Passer Award Committee Consent Agenda Spring 2024

Rick Moog helped to pass updates at ExComm in March to update language for the award and for budgeting with award. Updated language is below:

REQUEST FOR APPROVAL

The Passer Committee requests approval to apply the following guidelines to awards funded by the Passer Fund:

1. The limit for an individual award is $1,200.
2. The total amount awarded in a fiscal year is about $6,000.
3. Any exceptions to these limits must be approved by the Treasurer and reported to the Executive Committee.

The Passer Committee will review these guidelines at least every three years and request approval for any proposed changes. 

CONTEXT AND RELEVANT INFORMATION:

Mission and Vision of the Passer Fund:

Mission: The Fund grants for teachers at two- and four-year colleges or universities that do not have any advanced degree programs in the chemical sciences.

Vision: To provide support for faculty in small programs and who are somewhat isolated from others in their discipline. Eligible activities include professional development activities such as workshops related to enhancement of teaching skills that take the applicant away from his/her home institution.

Eligibility:

• Applicants must be members of the Division of Chemical Education for at least 60 days prior to application.
• Only for individuals not groups; applicant must teach chemistry or chemical technology as a full-time faculty member at an undergraduate 2- or 4-year US college that does not have a graduate program in chemical sciences.
• Awards are for activities such as ACS short courses and professional development workshops. The fund does not support (among other things) registration for national, regional, or local meetings; the committee has interpreted this to mean that the fund can not be used to support attendance at BCCE. 

Financial Information

Current balance of Passer Fund: $170,000 [Past 5 years: $155,000 to $175,000]

Current estimated Annual Income: $8,880

Investment return

            Current: 5.92% annual            10 years: 3.94% annual yield

Note that $6,000 represents 3.53% of current balance of $170,000. It is also 3.87% of the lowest balance of $155,000 from the past five years. This demonstrates the long-term viability of the $6,000 target for annual awards as this amount is less than the long-term annual yield of 3.94%.

 Committee met on 2/23/24 and on 6/18/2024 to work on the following tasks:

1. Presentation to BCCE to share out mission and vision of award, committee responsibilities, and to advertise to help more people apply for award
2. Need to update Passer award webpage and operational manual to reflect approved changes noted above.

3. Sent information on award to the POGIL Project, 2YC3, and Beyond Benign to help encourage more applications for award as listed below. Also shared language with Resa Kelly and others within division.

   Niina Ronkainen and Jamie Schneider are co-chairs of the ACS Passer Award Committee. We are trying to get the word out about our award that can fund professional development workshops like the ones that your organization offers. This fund does not fund travel to national meetings. 

   ACS Dorothy and Moses Passer Education Grants: https://divched.org/award/dorothy-and-moses-passer-education-grants

   Mission: The Fund grants for teachers at two- and four-year colleges or universities that do not have any advanced degree programs in the chemical sciences.

   Vision: To provide support for faculty in small programs and who are somewhat isolated from others in their discipline. Eligible activities include professional development activities such as workshops related to enhancement of teaching skills that take the applicant away from his/her home institution. The professional development activities cannot be virtual. Due dates: January 1; April 1; September 1 of each year. 

   1)    The limit for an individual award is $1,200.

   2)    The total amount awarded in a fiscal year is about $6,000.

   Eligibility:

   Applicants must be members of the Division of Chemical Education for at least 60 days prior to application. 

   Only for individuals not groups; applicant must teach chemistry or chemical technology as a full-time faculty member at an undergraduate 2- or 4-year US college that does not have a graduate program in chemical sciences.

   Awards are for activities such as ACS short courses and professional development workshops. The fund does not support (among other things) registration for national, regional, or local meetings; the committee has interpreted this to mean that the fund can not be used to support attendance at BCCE.

   If you are so willing, please feel free to advertise this funding opportunity along with workshops that you offer.

4. Have not received any applications for Jan 1 or April 1 deadlines.
5. Rick will investigate to find original language of award. Questions on virtual workshop interpretation and award deadlines. Can Jan 1 be moved to Feb 15?