FUNDING REQUEST WORKSHOP Sept. 21, 2006. Beginning with the Hendrix graduating class of 2009, all students are required to complete three Odyssey experiences.

FUNDING REQUEST WORKSHOP

Sept. 21, 2006

Beginning with the Hendrix graduating class of 2009, all students are required to complete three Odyssey experiences selected from the six categories:

• Artistic and Creative Expression• Undergraduate Research• Service to the World• Global Awareness• Professional and Leadership Development• Special Projects

Last year, the Committee on Experiential Learning awarded almost a quarter of a million dollars to support Odyssey Projects by students and faculty.

Artistic and Creative ExpressionStudents explore their creative potential and express it in art, music,

dance, drama, or creative writing.

Thomas Christie received one of the first Odyssey Grants for his project titled “Images from Abroad: Student Perspectives.” He printed and custom matted photography from Hendrix students taken in 15 different countries. His exhibit is currently hanging in the Odyssey Office Gallery.

Global AwarenessStudents are immersed in another culture.

Tara Allison, Cara Boyd, Alisha Burrow, Heath DeJean, and Megan Knox participated in an independent study with Dr. Carol West. In the summer, the group’s travel to Africa was supported by an Odyssey Grant. At the African Literature Association’s annual conference in Accra/Labadi, they heard presentations by Africa’s leading writers and scholars. They visited sites of literary, cultural and historical interest in Ghana that related to the independent study’s readings and discussions.

Professional and Leadership Development

Internships and other on-site professional experiences, or leadership in campus, community, or professional life extend students’ knowledge.

Amy Russo received an Odyssey Grant this summer for her internship at the Louisiana State Archives, focusing on several special projects including genealogical historical research, the preservation of historical documents, and the cataloging of collections. Based on her work there, Russo created a Web site featuring interesting facts about Louisiana history.

Service to the WorldStudents help meet the social, ecological and spiritual needs of our

time, both on campus and beyond the Hendrix community.

An Odyssey Grant helped send T. C. Elliott to volunteer with a medical mission in the small city of Tlaxiaco in Mexico. He was part of a medical mobile unit that went to the area’s villages to provide free medical clinics. He also brought thousands of dollars worth of new and vitally needed donated medical supplies with him for the clinic.

Undergraduate ResearchStudents engage in significant research projects in any academic area

that interests them.

Ryan Strickland is participating in “PlanetQuest,” which is seeking other planets that could support life. His Odyssey Grant allowed him to visit the Lick Observatory and other astronomical research sites with his project sponsor, Dr. Ann Wright, this summer.

Special ProjectsEvery student has the potential to surprise the faculty by extending,

applying, connecting or sharing different ways of knowing.

Stephen Dyle plans to become an archeologist, digging up the relics of the past and piecing together humanity’s story. This summer, his Odyssey Grant helped as he investigated the ancient Mayans whose civilization extended into modern-day Belize. At an archeological field school in Belize, he got in-depth experience with the techniques involved in an active dig and the proper documentation and care of artifacts,

?So, how can YOU get an Odyssey Grant?

You need to get a copy of the 2006-2007 Odyssey Program Guide.

(And read it carefully.)

Plan aheadPay attention to the Funding Request deadline and timeframe for proposals.

•The October 18 deadline is for projects in the spring, including the Winter Break.

•The February 15 deadline is for summer projects.

•The April 15 deadline is for projects in the fall of 2007.

The Committee on Experiential Learning makes the funding decisions.

The members of the Committee for 2006-2007 are:

Dr. Jay Barth (Politics), Director of Civic Engagement Projects, ex officioDr. Jennifer Dearolf (Biology)Dr. Anne Goldberg (Anthropology)Dr. Nancy Fleming (Music), Associate Director of the Odyssey Program,

ex officio (non-voting) Dr. Tom Goodwin (Chemistry), Chair of the CommitteeDr. Jay McDaniel (Religion)Dr. Mark Schantz (History), Director of the Odyssey Program, ex officioDr. David Sutherland (Mathematics), Associate Provost, ex officioStudents T.C. Elliott and Leslie Levy, who were appointed by the Student

Senate

You can contact the entire committee by e-mailing them at [email protected].

The Committee is not psychic.

Be clear and articulate in your writing. There is no interview process, so your Proposal and Funding Request must speak for you.

Funding is not determined by the number of pages in the request or how much it weighs. You don’t need to write a novel—the CEL appreciates a succinct, clearly written proposal of 2-4 pages that describes your plans in detail.

Use the Odyssey Office forms. Make sure that they are signed.

The most important and

powerful words you can use

on your forms are

SEE ATTACHED.

Type your proposal and funding request attachments.

If you need advice on filling in your paperwork, selecting a campus supervisor, or picking a category for your project, the Odyssey Office can help.

We also advise you to bring a draft of your request to the Odyssey Office. We can guide you in making your proposal more compelling.

(Having us on your side doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get funding, but it doesn’t hurt!)

Submit an itemized budget.

Check your math.

Check it again.

Don’t rely on spellcheck. (Words that you don’t want on your proposal are words, too.)

We aren’t made of money.There is only a limited amount of grant money available. It’s a very competitive process. Faculty and students have an equal chance at getting funding.

Be prudent about your request. Don’t ask for items that the CEL has said they won’t generally fund.

Show that you are committed to your project by offering to help cover some of your own costs.

$ Normally, Odyssey funding will not be awarded for:

• tuition at other colleges or universities;

• paid internships;

• equipment or hardware;

• projects by seniors which take place predominantly or exclusively after their graduation;

• faculty stipends for projects that are carried out during the academic year while classes are in session; or

• ordinary expenses to travel abroad (items such as passports, visas, immunizations, etc.).

Wondering what the CEL generally doesn’t want to fund?

Ordinarily, Odyssey FUNDING will be available only for Study Abroad experiences that include a specific, well-defined, distinctive, appropriate, and worthwhile Odyssey-worthy project. Simply enrolling in a foreign study program, while eligible for Odyssey credit, will not merit funding.

Budgets that include student or faculty remuneration should include the Hendrix share of FICA expenses (7.65% of gross salary). The recipient’s FICA expenses will be deducted from the gross salary.

Keep this in mind, too.

How much should I ask

for?

Patience is a virtue.

The CEL needs time to read each proposal and carefully weigh its merits. The CEL meets several times in the process before making a final determination.

The Committee on Faculty reviews the recommendations from the CEL before the decisions are released.

Allow at least three to four weeks for the Committee to announce its decision.

Is your cup half-full or half-empty?

Remember that not everyone gets funding, and not all of the funded projects receive 100% of the requested amount.

You need to have a backup plan!

You’ll get two letters from the Odyssey Office. One will let you know if your project has been approved for Odyssey Credit (the CEL only considers approved projects for funding). This will arrive within a week of the deadline.

The second letter will let you know the Committee’s decision. If you do receive funding, your letter will include a form for you to sign letting the Odyssey Office know if you choose to accept or to decline your award.

As the recipient of an Odyssey Grant, you may be asked to participate in Hendrix events, such as for the Office of Admission or for the Office of Advancement.

It is also likely that you will be interviewed for press releases or other articles about your experience.

Don’t forget….

You will need to turn in a Project Completion Form at the end of your experience. This will contain the wording that appears on your Odyssey Transcript.

Also, the Odyssey Office appreciates photography related to your experience.

Questions?

Go ahead and ask!

Good luck on your funding request!