2020-2021 Computer & Technology Fee
Call for Proposals for Non-Enrollment Based Units

Download a Copy of Call for Proposals for Non-Enrollment Based Units

Purpose

This document describes the process by which the central pool of computer technology fee funds will be allocated to offices and departments that have student-related technology needs that are not specific to enrollment-based units.

Temple University Computer Technology Fee

All registered students at Temple University pay a Computer & Technology Fee each semester. The fee is designed to provide funds for a spectrum of information technology services and resources that are integral to a student’s academic work and life at Temple University. Generally speaking, these resources include instructional technology, computer hardware and software in the classrooms and the computer labs, in-person and online consulting through the Help Desk and IT Services, network connectivity, and e-mail accounts and services.

Proceeds from the Technology Fee for FY2020/2021 are allocated to the Schools and Colleges for academic use using an enrollment-based formula, and to a central pool to fund technology for computer labs and other central academic technology. A third portion is allocated to a central pool, managed by the Vice President for Information Technology Services and CIO, to be used by offices and departments that have student-related technology needs that are not specific to enrollment-based units, such as Student Affairs, Center for Advancement of Teaching, Disability Resources, Alumni Affairs, Honors, etc. These departments are required to submit an annual request that will be project-oriented and will not supplant existing budget dollars.

Guidelines for Proposals

The Vice President for Information Technology Services and CIO hereby solicits proposals from the University community for projects that satisfy the following criteria (which should be addressed in the proposal):

1. The project should address one or more of the University’s high-priority needs to attract and retain students, improve the quality of education and learning, and enhance the urban and global experience;
2. Projects must directly benefit the academic experience, the quality of life or well-being, or the access to learning and resources of students at Temple, or support faculty in a way that directly benefits the learning experience of students.  Proposals that are for exploratory activities or lead to the development of a project will not be considered.
3. The project should creatively use information technology to improve the educational experience or well-being of a substantial number of students;
4. The project should provide new or enhanced educational services, rather than supplant existing funds that are already being spent on existing services;
5. The project should be an integral part of the long-range technology plans of the department or organization;
6. The project should be a high priority of the proposing unit. Special consideration will be given to proposals where the importance is established by the commitment of matching funds or in-kind contributions.
7. Projects should be designed to begin no later than September 30, 2021.  All funds should be expended by January 31, 2023 unless clearly disclosed in the proposal or approved by the Vice President for Computer Services and CIO before January 15, 2023.

Eligibility to Submit Proposals

Any University department that has student-related technology needs may submit a proposal providing that the proposal benefits students’ University-wide (or campus-wide) and is not specific to a school or college that receives a fixed technology fee allocation, although cross-college proposals will be considered. A proposal must include the names and signatures of the individual(s) who will lead the project as well as the budget unit head(s) of the unit responsible for approving the project and committing any matching funds or resources to support it.

Amounts of Awards

The maximum award for a technology project will be $50,000. More than one proposal may be submitted by an individual unit.

Proposals for multi-year projects will be considered, but each yearly project must be stand-alone and project approval will be for one year. The purpose of a multi-year proposal will be to demonstrate the innovative scope of the project and the long-term goals of the unit. Subsequent year funding will be dependent on the completion and success of the previous project(s) and competitive review.

Exclusions

To ensure that the maximum amount of available funds is used for resources and services that benefit students’ educational experience at Temple, units will not receive funds for ongoing salary costs (including graduate assistant support), proposal preparation expenses, or to supplant existing funds that are already being spent on existing services.   Because projects should directly benefit the academic experience of students at Temple, funds may not be used for projects that focus on research or on administrative support and operations. This program will not fund construction or other related activities such as moving walls or modifying physical spaces. Expenditures related to such construction can be used as part of matching funds for the project.

Proposals for upgrades or enhancements to previously awarded projects will not be considered.

Considerations

Technology implementation and services provided through the project must conform to all University policies and standards. This includes, as examples, authentication of access to computer systems, software licensing, wired and wireless network policies, security policies, etc.

Accountability

Should a proposal be funded, it is the responsibility of the unit receiving the award to collect and maintain an inventory of all technology items acquired. For hardware and devices, this is to include purchase details (PO, p-card, receipts), model and serial numbers, tags, etc. For software, this should include license agreements, license terms, and serial numbers.

Format and Requirements

All proposals must use the following format and meet the following requirements to be eligible for consideration:

1. Present the sections of the proposal in this order:

a. Title of the Project
b. Name of Department/Organization – Include Postal and building mailing address
c. Name, title, email address and unit of Project Director(s), and responsible parties for each of the units providing matching funds or committing resources to the project.
d. Summary – a brief paragraph that summarizes the project and proposal
e. Background and Rationale – a statement that communicates why the project is important, and how it directly benefits the students of Temple University,
f. Project Description – a clear, explicit description of the project including objectives, activities, deliverables, and expected benefits for specific groups of students. Include a discussion of the University Goal(s) to which the project is tied and specific objectives of the project
g. Implementation Plan – list of the major tasks showing who has to complete them and when they have to be completed for the successful implementation of the project,
h. Evaluation Plan – plan for evaluating how well the project achieves its stated objectives. This can be done by answering questions in the proposal such as, “What will you define as a successful outcome of this funding?”, and “how will you measure this outcome?”. (The evaluation results are to be included in the Project Progress/Completion Reports).
i. Ongoing Support – Statement of how the sponsoring unit(s) will provide ongoing support for the project after the technology fee funds have been used, including plans for funding any subsequent required hardware/software maintenance and upgrades.
j. Budget – Budget details for equipment and software, personnel (salary and wages), and other costs (e.g. supplies, publications) required to implement the proposed project. Budget details for equipment and software should include details about the item and a potential source for purchase and the item’s cost. For each budget entry, show the specific source of funding (e.g. Tech Fee, department or unit match, or external sources).

               The budget totals should also be included in the General Information section of the proposal submission.

1. For projects that include the development of hardware, software components, databases, or website components by consultants or contractors, the following are required to be included:

a). a detailed design of the implementation you plan,
b). a comprehensive scope and detail of work to be undertaken by the consultants on your project including a specific timeline,
c).  a list of the consultants by name, company, and role,
d).  a detailed budget for work by consultants, including the number of hours for each task, and the responsible person for the task,
e).  a letter of commitment from each consultant and partner for the task and the cost. This includes in-kind staff technical assistance.
f). Such projects must be for the development of specialized applications that directly impact the student experience. Projects that are simply for a website design or re-design will not be considered.

2. Projects that request support for “software-as-a-service” and cloud-based services, including TUCloud, are welcome, but funding will be limited to one-year of services.

3. It is encouraged that you seek out technical assistance from your local support provider or Computer Services in advance of proposal submission.

4.  For projects addressed in 1) above, if you require technical advice or assistance in developing this component of your project plan, please contact Gene Kwatny (gkwatny@temple.edu) or Susan Hyer (shyer@temple.edu). Technical staff will be available to discuss options and considerations in your design or consultant activities.

k. Projected Lifespan – Include details on how long the technology for the project is projected to last and acknowledge that the unit will provide a replacement or phase-out process at end-of-life.

2. The proposals should be submitted through the Tech Fee project submission website (https://sites.temple.edu/techfeeproposals/proposal-submission/)
3. Proposals should be limited to 3 pages plus the attachments listed in 1.j and 4 and 5 below.
4. Include letters or other information that endorse or support the proposed project.
   1. Letters from constituents (especially students) supporting the project are required. Do not submit letters of support from staff or subordinates within the proposing units.
   2. If other units, or personnel from other units, are to be involved in the project, letters confirming their agreement and resource commitment to participate must be included.
5. If you have submitted your proposal or a similar proposal to other internal or external funding agencies, attach a list of those potential sources of support with the funds you’ve requested.   If you have already received support for this proposal or a similar proposal, list those sources with the funds you’ve received. Proposed projects that have other committed funding sources will receive priority consideration.

Evaluation Process

A Computer Technology Fee Committee will review all proposals and forward its recommendations to Vice President and CIO Cindy Leavitt and Provost Joanne Epps for final approval. Proposals will be judged by how well they satisfy each of the criteria listed in the guidelines. Projects should improve the quality of education for students by focusing on information literacy, technology-based student services, applications of technology, or enhanced services.

Progress/Project Completion Reports

A progress report addressing the status of the project, and the use of awarded funds is required to be submitted at the next, and subsequent, “call for proposals” until the project is complete.

A project completion report is required when the project has been completed. The project completion report should include details of the functionality of the implemented project and outcomes, their impact and evaluation. It must also include a breakdown of the specific use of the funds, i.e., a final expenditure summary. (Subsequent funding for Technology Fee projects will be dependent on submitted  Project Progress and Completion reports.)

Progress Report submissions are performed at Technology Fee Progress Report Submission.

Deadline for Submission

Proposals are to be submitted via the Non-Enrollment Tech Fee Program website no later than March 31, 2021. A signed (electronic signatures are acceptable) summary page including the signature of the budget unit head committing funds or in-kind commitments must be submitted as part of the proposal documents.