INTRODUCTION This publication is designed to answer a question often asked of the Bureau of Higher Education: "Just what does the Bureau do?" The answer, broadly put, is simple: The Bureau of Higher Education administers A number of programs directly related to Federal funds are intended to supplement* SUPPORT OF INSTITUTIONS Instructional Improvement The Bureau of Higher Education administers 12 programs in support of colleges and universities to assist them in improving the quality of their instruction: Support of Developing Institutions National Teaching Fellowships Institutional Assistance Grants Foreign Studies Extension Special Summer Programs in Language and Area Studies NDEA Language and Area Centers Overseas Study by Faculty of NDEA Centers Visits by Foreign Specialists Research and Study Abroad Undergraduate Equipment Faculty Development in Educational Media Support of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities Support of Developing Institutions (Higher Education Act, Title III) The Office of Education assists developing colleges and universities which have both the desire and the potential to make a significant contribution to higher education but are limited in their resources, particularly financial. Aid is provided such promising, usually smaller, institutions in the form of support of cooperative agreements among themselves, between the developing institutions and better established institutions, or between 72-953 - 67 - 18 the developing institutions and other agencies with whom they can share resources of value. Grants under this program may be used to achieve a higher academic quality through programs of faculty improvement and exchange, visiting senior scholars, student exchange, and introduction of new curriculum materials and cooperative work-study programs. For further information: Division of College Support National Teaching Fellowships (Higher Education Act, Title III) The National Teaching Fellowship Program makes it possible for highly qualified graduate students and junior faculty members from other colleges and universities to serve in approved developing institutions. The developing institutions concerned nominate candidates whose qualifications match their specific needs for a period of teaching not to exceed two academic years. A fellow receives a stipend of up to $6,500 an academic year, plus $400 for each dependent. For further information: Division of College Support Institutional Assistance Grants (Higher Education Act, Title V-C) The Institutional Assistance Grant Program provides funds on a cost-sharing basis to assist institutions of higher education in developing and strengthening graduate teacher training programs. Grant funds may be expended over periods of one to three years for faculty, library, curriculum development, and program evaluation. Institutions participating in either the Prospective Teacher Fellowship Program or the Experienced Teacher Fellowship Program (see pages 23 and 29) are eligible to apply. Institutional assistance grants are in addition to the $2,500 a year which is received by these institutions for each prospective or experienced teacher fellowship allocated to them. For further information: Division of Graduate Programs Foreign Studies Extension (Fulbright-Hays Act, Section 102 (b) (6), and Public Law 83-480) Grants are provided to support such overseas activities by American institutions of higher education as acquiring research and teaching materials and establishing centers for advanced study and research. Specific projects may include visits, seminars, and study in foreign countries by professors, administrators, curriculum supervisors, and teachers to increase their skill in language and their knowledge of other cultures. Emphasis is placed upon the initiative of each institution in planning and proposing the particular form of project that will best serve its needs. The basic criteria for approval of a project are: (1) The project must support foreign language or area studies in such fields as anthropology, comparative education, economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology throughout American education by means of overseas activities; (2) it must be an integral part of the total language or area studies program of the responsible institution. The Federal share of the cost varies with the type of project and the area. For further information: Division of Foreign Studies Special Summer Programs in Language and Area Studies (National Defense Education Act, Title VI) The Office of Education contracts with institutions of higher education for special intensive summer programs offering graduate study in area and language and undergraduate study in language only. The Federal share may be as much as 50 percent. For further information: Division of Foreign Studies NDEA Language and Area Centers (National Defense Education Act, Title VI) To assist in establishing and operating centers for graduate and undergraduate language and related area studies, the Federal government may contract with colleges and universities to pay as much as 50 percent of the cost of such projects. Languages are those needed by education, government, business, or industry in the United States. Area studies are those which contribute to full understanding of the regions or countries in which a particular language is commonly used. Pertinent to these studies are disciplines such as anthropology, economics, geography, history, linguistics, literature, philosophy, political science, and sociology. For further information: Division of Foreign Studies Overseas Study by Faculty of NDEA Centers (Fulbright-Hays Act, Section 102 (b) (6)) Experienced faculty members of NDEA language and area centers who have a doctoral degree or the equivalent may be authorized grants for overseas study when nominated by their institutions. Projects are usually in research relating to the economic, social, or cultural problems of specific areas, or in linguistic research and the development of teaching materials for nonWestern languages. Stipends for periods of two to twelve months are individually computed and based generally on the recipient's salary, the length of the award, and the number of his dependents. The cost of travel for dependents is not provided. For further information: Division of Foreign Studies Visits by Foreign Specialists (Fulbright-Hays Act, Section 102 (b) (6)) Ten-month grants are authorized for foreign curriculum specialists to visit colleges and universities, State Departments of Education, or local school systems. |