Governors State University (GSU) enthusiastically invites applications for the 2024 Institutional Engagement and Excellence (IEE) Mini-Grant. In keeping with GSU’s mission, we have dedicated $25,000.00 in institutional grant funding to “demonstrate inclusiveness and diversity to encourage acceptance of wide-ranging perspectives among students, staff, faculty, and members of the broader community” and our institutional commitment to fostering Institutional Engagement and Excellence (IEE) across the GSU community, and the goals and objectives of the Strategy 2025.
The Office of Institutional Engagement and Excellence have created five (5) IEE Mini-Grants up to $5,000.00 to individuals or groups to support efforts by GSU’s faculty, staff, and student organizations that strive to help GSU become a “model for belonging, inclusivity, and equity in a diverse community.” This initiative serves two purposes: (1) provide seed funding to conduct projects, research projects, resource development, programming, and initiatives that focus on advancing equity and inclusion, belonging, and dismantling racism in its many forms, especially as it relates to teaching and learning environment and (2) to support cross-institutional capacity, mentorship, and community-building in the areas of institutional engagement and excellence.
The IEE Mini-Grants align with four (4) main IEE focus areas and support innovative and GSU community-focus efforts in these areas:
Students
Improve recruitment, retention, persistence, completion, and advancement of students from historically underrepresented communities.
Employees
Improve the recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty and staff from historically underrepresented communities
Curriculum
Support inclusive excellence within the formal curriculum and with our co-curricular and extra-curricular experiences.
Community
Engage with our alumni and with local, national, and international communities to encourage the pursuit of inclusive excellence beyond the boundaries of GSU.