Call for Course-Based Project Proposals
99-520 Experiential Learning Through Projects
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected CMU-Q students’ access to summer research and real-world opportunities. For Summer 2021, CMU-Q will be providing a set of course-based projects aimed at providing students with the opportunity to engage in experiential learning through interdisciplinary projects or research under faculty oversight.
These remote courses will be offered tuition-free under the 99-520 course listing for undergraduates.
Faculty members will be funded additionally for designing and delivering these courses (details below).
There may be up to four (4) 99-520 courses approved for summer 2021 at CMU-Q.
Proposed course projects should have as few prerequisites as possible. Prerequisites and preferred student audiences will need to be noted on the proposal. Preference will be given to those proposals that are interdisciplinary.
In the spirit of collaboration, CMU-Q’s 99-520 courses will be open for enrollment to Pittsburgh undergraduate students, and vice-versa.
There are two trajectories of courses under the 99-520 heading: (1) Courses can focus on providing research experiences in which students work collaboratively on projects to create new knowledge in a particular research area; or (2) Courses can focus on projects that allow students to apply their academic training and skills to practical problems or issues (and may include working with an external partner; please contact Faten El Ayache (felayach@andrew.cmu.edu) in the CDO for additional details about this possibility).
Courses should align with one of the following sets of learning outcomes:
| Research-focus | Project-focus |
| Courses will have students engage in a collaborative and individuated process to address a research question, problem, or hypothesis. | Courses will identify ways to engage and apply academic theories or skills to a practical problem or issue. |
| Course research will contribute to a broader body of knowledge. | Courses will identify and develop skills needed to approach and tackle a practical problem or issue. |
| Course research will teach appropriate research methodologies to allow engagement in the research project. | Courses will have students explain their contributions of knowledge and skill when tackling a practical problem or issue. |
| Courses will have students analyze the intersection of academic training and skills in problem-solving an issue. |
All courses proposed should be for 9 units.
- Each unit will require 15 hours of work for students
- The 9-unit course should comprise 135 hours of work, including any instruction time
Courses should be offered in one of the three summer options:
- Summer One: May 18 – June 24 (28 days) (RO or IPO teaching options**)
- Summer Two: July 6 – August 12 (23 days)* (RO or IPO teaching options**)
- Summer All: May 18 – August 12 (51 days)* (RO or IPO teaching options**)
- *Note: Eid Al Adha will occur around July 19 so for the entire week of July 18-22 there will be no instruction
- **Note: Professors may choose to plan for some of the sessions to be offered remotely even though the modality is listed as IPO. For this summer, in an IPO mode, students must attend classes in person.
Faculty will be compensated additionally, as follows:
- $10,000 activity pay when they are the sole instructor for the course
- $7500/$7500 when two faculty co-teach the course
- $5000/$5000/$5000 when three faculty co-teach the course
- Note: no individual faculty can be compensated for more than one 99-520 course
Course proposals should be submitted by the end of the day on Thursday, March 18, 2021 using this link:
CMU-Q Experiential Learning Through Projects Course Proposal 99-520
Questions may be directed to Hope Rodefer, Director for Educational Initiatives (rodefer@qatar.cmu.edu)