Supplemental Course Expenses

Instructors may request course supplies, speakers, or technologies to support best practices for teaching and enhancing learning in their courses. 

Prior to each semester, faculty are surveyed to identify their service, supply, and technology needs. These are reviewed and approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Typical requests for course-related supplies and services are office supplies, software licenses for students or instructional teams, subject fees for course-related lab experiments, and technology for teaching. Last-minute requests are discouraged.

Note that if you are requiring students to purchase books or other publications, we are contractually obligated to provide these to the Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) for free. These items should also be requested through this process.

Please see below for policy on course costs and the process for submitting a request. Questions regarding requests for support for class-related expenses should be umsi.suppcourseexpense@umich.edu. 

The items listed below are intended to clarify what expenses UMSI will cover in relation to supplemental course expenses and include:

• Course Materials

• Course Events

• Immersive Experiences and Regular Course Travel

• Guest Speakers and Facilitators

• Datasets

• Poster Printing

• Student-Incurred Project Expenses

• Prohibited Expenses

• Request and Review Process

• Suggested Syllabus Text Inclusions

See below the list of request types for information on how to submit individual requests.

1. Course Materials

   1. Instructors may request that UMSI purchase special materials needed to deliver a course. This can include (and is not limited to) items ranging from office supplies to specific technologies related to the class. Tangible items that are purchased for a one time use are strongly encouraged to be returned to the UMSI Engagement Center for storage and re-use in other classes and for student projects.

   2. See this list for existing materials that you can use at any time. https://shorturl.at/TaUhd. Use of existing materials is strongly encouraged. 

   3. Specific to software requests:

      1. Before submitting a request for software, please first review the UM Software Directory to learn which software is already available for students:  https://software.umich.edu/

      2. A large number of UMSI specific-classroom tools are documented at https://umich.instructure.com/courses/397708 under Modules: Technology for Teaching. 

      3. All other software should be requested from https://help.si.umich.edu. Note that certain software is regulated by student privacy laws and may not be purchased for student use.

Submit requests for course materials at https://forms.gle/t6TqkxLL81cZKkfaA

See below for information on the supplemental course expense request process and timeline.

2. Course Events (outside of Exposition)

   1. Faculty and program managers are encouraged to reduce the redundancy of poster fairs, monetary competitions, or similar exhibitions, and direct students to present at the annual Exposition via the Engaged Learning Office. As a result, costs for poster and exhibition events held as part of or outside of class will not be eligible for support from UMSI supplemental course expense funds. Faculty will be contacted at the end of each term to provide an option for the students in their course to present at Exposition in April.

   2. Faculty who wish to incorporate a competition in their class, especially with monetary awards are discouraged from this, but if feel strongly should work with the Engaged Learning Office in concert with their other programming efforts.

   3. Faculty with access to RESIN or gift funds have the discretion to pay for special course events under the normal restrictions of such funds

3. Immersive Experiences, Field Trips, and Regular Course Transportation

Costs for immersive experiences in which students travel into the field may be covered by School funds. 

1. Faculty are encouraged to first look at visiting organizations that are within walking distance of campus.  

2. Expenses must be reasonable; airfare will not be paid for for course trips for the entire class. (See Student-Incurred Project Expenses for individual and team trip funding.)

3. Ground transportation requests should be limited to $3000 per event. This would include the cost of bus/van/car rental and parking, and snacks if allowed.

4. For courses that have regular travel as part of the experience, the faculty member should have a pre-discussion with the ADAA or ELO Director to ensure that such a component is suitable for a course supplement request. Funding to support a regular travel experience to a location will need to be justified by an enhanced learning experience aligned with the course objectives.

5. Individual student transportation costs will not be reimbursed for situations in which the students cannot travel with the larger group.

6. Faculty may consult with the Engaged Learning Office on suggestions for visits, transportation options, etc

7. Note that peak travel times require advance planning; early in the semester and around spring break are times in which buses, cars, etc are difficult to obtain or costs are at a premium.

8. For trips greater than three hours, snack costs may be supplemented.

Submit requests for immersive experiences such as company visit, field trips, or regular course travel expenses at https://forms.gle/RMs15h8MytVWXBso7

See below for information on the supplemental course expense request process and timeline.

4. Guest Speakers and Facilitators

Inviting people to speak to your class is a valuable activity that can support student learning. Funding for guest speakers will be provided based on the criteria associated with the level of preparation for the talk, span of audience, and the background/industry of the speaker.

In all cases, guest speakers will be provided with a UMSI gift, a parking pass, and information on where to park.

1. People from the for-profit industry who come to a class to speak about their company, career path, or work experiences are not paid for their experiences. 

2. People from the public or non-profit sector who come to a class to speak about their organization, career path, or work experience will be paid $150 for a speaking experience.

3. People who come to a class to teach supplemental course content that requires the creation of new educational content and/or materials will be paid an hourly fee for their preparation time and speaking time, between $50 to $75 per hour.

4. Faculty can request speaker fees (see b and c) up to five times per class per semester.

5. Faculty with access to RESIN or gift funds have the discretion to pay guest speakers under the normal restrictions of such funds.

6. University of Michigan employees are not allowed to be paid an honorarium for speaking through RESIN or gift funds.

7. Speakers who provide educational content as part of their business (as a professional facilitator) should provide a contract and invoice and be paid through U-M Procurement.

8. Honorarium and Travel: UMSI may pay an honorarium/speaker fee and travel fees if that person is giving a public talk available to all members of the school. Travel will not be paid for people only speaking to a class of students. All travel must adhere to university guidelines. Faculty can use a RESIN or Gift fund to pay for travel otherwise.

9. ELO staff can be requested for workshops at https://forms.gle/qez2JN4QAtC93VQt5 at least two weeks, ideally one month prior to the need.

Submit requests for course guest speakers at https://forms.gle/RMs15h8MytVWXBso7

See below for information on the supplemental course expense request process and timeline.

5. Datasets

The Engaged Learning Office (ELO) works with external partners to identify and purchase useful datasets for Kaggle competitions, independent course-related data analysis projects, and more. Requests should be submitted two to three months in advance of use case; fulfillment of request is not guaranteed due to a variety of contractual and access reasons, and the ELO may provide public dataset recommendations instead. Purchased datasets will be added to the UMSI Dataset Index.

Submit requests for datasets at least two to three months in advance of use case at https://forms.gle/VbhtjHiDiLF5Vdzo7

See below for information on the supplemental course expense request process and timeline.

6. Poster Printing

If your course requires students to print posters to showcase or demonstrate work publicly,  such as Exposition, students should be offered the opportunity to apply for financial support for the cost of printing. UMSI is not able to provide funding nor administrative support for all posters to be printed. Please include the following text in your syllabus to share with students the process for obtaining poster printing funding:

Syllabus Text: Poster Printing Financial Support

This course requires a poster to be printed for an exhibition purpose. At UMSI, the standard poster size is 48” (horizontally) x 36” (vertically). The current cost to print a poster via Campus Computing in a 48” x 36” size is $16.80. UMSI understands that this additional cost may be an unexpected financial challenge. If you or your team requires financial assistance for poster printing please complete this form. The Engaged Learning Office will provide all students that request financial assistance with funding to support poster printing.

7. Student-Incurred Project Expenses

The Engaged Learning Office offers financial support for students and student teams working on engaged learning projects within the curriculum. This includes BSI/MADS capstone projects, MSI mastery course projects, other client-based course projects, and co-curricular ELO and UMSI programs. 

Students and teams can receive funding for project transportation and user research incentives; other requests may be considered, and students are encouraged to inquire about their needs. Preference is given to students/teams working with community-based organizations that cannot provide financial support for certain aspects of the project. Include this text in your syllabus:

Syllabus Text: Funding Opportunities for Engaged Learning Course Projects

The Engaged Learning Office (ELO) offers financial support for students and student teams working on engaged learning projects in the curriculum. This includes BSI capstone projects, applied mastery course projects, other client-based course projects, and co-curricular ELO and UMSI programs. Preference is given to students/teams working with community-based organizations who cannot provide financial support for certain aspects of the project, including user research, transportation, etc. Students and student teams are encouraged to inquire about other needs by emailing the Engaged Learning Office. Students can learn more and apply at this link. 

8. Prohibited Expenses 

UMSI will not pay for the following items:

1. Food for class events or meetings

2. Monetary awards or prizes for class-only student competitions

3. Student materials that would be under their normal educational expenses (books, posters, computers, personal educational supplies

Request and Review Process

Forms: (also listed above)

• Requests for supplemental course materials purchase: https://forms.gle/t6TqkxLL81cZKkfaA

• Request for course guest speakers support: https://forms.gle/RMs15h8MytVWXBso7

• Request for dataset purchases: https://forms.gle/VbhtjHiDiLF5Vdzo7

Request timeline:

• Course supplies (books, materials, etc) should be submitted one (1) month prior to term start (preferable), or the date needed in the course

• Software and hardware should be submitted one (1) month prior to term start (preferable) or date needed

  • These requests will be evaluated in collaboration with SI Computing Services; certain requests may not be possible to be fulfilled for proprietary reasons. Hardware that is purchased remains property of the school and should be returned to the AADA for potential reuse.

  • See this list for a list of available resources: https://shorturl.at/TaUhd

Most requests should be submitted one month prior to the start of class (or in alignment with the data associated with.) See the individual request types for more specific information on requests and response.  Requests for field trip transportation funding and coordination should be submitted as soon as possible, ideally one to three months in advance of the field trip.

Please send questions to umsi.suppcourseexpense@umich.edu.

Additional Suggested Syllabus Text Inclusions

Share Your Work at Exposition

All UMSI students are invited to present a poster at the Annual UMSI Exposition on Monday, April 21, 2025. Students can submit their project information to the Engaged Learning Office in December 2024 and March 2025 and confirm their project details in early April 2025. 

For courses where students can choose their project topic, it is encouraged to align projects with the Exposition theme categories: Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Access, Belonging, and Inclusion; Community and Civic Engagement; and the 2025-25 Theme Year Topic (Future of Work). Top awards will be given to students/teams in the BSI Capstone, MSI Mastery Courses, specific MHI courses, and the MADS Capstone course. Participating students and teams are required to attend a pre-Exposition Preparation Workshop. For more information, email umsi.engagement@umich.edu.

Client-Based Course Representation Guidance on Resume and Professional Documents

Students who participate in client-engaged learning opportunities should be mindful of how they represent their work with clients on resumes, portfolios, and social media sites, such as LinkedIn. Project work with an external client should not be listed as paid work, consulting, or an internship. Instead, such projects should be included under a Course Project or Academic Project section (not under Employment). Misrepresenting course project work as employment is deceitful and may jeopardize future employment opportunities, especially for international students. Students are encouraged to consult with the UMSI Career Development Office for specific guidance on wording and formatting. Sample formats and wording are available.

Funding Opportunities for Engaged Learning Course Projects
The Engaged Learning Office (ELO) offers financial support for students and student teams working on engaged learning projects in the curriculum. This includes BSI capstone projects, applied mastery course projects, other client-based course projects, and co-curricular ELO and UMSI programs. Preference is given to students/teams working with community-based organizations who cannot provide financial support for certain aspects of the project, including user research, transportation, etc. Students and student teams are encouraged to inquire about other needs by emailing the Engaged Learning Office. Students can apply at this link. 

Updated: April 25, 2025, K. Kowatch