Academics

      Proposals being accepted for diversity and inclusion initiatives at Penn State

      The Equal Opportunity Planning Committee invites faculty and staff to apply for funding for projects that help create and support a climate of equity

      UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Equal Opportunity Planning Committee (EOPC) invites Penn State faculty and staff to submit proposals for EOPC funding to support the University’s diversity, inclusion and equity efforts and advance the University’s strategic plan (see “Advancing Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity”) with investments in programs and ideas.

      The deadline to submit proposals for summer 2022 is Friday, Dec. 10.

      The deadline to submit proposals for the 2022–23 academic year is Friday, Jan. 21, 2022.

      Funding from EOPC is intended to provide seed money for innovative pilot programs and existing initiatives that help create and support a climate of equity throughout Penn State. EOPC proposals are reviewed by volunteers who represent different campuses and units.

      Over the 2021-22 EOPC cycle, 33 initiatives were funded from eight different funding categories including:

      • campus climate
      • curriculum
      • faculty and staff recruiting
      • faculty and staff retention
      • leadership development
      • student recruiting
      • student retention and graduation
      • organizational change

      To view a full list of funded projects as well as the abstracts from the proposals, visit the EOPC website.

      Interested participants may visit the new “Equal Opportunity Planning Committee” SharePoint site, which has replaced the EOPC Box folder. To access this SharePoint site, you must be logged in with your Penn State credentials.

      This site contains two workshops to assist faculty and staff with submitting proposals. In the “EOPC Proposal Writing Workshop,” participants will learn about EOPC program funding and proposal components. The “Introduction to Assessment for Co-curricular Programs Workshop” reviews how to craft explicit program goals and outcomes (with measurement).

      The Equal Opportunity Planning Committee SharePoint site also contains a link to the EOPC proposal form, important dates and deadlines, example proposals, information for proposal reviewers, frequently asked questions and much more.

      The Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity will review proposal drafts to provide feedback in advance of submission deadlines as time and capacity permits.

      Access the link to the proposal form via our website or the EOPC SharePoint site. Questions may be emailed to eopc@psu.edu.

      Last Updated August 19, 2021

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