or staff involvement.

Please see the Calendar.

Please see the Calendar. (ALL dates/plans are tentative and subject to change.)

For Quick Wins and Discovery, see the Quick Wins and Discovery Call for Proposals.  For Transformation, see the Transformation Call for Proposals.

All faculty and staff on the Ann Arbor campus are eligible to apply for a Transformation grant.  Receipt of a TLTC Discovery grant is not a requirement, though evidence that the proposed effort will favorably impact the learning experiences of our students will need to be provided in order to be considered for Transformation funding.

If you have further questions, please email TLTC.Questions@umich.edu.