Course Connections

About

Faculty and instructional staff play an integral role in helping students develop their cultural values and their life-long relationship to the arts. Course Connections funding supports faculty and staff from all three campuses who are seeking to incorporate arts-based learning activities into the curriculum of any undergraduate course at U-M. Students often indicate that their “most meaningful arts experience” at U-M occurred when a professor took the class to see a performance, visit an exhibition, or meet with a visiting artist.

Up to $750 may be obtained through Course Connection grants to support course-related arts learning activities. These funds may be used for admissions to museums and performances, workshops by visiting artists, and course projects, such as theatrical performances, exhibitions, etc. For projects that are integrated into more than one course, funding of up to $1000 will be considered. Please note: Grant funds cannot be used to pay for refreshments.

Note: Each faculty member may only apply for project funding twice each semester.

Who may apply?

Any faculty member, staff member, or graduate student instructor from all three U-M campuses may apply for Course Connection funding!

For additional funding, consult our list of Other Sources available for both undergraduate and graduate classes.

Course Connections Feedback

Feedback is the most important way we learn about the progress of programs we funded. There are two feedback forms: a faculty feedback form for those who applied for funding, and a student feedback form for those who participated in the funded activity, as audience members, visitors and participants.

Funding Process

If granted funding, we will request the appropriate financial chartfields from your departmental administrator. Funds will be transferred directly from Arts Initiative to your department and a record of the transfer will be sent to the administrator. Please allow 4 weeks from the time you apply to complete this process. Applying early is the best way to receive your funds on time!

We ask you to incorporate the Arts Initiative logo in any printed or web material (flyers, posters, programs, websites, etc.) associated with your Course Connections funded activity. Logos can be obtained from our marketing page.

You and the student participants will also will be asked to complete brief Course Connections feedback forms. These forms allow us to continue our grant funding programs.

When planning ongoing or annual activities for your classes, speak with your department about incorporating those elements into the curriculum and/or being supported by course or lab fees. Course Connections is designed to fund activities that will complement the core curriculum and expand upon the traditional classroom experience. If an activity is a mandatory or central element in the curriculum for a recurring course, it may not be the best fit for Course Connections funding.

Applying

  1. Apply online through the Course Connections Application Form
  2. Complete all fields
  3. For those needing transportation funding as well, please be sure to mention this under the “Activity Costs” section of the online form

If you have additional questions please contact Joe Levickas at levickas@umich.edu.

Get Arts Initiative Logos

Arts Initiative provides many opportunities for funding student projects, student organization projects, arts initiatives and faculty activities. If you've been funded by us, please include our logo on your marketing and distribution material.

Deadlines

Course Connections applications will now be accepted and reviewed at five deadlines throughout the academic year (see dates below), and a limited amount of funds is available each round. Applications may be submitted at any time, but will be reviewed the week after the closest application deadline. Recipients will receive notification of funding no later than the listed notification date. To be eligible during a cycle, your application must be received before the application date of that cycle, and your proposed event/activity must be scheduled for a date after the Notification date. We are not able to fund retroactively.

Application Deadline Notification Date
Friday, August 9, 2024 Monday, August 19, 2024
Friday, September 20, 2024 Monday, September 30, 2024
Friday, December 6, 2024 Monday, December 20, 2024**
Friday, January 24, 2025 Monday, February 7, 2025**
Friday, February 21, 2025 Monday, March 7, 2025**

**Note that the notification deadlines for some of these cycles have been pushed back slightly to allow more time for application review. If you have questions about Course Connections, please contact Joe Levickas at levickas@umich.edu.