How is your Registration Fee Used?
On the Cutting Edge charges registration fees that are designed to recoup partial costs of the workshops. These fees pay for on-site costs, leadership and management costs, and contribute to the cost of creating and maintaining the Cutting Edge website. For some workshops, these fees include participants room, local transportation and board. Often participants have the opportunity to upgrade their lodging or to join a workshop or other associated activity for an additional fee.
During the Interval 2002 to 2015 On the Cutting Edge has received funding from the National Science Foundation first as part of the Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program and more recently as part of Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM Program. When the project was brand new, NSF fully supported the project implementation costs and provided funds for participants room and board (travel has always been supported by participants or their institutions). As the project has matured and become a recognized part of the geoscience community professional development offerings, NSF has decreased its support and asked the project to recoup partial costs from participants.
While it is essential that participants contribute to the financial support of the program, Cutting Edge and NAGT are committed to making the program available to all faculty regardless of their ability to pay. To this end, participants who need financial support can apply for stipends.
Why do NAGT members receive a discount?
NAGT and the On the Cutting Edge program have created a partnership to sustain the workshop program and website into the future. We are working together to develop a funding strategy for a program that will include
- annual offerings of workshops for 1) early career faculty and 2) post-docs and graduate students pursuing academic careers;
- a flexible program of face-to-face and virtual activities designed to address current issues in teaching as well as those at the departmental level that will generate new website content
- annual workshop offerings at the annual GSA meeting and AGU meetings
- travel support for workshop leaders to bring the results of national workshops to NAGT and GSA section meetings, regional gatherings of faculty, individual departments and institutions, or other appropriate venues, and
- ongoing maintenance of the website
Beginning in 2013 NSF funding for the Cutting Edge program has been reduced by 50%. NAGT member dues are being used to support workshop programming and website development and NAGT members, leadership and staff are working together with the Cutting Edge leadership to manage the program. The NAGT member discount reflects the contributions of NAGT members to the program. NSF funding for this program will cease in 2015. We encourage all who value the program to join NAGT as a mechanism for ensuring its continuation.
Who else is supporting the NAGT On the Cutting Edge program?
In addition to NSF funding, NAGT member support, and participant fees, Cutting Edge currently receives support from the Geological Society of America, American Geophysical Union, and from individuals who donate to the NAGT Professional Development fund. We are working to garner support from other professional societies in the geosciences and others who benefit from the programs contributions to highest quality undergraduate education in the geosciences. If your group is interested in learning more, please contact Cathy Manduca (cmanduca at carleton.edu). The annual cost of the program is approximately $450,000.