Advisory Council on Instructional Excellence (ACIE)
Thursday, October 3, 2025 | 1-2 p.m. (Zoom)
Minutes
Attendees: T. Bayles, J. Coons, B. Falcione, J. Hart (staff liaison), K. Heffernan, O. Klimova, J. Martinson, M. Meyer, M. Norman, J. Radzilowicz (Interim Chair), E. Votruba-Drzal
Not present: J. Ghilani, B. Keown, L. Tsoukas, A. Tuttle (staff liaison)
John Radzilowicz called the meeting to order at 1:03 p.m. and welcomed the members. The October minutes were approved unanimously on a motion by Marie Norman, seconded by Jeremy Martinson.
Innovation in Education Awards
1. Review the comments on the draft call for proposals before the Dec. 8 release. The following items need edits and will require another review.
- It is unclear whether the translational aspect of the provost’s charge is clear; language will be added to prioritize proposals that translate learning research into practice.
- The Council discussed the use of ‘grant’ versus ‘award’ and concluded that both terms can be used as long as their usage remains consistent.
- Eligibility for resubmission of previously unfunded proposals will be limited to three years.
- The language will clarify and emphasize that the ACIE conducts the review process and that consulting with the Teaching Center is strongly recommended.
- Clarify language that highlights that award funding supports faculty professional development; student involvement may be included when appropriate.
- Additional materials and appendices will no longer be considered for evaluation to ensure fairness.
- Letters of support will be limited to two.
- The clause allowing external reviewers will be removed; informal consultation may be conducted with subject-matter experts.
- Add to the ‘Notifications’ section that non-selected applicants can request feedback via email.
2. Award funding and timeline review
The approved budget for the awards is $100,000. Awards typically range from $5,000 to $12,000, with some rare awards reaching up to $20,000. The key dates were reviewed, and John and Joy will confirm any necessary adjustments and revisit them at the February meeting, where we can discuss more details of the review process.
Follow-up from October Meeting
The December meeting will focus on Teach@Pitt. Development of the OMET framework continues. ACIE recommends seeking advice from the University General Counsel regarding their proposed language, who can assist in crafting the correct wording. John confirmed that student involvement is already part of OMET’s framework development process. The projected rollout is scheduled for the spring term of 2026.
The meeting adjourned at 1:57 p.m.